Muscat: Employees are eligible to benefit from the annual leave balance in exchange for a sum of money, provided there is written approval on the matter.
The General Federation of Oman Workers was responding to a query on the issue.
What Oman’s Labour Law says on leaves
Article (61): An employee shall have a right to an annual leave with full salary, for a period of not less than thirty days. The employee shall have this leave considering the interest of the work. He shall not enjoy this annual leave before the lapse of at least six months from joining work. An employee shall have the right to a six-day emergency leave annually with full salary in emergency cases. A resolution by the Minister shall regulate the emergency leave for employees and the employee shall not waive the right in this leave.
With the exception of the leaves of the juvenile workers, it is permissible to divide a leave in accordance with the requirements of the work. The employer may pursuant to the above paragraph postpone the annual leave of a worker for one succeeding year.
The worker shall go on leave at least for a period of two weeks once every two years. The employer shall pay to the worker the basic wage for the days of the annual leave which the worker has not been availed if the worker has agreed to the tot that in writing.
Article (64): The worker shall be entitled to the basic wage for the balance of his annual leave if he abandons the work before exhausting such leave.
Article (65): The worker shall be entitled to his Gross Wage during holidays for festivals and other official occasions as may be specified by a decision of the Minister. Should an official holiday coincide with a weekly paid rest day, the worker shall be compensated therefor by another day.
If the official holiday falls during the period of annual leave, the worker shall not be entitled to any compensation therefor. The worker may be asked to work on an official holiday if the circumstances of the work so require, and in such a case the worker shall be entitled to receive his Gross wage for such a day with an additional amount of not less than 25%, or to have a rest day as a substitute therefor.
Article (66): Subject to the provisions of the Social Insurance Law, the worker whose illness is certified shall be entitled to a sick leave the total of which shall not exceed ten weeks during one year irrespective of whether it is divided or continuous and it shall be granted as follows:
Article (67)
1- The first and second weeks with Gross Wage.
2- The third and the fourth weeks with three-quarters of the Gross Wage.
3- The fifth and the sixth weeks with half of the Gross Wage.
4- The seventh week and up to the tenth week with a quarter of the Gross Wage. The sickness shall be proved by a medical certificate and in case of dispute, the matter shall be referred to the medical Commission provided for in Section 43 of this law.
A sick worker may exhaust his annual leave besides the sick leave he is entitled to. Article (67): The worker is entitled to a special leave with Gross Wage as follows:
1- Three days in case of his marriage and shall not be granted more than once throughout the period of his service. 2- Three days in case of the death of a son, daughter, mother, father, wife, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister.
3- Two days in case of the death of an uncle, or an aunt.
4- Fifteen days for the performance of Al-Haj [pilgrimage] once throughout the period of his service, provided that he has completed one year in the service of the employer.
5- Fifteen days during the year for purpose of sitting for examination in case of an Omani worker who is an associate student with one of the schools, institutes, collages or universities.
6- One hundred and thirty days for a working Muslim wife in the event of her husband’s death. The entitlement to the leaves set out in paragraphs 2, 3, and 6 shall be conditional upon the presentation of the proof of death from the relevant authority.
