Enhanced Benefits: UAE Employees' Rights During Eid Al Adha for Extra Pay and Leave

Understanding your rights as an employee in the UAE is crucial, especially regarding public holidays and compensation.

The UAE Employment Law outlines specific entitlements and obligations for both employees and employers. This guide explains your eligibility for public holidays and the compensation you are entitled to if required to work on these days, ensuring you are well-informed about your rights and benefits.

In the UAE, an employee is entitled to public holidays as announced by the relevant local authority or the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. This is in line with Article 28(1) of the Employment Law, which states: “The employee shall be entitled to official leave with full pay on public holidays determined by decision of the Cabinet.”

However, if an employer requires an employee to work during public holidays, the employee is entitled to compensatory leave for working on a public holiday or a day's salary plus 50 per cent of the basic salary as additional pay.

This is in accordance with Article 28(2) of the Employment Law, which states: "Should the work circumstances require that the employee be employed on holidays, the employee shall be compensated with a substitute rest day for each day worked or be paid his salary for normal working days plus a supplement of at fifty per cent of his basic wage for that day.”

Based on these provisions of the law, if your employer requires you to work during the upcoming Eid Al Adha holidays, you are eligible for additional salary or compensatory leave as specified in Article 28(2) of the Employment Law. Your employer must comply with these obligations and cannot claim any exemptions.

If your employer grants compensatory leave, you may request to combine this with your annual leave. Alternatively, if your firm’s HR policy allows for combining compensatory leave with annual leave, you may take advantage of this option at your convenience. 

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