Sick leave is one of the things that causes the most confusion in payroll. The law sets it out clearly in Article 69.
How many days, and at what rate of pay? (per year)
| Days | Pay |
|---|---|
| First 15 days | Full |
| Next 10 days | Three-quarters |
| Next 10 days | Half |
| Next 10 days | One-quarter |
| Next 30 days | Unpaid |
Total: 75 days per year.
Example
An employee earns KD 520 and took 20 sick-leave days this year.
- Daily pay = 520 ÷ 26 = KD 20.
- First 15 days: full pay.
- 5 days at three-quarters pay: one-quarter of their pay is deducted = 5 × 20 × 25% = KD 25.
Medical certificate
Illness must be certified by a doctor appointed by the employer or a government doctor. If there is a dispute, the government doctor's certificate is authoritative (Art. 69).
Important points
- Sick leave during annual leave is not counted as annual leave (Art. 70).
- If the employee exhausts sick leave, the contract may end with full end-of-service indemnity (Arts. 49, 52).
- Chronic diseases are subject to a special ministerial decision (Art. 69).
- A female employee may not be dismissed because of an illness resulting from pregnancy or childbirth (Art. 24).