Kuwait Labour Law chapter
Kuwait Labour Law Working hours and leave: Articles 64–79
Working time, overtime, public holidays and every type of leave.
This section covers working time, rest and leave: the rules employees ask about most and payroll gets wrong most.
The core numbers:
- 8 hours a day and 48 a week; 36 hours a week in Ramadan (Article 64).
- A break of at least one hour after five consecutive hours, with a sector exception (Article 65).
- Overtime at 125%, capped at 2 hours a day and 180 hours a year (Article 66).
- Rest-day work at plus 50% with a substitute day; holiday work at double pay with a substitute day (Articles 67 and 68).
- Sick leave of 75 days on a sliding pay scale (Article 69).
- Annual leave of 30 working days, available after six months in the first year (Article 70).
From 1 November 2025, working schedules must also be registered on PAM's system and displayed at the workplace. Use the annual leave calculator to check balances.
Articles 64–79
- Working hours and Ramadan hours (Art. 64)8 hours per day or 48 per week, and 36 during Ramadan.
- Rest breaks (Art. 65)Employees must not ordinarily work more than 5 consecutive hours without a break of at least 1 hour, which is not counted as working time. Financial, commercial and investment sectors have an exception permitting 8 consecutive hours.
- Overtime (Art. 66)Overtime is paid at +25%, capped at 2 hours per day, 180 hours per year, 3 days per week, and 90 days per year, with a written order and register.
- Weekly rest day (Art. 67)The weekly rest day is paid at +50% with a substitute day. Daily pay = salary ÷ actual working days.
- Official holidays (Art. 68)Official holidays (13 days) are paid at double rate with a substitute day.
- Sick leave (Art. 69)Sick leave: 15 days at full pay, then 10 at three-quarters pay, 10 at half pay, 10 at quarter pay, and 30 unpaid.
- Annual leave (Art. 70)Annual leave is 30 working days per year; first-year leave can be taken after 6 months. Weekends, official holidays and sick leave falling during annual leave are excluded; entitlement for a fraction of a year is proportionate (2017 amendment).
- Leave pay in advance (Art. 71)Pay is due before leave.
- Scheduling annual leave (Art. 72)Leave may be accumulated for up to 2 years.
- Cash for unused leave (Art. 73)Cash compensation is due when the contract ends.
- No waiving annual leave (Art. 74)Waiving leave is not allowed.
- Study leave (Art. 75)Study leave is optional.
- Hajj leave (Art. 76)Paid Hajj leave is 21 days after 2 consecutive years of service, once during service.
- Bereavement and widow leave (Art. 77)Bereavement leave is 3 days; iddah leave is 4 months and 10 days for a Muslim woman, and 21 days for a non-Muslim woman.
- Leave for labour conferences (Art. 78)The employer shall have the right to give the worker a paid leave to attend conferences, annual gatherings and…
- Unpaid leave (Art. 79)Unpaid leave at the employee's request.
This text follows PAM's January 2025 consolidated English edition; this local copy was not independently checked and is not legal advice.
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