Sick Leave and Special Leave in Oman: What the Labour Law Gives You

Oman's Labour Law gives you up to 182 days of sick leave a year, paid at a falling percentage of your gross wage, and a list of paid special leaves for events such as marriage, a death in the family, Hajj, and the birth of a child. These are in Articles 82 to 84 of the Labour Law, Royal Decree 53/2023, and they still apply: the only change I found since 2023 is Royal Decree 66/2026 of June 2026, which annuls a different article (146) and does not touch these.

Sick leave (Article 82)

You need a medical certificate to prove the illness. The limit is 182 days in a year, and pay is a share of your gross wage:

| Days of sick leave | Pay | |---|---| | 1 to 21 | 100% | | 22 to 35 | 75% | | 36 to 70 | 50% | | 71 to 182 | 35% |

Gross wage means basic wage plus allowances, so it is a larger base than basic wage alone.

The Law text as translated does not say who funds sick pay, so ask your employer or the Social Protection Fund if the question matters for you.

Long illness and your job

Article 42 allows the contract to end if illness keeps you away, in one stretch or several, for three months or more within one year. That applies only after you have used up your Article 82 sick leave and your annual leave balance. Check this with a lawyer or the Ministry before a dismissal is accepted.

Special leave (Article 84)

Special leave is paid at gross wage and you must give proof.

| Event | Days | |---|---| | Maternity | 98 days in total, up to 14 before birth on medical recommendation | | Paternity | 7 days, if the child is born alive, used within 98 days of the birth | | Marriage | 3 | | Death of a parent, grandparent, brother or sister | 3 | | Death of an uncle or aunt (either side of the family) | 2 | | Death of a wife, son or daughter | 10 | | Death of her husband (a woman worker) | 130 for a Muslim woman, 14 for a non-Muslim woman | | Hajj | 15, once in your service, after one continuous year with the employer | | Exams (Omani student worker) | up to 15 a year | | Accompanying a sick spouse or relative up to the second degree (Omani worker) | up to 15 a year |

The Law names a "wife" for the 10-day leave and does not list a husband's death for a male worker. If this affects you, ask the Ministry how it applies it.

Unpaid leave to care for a child (Article 83)

A woman worker can ask for unpaid leave of up to one year to care for a child. During it she pays all Social Protection Fund contributions, covering the employer's and government's shares as well as her own. The year counts as service, but not in the end-of-service gratuity calculation.

Keep in mind

• Annual leave is separate: Article 78 sets 30 days a year, and Article 81 requires at least 30 days of leave once every two years.
• Leave for the birth of a child, a death or Hajj needs proof, so keep the certificate or document.

For other worker rights, see our work and labour posts.