Dubai: The UAE’s Labour Law offers a range of leave options to support employees' personal lives, including parental and maternity leave, ensuring a balance between work and life commitments. Among these, compassionate leave, also known as bereavement leave, provides employees the necessary time to grieve and manage family matters in case of a family member’s death. But what are the different circumstances when this leave applies, and for how many days are you entitled to take leave? Here is all you need to know.
What is compassionate leave?
According to Article 32 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, private sector employees in the UAE are entitled to paid compassionate leave following the death of a close relative.
How long is compassionate leave?
Employees are entitled to:
• Five days of paid leave in the event of the death of a spouse.
• Three days of paid leave in the event of the death of a parent, child, sibling, grandchild, or grandparent.
Does compassionate leave cover in-laws?
“This provision (Article 32) does not extend the said entitlement to in-laws. Therefore, it is at the discretion of the employer to decide whether to grant paid bereavement leave in the case of the death of an in-law,” said Mary Rintu Raju, Senior Associate at the Dubai-based law firm NYK Law.
This provision (Article 32) does not extend the said entitlement to in-laws. Therefore, it is at the discretion of the employer to decide whether to grant paid bereavement leave in the case of the death of an in-law.
When does compassionate leave begin?
The leave begins on the day of the family member’s death.
Is a death certificate required for compassionate leave?
“As per Article 21, Clause (3) of Cabinet Decision No. 1 of 2022, employees are entitled to bereavement leave starting from the day of death, provided they submit proof of bereavement upon returning to work,” explains Raju.
Does compassionate leave apply to free zone employees?
“This provision applies to all jurisdictions that follow Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. However, since the employment laws of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) do not recognise bereavement or compassionate leave as a legal entitlement, it is up to the employer to decide whether to include such provisions and establish clear policies within their company,” Raju added.
