The Oman Labour Law, issued under Royal Decree No. 53/2023, guarantees all employees a minimum of 30 days of paid annual leave, reinforcing workers’ rights while ensuring a balance between employee welfare and operational requirements.
Under Article 78, employees are entitled to annual leave with full comprehensive wage. The law requires employers to schedule leave in a manner that meets business needs while allowing employees adequate time for rest and recovery.
Employees become eligible for annual leave after completing six months of continuous service with their employer. The law also permits employees to carry forward up to 30 days of unused annual leave.
However, where leave cannot be taken due to work-related requirements, the unused balance may be carried forward beyond this limit. In addition, annual leave from different entitlement periods may be combined by mutual agreement between the employer and the employee.
For non-Omani employees, the law provides an additional benefit by requiring employers to bear the cost of a round-trip air ticket to the employee’s home country during annual leave, including the return journey to resume work.
The legislation further stipulates that employees cannot waive their statutory right to annual leave. However, the Minister of Labour may approve alternative leave arrangements for specific sectors, provided such arrangements offer benefits that are more favourable to employees.
Article 81 sets out additional provisions governing the administration of annual leave. Employers may divide annual leave into separate periods to meet operational needs, although this flexibility does not apply to young workers. The law also allows employers to postpone annual leave for up to six months when justified by business requirements.
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To safeguard employees’ well-being, the law requires every employee to take at least one uninterrupted 30-day annual leave every two years, ensuring that leave entitlements are used for their intended purpose.
The law also addresses compensation for unused leave. In specific circumstances, and only with the employee’s written consent, employers may compensate employees for unused annual leave based on their basic wage.
Where employment ends before accrued annual leave is taken, employees are entitled to receive compensation equivalent to their comprehensive wage for all remaining unused leave days.