Types of Leave in Egypt: What Every Employer and Employee Should Know

Employee leave represents more than a simple benefit package item. It is a fundamental legal right that protects workers while maintaining business stability. Egypt’s Labor Law establishes several types of leaves designed to support personal needs, health requirements, and family circumstances while ensuring business continuity is preserved throughout.

HR teams gain considerable advantages from thoroughly understanding these rules. Compliance gets maintained more easily, and disputes become largely avoidable. For employees, this knowledge ensures fair treatment and provides clear access to rest periods and recovery time when needed.

This article examines the various leave types under Egypt’s Labor Law, explains how each functions in practice, and discusses how employers can manage them with greater efficiency.

Types of Leave in Egypt

Egypt’s Labor Law provides multiple types of leave that cover different circumstances in an employee’s life. 

Each type serves a distinct purpose under the law. Clear rules govern eligibility requirements, duration limits, and payment structures that apply.

Let’s look at each type of leave in detail.

1. Annual Leave

Annual leave is one of the most important types of paid leave. It allows employees to take time off for rest, travel, or personal matters while continuing to receive their salary.

According to the Egyptian Labor Law, the entitlements are as follows:

• 15 days after completing six months of employment.
• 21 days per year after one full year of service.
• 30 days per year after 10 years of service or upon reaching 50 years of age.
• 45 days per year for employees with disabilities.

Public holidays and weekends don’t count toward annual leave calculations under these provisions. Employees can carry forward unused leave to the following year, though this applies only for up to two years maximum.

Usually, annual leave timing must be agreed upon between the employee and employer through mutual discussion. The company can adjust leave schedules to meet pressing work demands, but should consider employee preferences when circumstances permit this reasonably.

2. Sick Leave

Sick Leave

When employees fall ill, they have the right to sick leave under Egyptian law provisions. This leave type gets granted when certified medical authorities confirm the employee’s illness and assess their recovery capability properly.

Employees are entitled to these protections:

• 3 months at full pay, which maintains 100% of their regular salary
• 3 months at 85% pay for continuing recovery needs
• 3 additional months at 75% pay if the healing process takes longer than expected

This structure ensures employees can focus on their health without worrying about severe income loss. Employers must respect this right fully and ensure medical documents are properly submitted to the relevant authorities for verification purposes.

3. Maternity Leave

Special protection reaches working women. Maternity leave provisions accomplish this. Female employees gain 120 days of fully paid leave. This period can begin 45 days before childbirth. The benefit applies three times during employment.

Working mothers also receive:

• Two daily breastfeeding breaks of 30 minutes each during the first two years post-childbirth
• The option for unpaid childcare leave extending up to two years, usable twice during employment

Employers are not allowed to dismiss female employees during pregnancy or while they are on maternity leave. This protection ensures women can balance family life and work responsibilities safely.

4. Casual and Emergency Leave

Casual leave is meant for sudden, unplanned situations that demand quick attention. Employees can use it for family matters, emergencies, or urgent appointments that arise unexpectedly. 

Under the law, workers are entitled to up to 6 days of casual leave per year, which are deducted from their annual leave balance. While advance notice isn’t required, employees are expected to inform their employer as soon as possible to ensure smooth communication in the workplace.

5. Public Holidays and Official Leave

Egyptian workers are entitled to paid leave on official public holidays. Some of the recognized national and religious holidays include:

• Eid al-Fitr
• Eid al-Adha
• Revolution Day (July 23)
• Labor Day (May 1)
• Sinai Liberation Day (April 25)

If employees are required to work during these holidays, they must receive double pay or an extra day off as compensation. Employers should plan workloads accordingly to ensure fair treatment for all employees.

6. Unpaid Leave

Employees may sometimes need a longer time away for personal or family reasons that exceed the coverage provided by paid leave provisions. In such cases, they can formally request unpaid leave through proper channels.

Common unpaid leave reasons include:

• Continuing education programs
• Professional training requirements
• Family or travel obligations beyond normal leave
• Personal health recovery exceeding paid sick leave

Unpaid leave requires the employer’s approval and must be documented properly in writing. This helps both parties understand the leave duration clearly and how it affects benefit calculations or salary continuity.

Best Practices for HR and Employers

Managing employee leave manually can be challenging, especially for growing teams. To stay compliant with the Egyptian Labor Law, employers should adopt structured leave management systems and clear communication practices.

Here are a few best practices:

• Document leave policies clearly in the employee handbook.
• Train HR teams to handle different leave requests fairly and consistently.
• Use HR software like Bluworks to automate leave tracking, calculate entitlements, and manage approvals.
• Keep accurate records to ensure compliance with audits and labor inspections.
• Encourage transparency so employees feel comfortable requesting leave when needed.

These practices not only help avoid legal issues but also build a supportive company culture that values employee well-being.

Conclusion

Understanding the various sorts of leave under Egypt’s labor legislation assists both employees and employers significantly.  Employees get clarity regarding their rights and entitlements, while businesses achieve full legal compliance and equitable treatment of their staff.

Manual leave tracking can be complex and time-consuming. With digital HR tools like Bluworks, you can simplify the process, manage approvals easily, and ensure full compliance with Egyptian labor regulations, all from one centralized platform.

Frequently Asked Questions