Employee Leave Policy

AFU grants yearly 30 calendar days to the administrative staff.

Terms of Entitlement & Conditions

Employees are entitled for annual leave after completion of probation period and one-year of service. The employee will be granted an annual leave of 30 calendar days for each year. As following:

• • Continued: 30 days during a year
  • Divided:1 week and 3 weeks during a year, or 2 weeks and 2 weeks during a year; preferably along the time of faculty annual leaves.
  • In case of any extenuating circumstances, less than 5 days of annual leave may be considered as well for Admins.

1. Maternity Leave
   According to UAE’s Labor Law Federal Law No. (8) of 1980 and as per AFU policy:
   1. Maternity Leave with full pay for 45 days, including the time before and after delivery, is entitled for a working woman.
   2. Continuous period of service with her employer should not be less than a year.
   3. If working woman has not completed one-year service, she is entitled for maternity leave with half pay only
2. Paternity Leave
   According to an amendment to the UAE Labour Law, in August 2020, Employees are entitled to five working days of paid parental leave, to be taken within the first six months of the baby’s birth for a baby born inside UAE.
3. Emergency Leave / Compassionate Leave
   In the event of death in the first degree relative (wife, husband, children, mother, father, brother or sister), a staff member may be granted a leave of absence with pay for a reasonable time, but not to exceed five (5) working days if it will include travelling abroad and (3) working days locally. The staff member must notify the Director Human Resources Unit or the direct supervisor as soon as possible of any absence due to the death of an immediate family member, and complete a Leave Application request to allow the head of the HR Unit or the supervisor to arrange staffing levels and continuation of services. Documentation of legal guardianship may be requested.
4. Hajj Leave
   • • AFU Muslim Staff member with at least one year of employment are granted one- week paid leave for
     • The staff member is requested to submit official documents (Hajj VISA, Invitation for Hajj, copy of a valid passport ) and a letter requesting hajj leave to the director of HR Unitthrough the Unit Manager/ Director.
     • Before the leave is taken, the Director of HR Unit will begin efforts to temporarily cover the responsibilities to be left unattended by the person on Hajj.
5. Sick Leave 
   • According to UAE’S LABOUR LAW Part IV Article 82, where a staff member contracts an illness otherwise than as a result of an employment injury, he shall report his illness within a maximum of two days and the employer shall thereupon take the necessary steps to have him medically examined immediately for the purpose of verifying his
   • According to UAE’S LABOUR LAW Part IV Article 83;
     • • The staff members shall not be entitled to any paid sick leave during the probation period.
       • An employee is entitled to a sick leave of not more than 90 days per year, only after a period of three months’ continuous service following the probation period.
       • The 90 days sick leave can be continuous or intermittent, and the salary is paid as follows:
         • - Full pay for the first 15 days
         • - Half pay for the next 30 days
         • - No pay for the rest 45 days.

Note: The above provisions are subject to conditions and do not apply on sick leave because of occupational illness.

1. Any sick leave exceeding 2 or more continuous days must be attested by Government Health Authority.
2. If sick leave exceeds five continuous working days, it would be forwarded to the General Medical Committee of the DHA for final decision.Failing to do so, the HR shall make the necessary deduction and initiate action, as per the law.
3. According to UAE’S LABOUR LAW Part IV Article 84; No remuneration shall be payable during sick leave if the illness is the direct result of the staff member’s misconduct.
4. A serious health condition is defined as a medical condition which requires inpatient care at a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility, or a condition which requires continuing care by a licensed health care provider.
5. AFU administration may initiate Sick Leave by referring a staff member to a physician of the University’s choice to certify that it is safe for the staff member to continue working and performing duties as required by the job description or to certify that the staff member does not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other staff members, Faculty, students or visitors at AFU.
6. Employees must submit approved DHA sick leave requests to the Human Resources (HR) Unit within 48 Hours. HR maintains the records of usage of sick leave. Holidays or other authorized absences during a sick leave will not reduce the accumulated days earned. Sick leave is to be used only as needed and not taken automatically.
7. A staff member undergoing planned medical treatment is required to make a reasonable effort to schedule the treatment at a time that would minimize disruptions to his/her assignment. If a staff member fails to provide 30 days’ notice for a planned leave with no reasonable excuse for the delay, the leave request may be denied until at least 30 days from the date AFU receives notice.

Ineligibility for a paid sick leave

The employee is ineligible for a paid sick leave in the following situations:

• During the probation period.
• If the illness directly arises from the misconduct of the worker, such as the consumption of alcohol or narcotics.
• If the employee works for another employer during the sick leave.

Terminated on grounds of sickness

AFU may not dismiss an employee or give him a termination notice while the employee is on sick leave. If the employee uses all of his 90 days’ sick leave and was not able to report to work afterwards, the employer may terminate his services. In such a case, the employee shall be entitled to the end of service gratuity in accordance with the provisions of the labour law.

Resignation during sick leave

An employee can resign from work because of illness and before the expiry of the first 45 days of the sick leaves, if the physician from the respective health facility or the physician appointed by the employer consents to the cause of resignation. In such a case, AFU will pay to the resigned employee the wage that is due to him with regard to the remainder of the first 45 days.

Procedure

• Annual leave requires preapproval by the college Dean or the line manager. Final approval is based on leave balance by the Human Resources unit.
• Sick leave requires the submission of the form(s) mentioned in the above policy immediately after re-joining.
• All other leaves also require a leave application submission to the HR unit.