Changes to Sick Leave Regulations in the UAE; Removal of Requirement to Provide Documentation to Employers

If you take sick leave in the UAE, you no longer need to worry about obtaining and submitting a medical certificate after returning to work.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention of the UAE has announced changes to the process of registering and approving sick leave. According to the new regulations, healthcare centers will be responsible for sending requests for the approval of sick leave for employees and patient companions to employers, and employees will no longer need to follow up on these processes themselves.

This change was announced on Wednesday, November 4, and includes sick leave certificates and patient companion leave certificates.

Additionally, if the leave certificate has already been approved by the relevant healthcare authorities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, or the UAE Health Services, there is no need for re-approval.

What sick leave regulations have not changed?

According to current regulations, employers request a medical report for sick leave exceeding two consecutive working days. Additionally, the total sick leave without providing a medical report cannot exceed six separate working days within a calendar year.

Another new change is that healthcare centers can register patient companion leave requests simultaneously with the patient's leave request; a measure aimed at simplifying the administrative process for patient companions as well.

These changes are part of the UAE government's "Zero Bureaucracy" program; a program aimed at eliminating unnecessary administrative steps and providing faster and simpler services to citizens and residents of the UAE.