Managing employee leave and vacation entitlements is a critical aspect of compliance and employee satisfaction when operating in Palestine. Understanding the local labor laws governing various types of leave, from annual holidays to sick time and parental leave, is essential for employers to ensure fair treatment and legal adherence. These regulations provide a framework for minimum entitlements, ensuring employees have necessary time off for rest, illness, family events, and other significant life circumstances.
Compliance with Palestinian labor law regarding leave policies helps build a positive employer-employee relationship and ensures smooth business operations. Employers are typically required to grant specific minimum days for different leave types, and understanding the nuances of accrual, eligibility, and compensation for each is key to effective workforce management.
Annual Vacation Leave
Employees in Palestine are entitled to paid annual leave after completing a certain period of service. The minimum entitlement typically increases with the length of employment.
| Years of Service | Minimum Annual Leave (Days) |
|---|---|
| Less than 5 years | 14 |
| 5 years or more | 21 |
Annual leave accrues based on the period of service. Employees are generally entitled to take their accrued leave after completing one year of continuous service. Leave days must be agreed upon between the employer and employee, taking into consideration business needs and the employee's request. Unused leave may be carried over to the following year under certain conditions, or compensated upon termination of employment, depending on the specific terms and labor law provisions.
Public Holidays
Palestine observes several public holidays throughout the year, during which employees are typically entitled to a paid day off. If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, they are usually entitled to receive increased compensation, often double their regular wage, or receive a compensatory day off. The specific dates for some holidays, particularly Islamic ones, vary each year as they are based on the lunar calendar.
Common Public Holidays include:
- New Year's Day (Gregorian)
- International Workers' Day (May Day)
- Eid al-Fitr (Feast of Breaking the Fast) - Dates vary
- Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) - Dates vary
- Islamic New Year - Date varies
- Prophet Muhammad's Birthday - Date varies
- Christmas Day (Gregorian)
- Christmas Day (Orthodox) - Date varies
Specific dates for Islamic holidays in 2025 will be determined closer to the time based on moon sightings.
Sick Leave
Employees in Palestine are entitled to paid sick leave when they are unable to work due to illness or injury, provided they present a medical certificate from a recognized physician. The entitlement and level of pay typically depend on the duration of the illness and the employee's length of service.
A common structure for sick leave entitlement and pay is as follows:
| Duration of Illness | Pay Percentage of Regular Wage |
|---|---|
| First 15 days | 100% |
| Next 15 days | 50% |
| Subsequent days | Unpaid (up to a certain limit, often 60 days total per year) |
Eligibility for paid sick leave usually requires the employee to have completed a minimum period of service, often six months. The total duration of sick leave, paid and unpaid, that an employee can take in a year may be capped.
Parental Leave
Palestinian labor law provides entitlements for parental leave, primarily focusing on maternity leave.
Maternity Leave
Female employees are entitled to paid maternity leave. The standard duration is typically 10 weeks (70 days), which can be taken before and after childbirth. The employee is usually entitled to full pay during this period, provided they meet eligibility requirements, such as a minimum period of continuous service (often 180 days) with the employer.
Paternity Leave
While specific statutory paternity leave is not as extensively defined as maternity leave in all contexts, some provisions or company policies may allow for a short period of leave for fathers around the time of childbirth. This is often limited and may be unpaid or covered under other leave types like personal leave.
Adoption Leave
Labor law provisions specifically for adoption leave may vary or be less explicitly defined compared to maternity leave. Any leave granted for adoption is often subject to employer policy or potentially covered under general personal leave provisions.
Other Types of Leave
Beyond the main categories, Palestinian labor law or common practice may recognize other types of leave for specific circumstances:
- Bereavement Leave: Employees are typically granted a short period of paid leave in the event of the death of a close family member. The duration is often around 3 days.
- Study Leave: In some cases, and often subject to employer discretion or collective agreements, employees may be granted leave for educational purposes, which may be paid or unpaid depending on the circumstances and company policy.
- Hajj Leave: Muslim employees may be entitled to unpaid leave to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, typically once during their employment, subject to certain conditions and service length.
- Marriage Leave: Some employers may grant a few days of paid leave for an employee's marriage.
The availability and terms of these 'other' leave types can sometimes depend on internal company policies or specific employment contracts, provided they do not fall below any minimums stipulated by labor law.
