Medical Certificates for Sick Leave in the UAE: You Need to Know

Understanding Sick Leave Entitlements

Once in a blue moon, every employee working in the UAE now and then is required to take sick leave. Therefore, it is necessary for every employee to know about the UAE labor law regarding sick leaves so that they can avail of them at the time of illness.

In this blog, we discuss about:

• Sick leaves entitlement
• Medical Certificate for Sick Leave UAE
• Attestation for medical certificate

Importance of Medical Certificates

Medical certificates are essential to prove the audacity of your illness. It will save an employee from unnecessary deductions in regard to sick leaves and keep an employer informed about the employee’s unavailability due to his/her sickness 

Contents of a Medical Certificate

The medical certificate for sick leave uae typically includes:

• Personal details of employee
• Date of Examination
• Diagnosis
• Statement of ability to work
• Duration of leaves

Where to Obtain Medical Certificates

To obtain a medical certificate for sick leave UAE is issued by licensed healthcare providers, such as:

• Hospitals including general and specialized hospitals/clinics.

• Doctors which include medical centers/private clinics/individual doctors’ offices

• Government Health Centers such as Dubai Health Authority (DHA), or the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA)

Handling Disputes and Second Opinions

It is required by the employee to submit further proof as a second opinion to the employer. This occurs when your employer is not sure about your illness and need further proof of your current medical condition. It can be beneficial for both employees and employers to submit additional reports.

Sick Leaves According to the UAE Labour Law

Employees are entitled to take sick leaves of 90 days per year according to Article 65 of the Labor Law of UAE. Employees are eligible to avail of these leave continuously or in gaps.

Employees are eligible for sick leave:

• If they are unable to work due to illness or
• They face any mishap and due to this, they have an injury.

Keep this in mind, it includes both physical and mental health conditions.

In case of taking more than 90 days of sick leaves, employees are allowed to take but this will count as an additional leave and without pay.

How to Apply and Submit the Medical Certificate for Sick Leave?

In case you need to apply for sick leave due to any physical and medical condition that you may face, you need to provide a medical certificate to support your sick leave application.

You have to request for a sick leave when you are taking more than three days of sick leave. For this, your employer requests a medical certificate for sick leave request. The reason behind this is that your employer wants to believe that you are actually sick or not.

Email Template For Sick Leave

Here’s an email template for sick leave:

Subject: Request for Sick Leave – [Your Full Name]

Dear Employer’s Name,

I hope you are well. I am writing this email to inform you that I have fallen ill. To recover fast, I need to take a sick leave. I want to be available to work again as soon as I can but right now my doctor has advised me to take rest. So that I can focus on my health for the next ‘number of days’

As per our company’s policy, I have attached my medical certificate. It provides the necessary details of my condition. Also, it includes the doctor’s recommendation of a rest period.

I will ensure that as a dedicated employee you will not face any difficulty. All of my responsibilities will be covered during my absence. I have handed over ‘Colleague’s Name’ to my current projects and tasks. ‘Colleague’s Name’ has agreed to oversee my duties during my time off. If any urgent matters arise, I will be available for consultation via phone number or email.

I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that my absence will cause. I appreciate your support and understanding during my hard time. I aim to return to work fully recovered by the ‘return date’.

Thank you for your consideration! Kindly let me know if any further information is needed from my side.

Best regards,

[Your Full Name]

[Your Position]

[Your Contact Information]

Medical Certificate Attestation

Medical certificate for sick leave uae attestation depends on the purpose of the certificate. The medical certificate attestation is required when applying for a visa or to submit an application to a government agency. However, you don’t need to attest the medical certificate in absence from work or school.

Sick leave Eligibility

The employees are eligible to avail of sick leaves of 90 days according to the article UAE’s Labor Law. They can avail of sick leaves after the probation period ends. It can be taken continuously or after some intervals.

Employees can take sick leaves due to illness or in case of an injury. However, employees are also allowed to take more than 90 days of sick leave as well but they don’t get a pay against it.

• Full pay for the first 15 days
• Half pay for the next 30 days
• No pay for the rests 45 days

Inform Employer

You must notify your employer about your sickness within a maximum of 3 days according to the Labour Law of UAE. If it is required by the employer then you should have to submit a medical report on your condition as well issued by a medical entity.

FAQs regarding medical certificates for sick leave in the UAE

Do I need a medical certificate for sick leave in the UAE?

Absolutely, to avail of sick leave, a medical certificate is needed. Employers usually ask for this certificate because of several reasons.

• Employers need to verify that an employee is actually sick
• He/she is unable to work in order to approve their leave request

How many days of sick leave am I entitled to?

90 days of sick leave is given depending on the case:

• Let’s suppose you are ill, you can take this 90 days leave
• Similarly, if an injury is met, you can request this 90 days leave

What information should be included in a medical certificate for sick leave?

The medical certificate for sick leave uae typically includes:

• Personal details of employee
• Date of Examination
• Diagnosis
• Statement of ability to work
• Duration of leaves

Do I need to visit a government hospital to obtain a medical certificate?

Yes, you can obtain a medical certificate for sick leave uae through Government Health Centers including

• Public health centers operated by the DHA or the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) can also provide medical certificates.

Also, you can obtain a medical certificate from these healthcare providers as well:

• General hospitals / specialized hospitals/clinics can provide medical certificates.

• Doctor’s private clinics, medical centers, and individual doctors’ offices can also issue medical certificates.

Can my employer request a second opinion regarding my illness?

Your employer may ask for a second opinion if he is still unsure about your existing medical condition or not satisfied with the reports or certificate you submitted.

Can my employer terminate me for taking sick leave?

No, an employee can not be dismissed by an employer while you are on your sick leave. The employer has all the right to terminate the employee. Given that, if the employee uses all of his 90 days of sick leave and does not inform the employer to report to work. However, the employee is provided with end-of-service benefits in accordance with the UAE labor law.

What if I fall sick during my annual leave?

You can mutually decide with your employer about this matter as Labor Law is silent on merging of sickness and annual leaves.

However in accordance with Article 77 of the Labor Law, which states that:

“The annual leave period is deemed to include such holidays as prescribed by law or as agreed to, and any other periods of sickness, that occurred during this leave and is considered as part thereof.”

Is a medical certificate required for one-day of sick leave in UAE?

No, but a maximum of 3 days are allowed. After 3 days he/she is entitled to submit a medical certificate to the employer.