Employees are entitled to 21 days of paid leave each year (though they must wait six months before taking their first day off). This increases to an entire month after 10 years of employment (or when the employee reaches the age of fifty, whichever comes first).
Employees receive all national holidays designated by the Ministry of Manpower and Training with full pay:
- The 1st day of Moharam (Islamic New Year)
- The 12th day of Rabie the first (Prophet Mohamed's birthday)
- The 1st and 2nd days of Shawal (1st Bairum)
- The 9th, 10th, and 11th days of Zoelhega (2nd Bairum)
- The seventh day of January (Eastern Christmas)
- Spring day (Sham El Nessim)
- The 25th of April (Sinai Liberation Day)
- The 1st of May (Labor Day)
- The 23rd of July (Revolution Day)
- The 6th of October (Armed Forces Day)
After five consecutive years of employment, an employee is eligible for a month’s paid leave to make a religious pilgrimage.
Women are allowed 90 days maternity leave after ten months of employment, with full pay. For 24 months after giving birth a woman is entitled to an hour off each day in order to breast feed the child. Women may not exercise their right to maternity more than twice during a single period of employment (as stipulated by their contract, generally five years).