How to use the calculator
- Choose whether to count the leave from the service dates or to enter a number of days you already know.
- For dates, enter the first day of work, the last day (or the date to count to) and the annual leave days already taken.
- Enter the monthly basic wage and keep the 30-day month for a day's pay, or switch to the 365-day year.
How the leave and the pay are calculated
Service = days from the first to the last day, both included
Up to 6 months (180 days): no annual leave
Over 6 months and under a year: 2 days × complete months of 30 days
A year (365 days) or more: 30 × service days ÷ 365
Leave pay = (leave built up − leave taken) × monthly basic wage ÷ 30
The table shows how the rule plays out at the steps where it changes. The jump at one year comes from the law itself: a year of service earns 30 days, while the months before it earn 2 days each.
| Service | Leave built up |
|---|---|
| 180 days | 0 days |
| 181 days | 12 days |
| 270 days | 18 days |
| 364 days | 24 days |
| 365 days | 30 days |
| 547 days | 44.96 days |
| 730 days | 60 days |
The rules in the law
| Rule | What the law sets |
|---|---|
| Annual leave entitlement | 30 days a year; 2 days a month after 6 months |
| Pay for unused leave when employment ends | Unused leave paid on basic wage |
| How the Labour Law counts years and months | Year = 365 days; month = 30 days |
Source: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Regarding the Regulation of Employment Relationships (English translation, not official), Article 67, The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae). Checked .
Worked example
Worked example
Leaving on 30 September 2026 with 30 days of leave taken
The dates, the leave taken and the basic wage of AED 9,000 are illustrations.
- Service from 1 February 2024 to 30 September 2026: 973 days.
- Leave built up: 30 × 973 ÷ 365 = 79.97 days.
- Unused leave: 79.97 − 30 = 49.97 days.
- A day's basic wage: 9,000 ÷ 30 = AED 300.00.
Pay for unused leave: AED 14,991.78.
Assumptions and what the calculator leaves out
- A day's pay. The law values unused leave on the basic wage but does not say how to turn a monthly wage into a day's. The calculator uses the 30-day month of Article 67 and lets you switch to a 365-day year.
- Months under a year. The law gives 2 days for each month of service in the first year. The calculator counts complete months of 30 days and does not round part months up.
- Leave taken during employment. The law entitles a worker on annual leave to the wage for the period. The calculator values unused leave only, on the basic wage.
- Service before 2 February 2022. The current Labour Law keeps leave rights acquired before it came into force. The calculator applies the current rules to the whole period.
- Part-time work. Part-time workers build up leave according to the hours they actually work, as set in the contract and the Implementing Regulation. The calculator assumes full time.
Note
With the employer's approval, unused leave can be carried forward to the next year. The rules on leave dates, notice and other kinds of leave are in the leave entitlements guide. End-of-service pay is worked out in the gratuity calculator.