Article 82 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 82 من نظام العمل · الباب الخامس: علاقات العمل
Article 82 bars an employer from ending a worker's service because of illness before the statutory sick leave periods are used up, and lets the worker ask to add annual leave to sick leave.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز لصاحب العمل إنهاء خدمة العامل بسبب المرض، قبل استنفاذه المدد المحددة للإجازة المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، وللعامل الحق في أن يطلب وصل إجازته السنوية بالمرضية.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 82 explained in plain English
Article 82 of the Labor Law gives direct protection to a worker who falls ill during employment. It prevents the employer from using illness as a reason to end the worker's service before the worker has used up the sick leave periods set by the law. In practical terms, a worker's absence from work because of illness is not, by itself, a justification for dismissal as long as the worker is still within the periods the law grants.
- Who the article protects: every worker covered by the Labor Law who suffers an illness that prevents them from doing their work.
- What it requires of the employer: to refrain from ending the worker's service because of illness before the sick leave periods are used up. The article refers to other provisions of the law for these periods and does not state them itself.
- An additional right for the worker: the worker may ask to combine annual leave with sick leave, that is, to add their annual leave balance to the period of illness so that their lawful absence from work is extended.
This article falls within the provisions on termination of the employment contract in Part Five, alongside Article 81, which deals with the situations in which a worker may leave work without notice while keeping their rights, and Article 83, which regulates the conditions for non-competition and non-disclosure of secrets after the contract ends. While Articles 81 and 83 address other aspects of ending the contractual relationship, Article 82 focuses on preventing the employer from ending it for one specific reason: illness.
Note that the text limits the prohibition to the period before the sick leave periods are used up, and does not itself address what follows once they are used up, which is governed by other provisions of the law. If a worker's service is ended during illness, or their request to combine the two kinds of leave is refused, it is advisable to consult a labor lawyer to assess their position in light of the law and the available documents.
Practical example
Ahmed works for a company in Riyadh and fell ill with a condition that required him to be absent from work, supported by medical reports. After several weeks of absence, the company decided to end his service on the grounds of repeated absence due to illness. Under Article 82, the company may not end Ahmed's service for this reason as long as he has not yet used up the sick leave periods set by the law. Ahmed is also entitled, if he needs extra time to recover, to ask the company to add his annual leave balance to his sick leave so that his lawful absence from work is extended.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 82 of the Saudi Labor Law
Can an employer fire a worker because of illness?
No. The employer may not end the worker's service because of illness before the worker has used up the sick leave periods set out in the Labor Law, as Article 82 expressly states.
What does it mean to combine annual leave with sick leave?
It means the worker adds their annual leave balance to their sick leave period so that their lawful absence from work is extended. Article 82 gives the worker the right to ask for this.
Does Article 82 state how long sick leave lasts?
No. The article refers to the sick leave periods set elsewhere in the Labor Law without stating them itself, and those provisions should be consulted to find them.
What happens after a worker has used up the sick leave periods?
Article 82 only prohibits ending the service before these periods are used up and does not address what follows, which is governed by other provisions of the law. It is advisable to consult a labor lawyer to assess each case.
More articles on Terminating the Employment Contract
- Article 57
Article 57 provides that an employment contract concluded to perform a specific job ends automatically once the agreed work is completed.
إذا كان العقد من أجل القيام بعمل معين فإنه ينتهي بإنجاز العمل المتفق عليه.
- Article 64Amended (1436 AH)
Article 64 requires the employer, on the end of the contract, to give the worker a free service certificate free of anything harmful to them, and to return all certificates and documents they deposited with it.
يلتزم صاحب العمل عند انتهاء عقد العمل بما يأتي : 1 - أن يعطي العامل – بناءً على طلبه – شهادة خدمة دون مقابل، يوضح فيها تاريخ التحاقه بالعمل، وتاريخ انتهاء علاقت
- Article 66
Article 66 sets out exhaustively the six disciplinary sanctions an employer may impose on a worker, from a warning to dismissal in the cases set in the Law.
الجزاءات التأديبية التي يجوز لصاحب العمل توقيعها على العامل: 1 - الإنذار. 2 - الغرامة. 3 - الحرمان من العلاوة أو تأجيلها لمدة لا تزيد على سنة متى كانت مقررة من
- Article 74Amended by M/44
Article 74 lists the cases in which an employment contract ends, including written agreement of the parties, expiry of the term, resignation, reaching retirement age, force majeure, permanent closure of the establishment, and bankruptcy.
ينتهي عقد العمل في أي من الأحوال الآتية : 1 - إذا اتفق الطرفان على إنهائه، بشرط أن تكون موافقة العامل كتابية. 2 - إذا انتهت المدة المحددة في العقد، ما لم يكن ال
- Article 75Amended by M/44
Article 75 sets the written notice period for ending an open-ended contract for a legitimate reason: 60 days from the employer and 30 days from the worker if wages are monthly, and 30 days for both otherwise.
1- إذا كان العقد غير محدد المدة وكان الأجر يدفع شهريًّا، جاز لأي من طرفيه إنهاؤه بناءً على سبب مشروع، وفق ما يلي: أ- إذا كان الإنهاء من طرف العامل، فيجب عليه أن
- Article 76Amended (1436 AH)
Whoever ends an open-ended contract without observing the notice period in Article 75 must pay the other party a sum equal to the worker's wage for that period, unless they agree on more.
إذا لم يراع الطرف الذي أنهى العقد غير المحدد المدة المهلة المحدد للإشعار وفقاً للمادة (الخامسة والسبعين) من هذا النظام، فإنه يلتزم بأن يدفع للطرف الآخر عن مهلة
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.