Bahrain (BH)

Rules: Under Article 57 of the Labour Law, employees are entitled to 55 working days of sick leave per year (not calendar days): the first 15 days at full pay, the following 20 days at half pay, and the remaining 20 days unpaid. After 6 months of continuous service, entitlement to paid sick leave begins. Medical certification from an approved or recognised doctor is required from the first day of absence in most employer policies, and always for absences of 3+ days.

Doctor note: As a practical matter, most employers require a medical certificate from the first day of sick absence. Obtain a certificate from a recognised clinic or hospital and submit it to HR promptly. Delays or failure to produce documentation can result in the absence being treated as unauthorised absence.

Employer pay: Statutory sick pay follows the Labour Law schedule unless your employment contract provides more generous terms (which some do). Payment is based on your basic salary, not total remuneration including allowances.

Long-term: Long-term illness beyond the 55-day entitlement gives the employer the right to terminate the contract with end-of-service gratuity paid. Keep all medical documentation, as disputes about whether an absence was illness-related versus abandonment of post are common.

Max hours: Article 37 of the Labour Law: maximum 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for all employees. During Ramadan, working hours must be reduced by 2 hours per day for Muslim employees. Non-Muslim expat employees do not have a statutory Ramadan reduction, but many employers apply the reduced hours uniformly. Some sectors (hospitality, healthcare, security) have special arrangements negotiated with sector regulators. Rest breaks: a minimum 30-minute break must be given if working more than 6 consecutive hours.

Min rest: A minimum of one full day's rest per week is required (Article 56). Friday is the most common rest day, but this is not universal across all sectors and employers. Employees cannot be required to work on rest days without additional compensation. Weekend arrangements (Friday–Saturday or Thursday–Friday for some employers) are specified in the employment contract.

Overtime: Overtime must be paid at a minimum of 1.25× the normal hourly rate for working days and 1.5× for rest days or public holidays (Articles 40–41). Overtime must be pre-approved by the employer. Keep written records of overtime hours. Employers who systematically require unpaid overtime are in breach of the Labour Law. An employee is not obliged to work more than 2 hours of overtime per day except in cases of force majeure or agreement.