Reviewed: 10 October 2026. This is general information. Official sources are linked below; individual cases and applicable rules should be checked with the relevant authority or a qualified adviser.
The annual entitlement and shorter service
Article 58 provides at least 30 days of paid annual leave after one year with the employer, at an average of 2.5 days per month. Service shorter than a year carries a proportionate entitlement. The worker cannot simply waive the right to leave.
Check the applicable counting method and any better contractual entitlement when maintaining the balance. This guide does not assume that a calendar-day label or a payroll system default resolves that question.
Official sources: Bahrain EDB: Labour Law for the Private Sector, Law No. 36 of 2012 (English text with listed amendments)
Scheduling and taking leave
Under Article 59, the employer generally schedules leave according to work requirements, subject to the relevant provisions. The worker must receive at least fifteen days of annual leave, including six consecutive days. Special rules apply to minors and examination-related annual leave.
Record the approved dates and actual leave taken. A balance in payroll is not a substitute for allowing the required leave to be taken.
Official sources: Bahrain EDB: Labour Law for the Private Sector, Law No. 36 of 2012 (English text with listed amendments)
Unused leave and the end of employment
Article 59 addresses settlement of the unused balance at least every two years and payment of the remaining balance when employment ends. It also contains a specific exception where refusal to take leave scheduled by the employer is evidenced in writing.
Do not describe every unused day as automatically lost at year-end. Review the leave record and the relevant exception before calculating an adjustment. Article 47 governs the statutory salary basis for leave-balance compensation and includes special treatment for certain variable-pay arrangements.
Official sources: Bahrain EDB: Labour Law for the Private Sector, Law No. 36 of 2012 (English text with listed amendments)
A useful leave reconciliation
Prepare a record that both parties can follow before approving a final balance.
- Start with the service period and applicable entitlement.
- List days already taken and amounts already settled.
- Keep approvals and any written refusal evidence with the record.
- Separate annual leave from sick leave and official holidays.
- Have disputed counting or payment questions reviewed before signing a settlement.
Official sources: Bahrain EDB: Labour Law for the Private Sector, Law No. 36 of 2012 (English text with listed amendments)
Related guides
- Bahrain employment law: a private-sector checklist
- Bahrain employment contracts: terms and documents
- Probation in Bahrain: contract, duration and notice
- Bahrain working hours: ordinary limits, breaks and rest
- Bahrain overtime pay: day, night and rest-day work
- Sick leave in Bahrain: eligibility, certification and pay
- Ending employment in Bahrain: notice, reason and settlement
- Bahrain gratuity calculations: service, salary and SIO
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