Annual, Sick and Maternity Leave and Working Hours: UAE vs Italy

On paper, UAE and Italian leave rules look similar: about a month’s annual leave in both countries. In practice, the differences are in who pays, how long protection lasts and how working time is counted. Italy is more generous on parental leave and sick-leave job protection, much of it funded by INPS rather than the employer. Full comparison on Italy vs the UAE .

Annual leave and public holidays  

UAE. After one year of service, employees get 30 days of fully paid annual leave. Between six months and one year, leave accrues at 2 days a month. Employees also get paid leave on official public holidays.

Italy. Every employee is entitled to at least four weeks of paid annual leave a year from day one (Legislative Decree 66/2003), at least two weeks of which must be taken in the year it accrues. Leave cannot be paid out except on termination. On top:

• 12 national public holidays that can fall on a weekday from 2026, after 4 October was restored by Law 151/2025, plus Easter Monday and the local patron saint’s day;
• ROL and ex-holiday hours under most CCNLs, often adding the equivalent of several more days off a year.

An Italian employee on a typical CCNL ends up with a similar or slightly higher total of days off than a UAE employee on 30 days, depending on whether UAE leave is counted in calendar or working days.

Sick leave  

UAE. After probation, up to 90 days a year, continuous or intermittent: 15 days full pay, 30 days half pay, 45 days unpaid. The employer pays. Sick leave during probation is unpaid.

Italy. Sick leave is paid from the first day with an online medical certificate sent by the doctor to INPS:

• Days 1–3: paid by the employer under the CCNL.
• Days 4–20: INPS pays 50% of daily pay; from day 21, 66.66%, up to 180 days a year. The CCNL usually requires the employer to top up to full or near-full pay.
• Industry white-collar staff under some CCNLs get no INPS sick pay; the employer pays it all under the CCNL.
• Job protection (comporto): the CCNL sets how long an employee can be sick before the employer may dismiss, often around six months in a rolling period.

INPS can send a doctor to check the employee at home during set hours.

Maternity, paternity and parental leave  

UAE. 60 days maternity leave: 45 days full pay and 15 days half pay, which can start up to 30 days before the due date, plus up to 45 unpaid days if illness from pregnancy or childbirth prevents a return. Nursing breaks of up to one hour a day for six months. Parental leave: 5 paid working days for either parent, within six months of birth. The employer pays.

Italy (Legislative Decree 151/2001):

• Compulsory maternity leave: 5 months, usually 2 before and 3 after birth (or all 5 after), paid at 80% by INPS. Many CCNLs require the employer to top up to 100%.
• Paternity leave: 10 working days at 100%, compulsory, within five months of birth.
• Parental leave: up to 9 months in total between the parents, paid at 30%, with 3 months at 80% if taken within the child’s sixth year; usable until the child is 14 from 2026.
• Protection against dismissal from the start of pregnancy until the child is one.

Because INPS funds most of it, the direct cost to an Italian employer is lower than it looks, but the absence is much longer.

Working hours and overtime  

UAE. Normal hours are 8 a day or 48 a week, with hours reduced by 2 a day during Ramadan. Overtime is limited to 2 hours a day and paid at basic hourly wage plus 25%, or 50% between 10 pm and 4 am. Work on a rest day earns a substitute day or pay plus 50%.

Italy. Normal hours are 40 a week by law, often less under the CCNL; the average week cannot exceed 48 hours including overtime, over the reference period. Overtime is capped at 250 hours a year unless the CCNL sets otherwise, and the premium rates are set by the CCNL. Employees are entitled to 11 consecutive hours’ rest a day and a weekly rest day.

Side by side  

Practical consequences  

• Plan for longer family leave. A team member in Italy may be away for five months or more after a birth. Plan cover early.
• Do not cash out leave. Italian annual leave must be taken, not paid in lieu while employed.
• Expect certified sick days. Italian sick leave is certified online; you do not ask for the diagnosis.
• Hours are tracked. Overtime above the CCNL schedule must be paid or compensated.

What this means if you hire through an EOR  

The EOR records leave, sick certificates and maternity periods, claims INPS reimbursements through payroll, and applies the CCNL top-ups. Your manager approves holidays as usual. Read the Italian employment contract overview, compare on Italy vs your country , model cost in the cost calculator or contact us .

Related guides for UAE companies  

• UAE fixed-term contracts vs the Italian contract and CCNL
• Tax-free salary vs IRPEF and INPS
• Termination and notice vs Italian dismissal rules

General information, not legal advice.