Muscat: Employees sometimes want to combine official holidays with their yearly leave, but whether employers can approve or refuse such requests depends on applicable laws and company rules.
Muhammad Ibrahim Law Firm, a prominent Omani law company, told the Times of Oman that Article 78 states that "workers are entitled to 30 days of annual leave each year".
However, the scheduling of such leave must take into account the 'interest of work,' which allows employers to accept or deny the timing of requests. While the legislation does not expressly forbid combining holidays with yearly leave, it does make a clear distinction between the two. Article 79 assures paid official holidays as independent entitlements, and Article 78 states that annual leave must be scheduled by mutual agreement with the employer, according to Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Zadjali, Chairman of the Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm.
Employers have the ability to reject an employee's request to combine official holidays with yearly leave, as long as the decision is consistent with operational needs. This legal difference indicates that joining these two forms of leave is not a right unless expressly authorized, according to the chairman.
Another official from the law firm stated, "Article 81 enables employers to split annual leave into parts and delay it for up to 06 months based on business needs. " Employers may refuse leave requests if they would impede operations, personnel, or continuity, notably in vital positions.
Article 3 restates the idea that companies must respect minimal legal rights but are not required to improve conditions unless jointly agreed. Employers are not legally required to grant requests for the combination of holidays and annual leave if employment contracts or internal rules prohibit it, according to the spokesperson.
There are no legal restrictions to combine holidays with yearly leave, but employer authorization, operational constraints, and the conditions of employment contracts or internal rules apply. To avoid problems and ensure that their practices are legal and fair, organizations are urged to create explicit leave rules and convey goals openly, according to the expert.
(Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm (info@mohammedibrahim.net), (+968 244 87 600) was founded 18 years ago and serves clients from its offices in Muscat and Sohar, as well as on a request basis in other locations. It provides legal representation in a variety of practice areas, including labor law, corporate, commercial, contracts, banking and finance, international trade, foreign investment, insurance, maritime law, construction and engineering contracts, international arbitration, intellectual property, and more.
