A Legal Insight by a Jordanian Labor Law Attorney

Tarik Arida
5 days ago
3 min read

A Legal Insight by a Jordanian Labor Law Attorney

One of the most common employment law questions raised by both employees and employers in Jordan is whether weekend days are counted when calculating paternity leave and sick leave under the Jordanian Labor Law.

This article provides a clear legal interpretation, grounded in the Jordanian Labor Law, and reflects practical legal analysis based on professional experience in labor disputes.

Paternity Leave Under Jordanian Labor Law

Article 66(C) of the Jordanian Labor Law states: “The worker is entitled to three days of paid paternity leave.”

The law grants a clear entitlement of three days, but it does not specify whether these days must be working days or whether weekend days are excluded.

Do Weekend Days Count Toward Paternity Leave?

For comparison, Article 70 of the Labor Law regulates maternity leave and grants 70 days, and it is well established that weekends are included within this period.

Legal Opinion

In my professional legal opinion:

Paternity leave starts on the date of the child’s birth
If the child is born on a weekend, that day counts as part of the paternity leave
The entitlement is linked to the birth itself, not to the first working day after the birth
Weekly rest days do not suspend or postpone the commencement of paternity leave

📌 Conclusion:If a child is born on a weekend, that day should legally be counted as part of the three-day paternity leave.

The Jordanian Labor Law does not explicitly exclude weekly rest days from paternity leave.

Sick Leave and Weekend Days

Article 65 of the Jordanian Labor Law provides: “Every worker has the right to sick leave of 14 days per year with full pay, based on a medical report issued by a doctor approved by the institution…”

The article regulates the duration and approval mechanism of sick leave but remains silent on the treatment of weekly rest days.

Should Weekend Days Be Counted as Sick Leave?

If a medical report covers a period -for example- from Saturday to Saturday, the key question is whether the weekend days within that period should be excluded.

The answer, based on legal interpretation, is yes—weekend days are included.

Legal Reasoning : Article 61 of the Labor Law explicitly states that weekly rest days, official holidays, and religious holidays are NOT counted as part of annual leave.

However:

Article 65, which governs sick leave, contains no similar exclusion
The absence of such language indicates that the legislator did not intend to exclude weekly rest days from sick leave

Legal Opinion

Accordingly:

Weekly rest days should be counted as part of sick leave.
This interpretation aligns with legislative intent and statutory construction principles.
To date, no judicial precedent has been found that contradicts this interpretation.

Conclusion: If sick leave is granted based on a valid medical report, weekend days within that period are included in the sick leave calculation.

Why This Matters for Employers and Employees

Need Legal Advice on Labor Law in Jordan?

If you are:

An employee facing a dispute over leave entitlements
An employer seeking compliance with Jordanian Labor Law
A company looking to avoid labor litigation

📞 Contact us ( Attorney Tarik Hani Arida ) today for professional legal consultation. Specialized in Jordanian Labor Law, Employment Disputes, and Workers’ Rights: info@aridalegal.com