Know the law: Public holidays on weekend not part of annual leave

Dubai - Any holidays, including sickness, during annual leave shall be considered as part of the annual leave.

I work with a private firm and have weekly off every Friday and Saturday. I would like to know if public holidays falling on weekends will be added to my annual leave or not?
ANSWER
Any public holidays if falling on a weekend are not to be added to your annual leave. Further, any holidays, including sickness, during annual leave shall be considered as part of the annual leave. This is in accordance with Article 77 of the Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 Regulating Employment relations in the UAE (the 'Employment Law'), which states: "Holidays for which provisions have been made by law or agreement or any other days of absence from work on account of sickness shall be reckoned as part of the annual leave if such holidays fall within the annual leave."
Ashish Mehta is the founder and Managing Partner of Ashish Mehta & Associates. He is qualified to practise law in Dubai, the United Kingdom, Singapore and India. Full details of his firm on: www.amalawyers.com. Readers may e-mail their questions to: news@khaleejtimes.com or send them to Legal View, Khaleej Times, ?PO Box 11243, Dubai.

• UAE