The official name of Lebanon is the Lebanese Republic. It is a country located in the Western portion of Asia. Arabic is the official language, but local dialects are spoken throughout the nation. Lebanon offers a robust agricultural industry and has made recent strides to diversify the country’s economy. The country offers a large skilled workforce, and investment-friendly government.
An employment contract can be both written and oral. A written employment contract should be in Arabic. If the employee does not understand Arabic, then a translation of the contract should be attached to the employee’s Arabic contract.
Employment contracts should include:
Foreign employees require a work permit from the Ministry of National Economy to work in Lebanon.
The standard workweek is 48 hours, with 36 hours of rest every week, which is approximately 8 hours per day with one hour rest every day. Employees can work overtime but total work hours, regular hours plus overtime, cannot exceed 12 hours per day. The employer is required to inform the Social Affairs Service of any overtime the employee had worked within 24 hours.
The duration of sick leave is determined by an employee’s time of service. If sick leave exceeds 30 days and the employee requires more sick days, the additional days are deducted from the annual vacation leave days, provided that the deduction does not exceed eight days.
Female employees receive 10 weeks of paid maternity leave from their employer. Additionally, employees may be eligible to receive reimbursements for maternity care through Lebanon’s social security system. A male employee may be absent on the day of his child’s delivery but currently there is no entitlement to paternity leave in Lebanon. Although, there is a proposal to provide up to three days of paternity leave pending consideration by Parliament.
Employers in Lebanon are not required to pay employees bonuses but may choose to do so.
Employees are entitled to 15 days of paid annual leave after one year of service. The employer may determine when the leave is taken. Employees also receive two paid personal days in the event of a death in the family.
Lebanon observes the following holidays:
Primary healthcare is available in the form of public and private health insurance in Lebanon. Public health insurance is primarily funded by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The hospitalization costs of individuals who are not covered under public health insurance are covered by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH).
Both the employer and employee may terminate the contract, which requires a written termination notice that clearly states the reasons for termination. During the notice period, employees are entitled to leave work an hour early every day to search for alternative employment. Termination notice cannot be given to pregnant employees, or during maternity, sick and vacation leaves. An employer may terminate a contract without notice or paying severance in certain specific situations.
We understand that local laws and regulations change and sourcing an accurate reference guide is not easy. Our data is researched and verified by our team of local international Employment Attorneys, HR and Benefit Professionals and Tax Accountants through our Atlas team and consultants, to ensure information up-to-date and accurate.
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