Both employers and employees can terminate an employment contract by giving the other one a prior notice of 30 days. The notice period can be increased by an agreement between the employee and employer. Notice must be given in writing. If a contract is terminated without complying with the notice period, the party that terminates the contract shall pay to the other party compensation equivalent to the employee’s wage for the entire notice period or the remainder thereof, as the case may be. Employees can be terminated without notice in case of gross misconduct.
Employees are entitled to take a leave for 1 day per week or 8 hours intermittently during the week to look for another job. They shall be entitled to their wages for the duration of absence.
Employers in Bahrain hiring foreign employees must apply for a work permit for them. The permit can be issued for 1 year or 2 years validity. It can be renewed 6 months before its expiration. The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) has introduced a new 6-month work permit for expatriate workers currently working in Bahrain. The initiative is designed to enhance business flexibility and address market feedback and operational needs, complementing the existing 1-year and 2-year permit options.
The following documents must be submitted for the application:
Employees in Bahrain are entitled to a minimum of 30 days of paid annual leave at the rate of 2.5 days per month after completing 1 year of continuous service with their employer. Employees who have not yet completed a full year are entitled to annual leave on a pro-rata basis. Employees can accumulate unused annual leave and carry it forward to the next year within the framework and conditions agreed upon with the employer. Young workers’ annual leave shall not be subject to division, reduction, or interruption.
If an employee falls ill during their annual leave, the period of illness certified by a medical practitioner does not count as annual leave, and the employee is entitled to take the equivalent days of annual leave at a later date.
An employee cannot waive their entitlement to leave but may receive a cash consideration in lieu. If the employment contract is terminated, the employee is entitled to payment for any accrued but unused annual leave.
The standard workday is 8 hours, and employees may not work more than 48 hours per week. Muslim employees must not be employed for more than 6 hours a day or 36 hours a week during the month of Ramadan. From June 15 to August 31 each year, employers are prohibited from assigning workers to outdoor work in direct sunlight from 12 PM to 4 PM, unless an exemption applies.
Employees must be provided with 1 or more breaks for prayer, rest, or meals, totaling at least 30 minutes. Employees must not work for more than 6 continuous hours. The intervals of rest shall not be calculated as part of the actual working hours.
There is no obligation on employers to maintain an attendance record.
In Bahrain, female employees are entitled to 60 days of fully paid maternity leave, including pre-and post-birth. They are required to take at least 40 days of leave after delivery. A medical certificate stating the expected confinement date is required and must be authenticated by a government health center or a clinic approved by the employer. An additional 15 days of unpaid leave is available.
It is prohibited to dismiss an employee during her maternity leave.
Female employees must be given 2 breaks of at least 1-hour duration each to breastfeed their newborn child under the age of 6 months. They are also entitled to 2 periods of care for 30 minutes each until the child completes 1 year of age. They have the right to combine both periods and reduce their working hours without reducing their pay.
In Bahrain, all employees must be paid fair wages in accordance with the professional custom or as determined by the court. There is no minimum wage for private sector. However, under the National Employment Program to encourage businesses to hire Bahraini nationals in the private sector, the government has set a minimum requirement for wages. For a Bahraini employee with a bachelor’s degree is BHD 450 (Bahraini dinars), for a diploma holder it is BHD 380, and for a secondary school employee or less, it is BHD 300. The government supports a percentage of employees' wages for up to 5 years.
Employees’ wages are fixed according to their individual employment contract, collective employment contract, or the employment regulations in the establishment. An employee’s wage may be calculated by the hour, day, week, month, piece rate, or production.
Wages of employees paid at monthly rates shall be paid at least 1 time a month. In other cases, employees’ wages shall be paid 1 time a week at the most unless there is an agreement to the contrary. Employers are prohibited from transferring an employee employed on monthly terms of employment to daily, weekly, piece-work, or hourly rates without the written consent of the employee.
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