Kuwait Employment Law 2026: Rights and Obligations
Kuwait Labour Law No. 6 of 2010 governs all private-sector employment in the State of Kuwait. The law provides comprehensive protections including generous leave entitlements, one of the highest end-of-service indemnity systems in the GCC, and strict working hour limits.
Employment Contracts
All employment contracts must be in writing, in Arabic. A copy must be provided to the employee. The contract must specify the employer details, employee details, job title, salary, benefits, working hours, and contract duration. Fixed-term contracts that are renewed or where the employee continues working after expiry convert to indefinite contracts.
Contracts for foreign workers must be approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour as part of the work permit process.
Probation and Working Hours
Probation is limited to 100 working days (Article 30). During probation, either party may terminate with 3 days' notice. An employee cannot serve probation more than once with the same employer. Working hours are limited to 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week (Article 64). During Ramadan, Muslim employees work 6 hours per day or 36 hours per week.
Overtime is compensated at the regular hourly rate plus an additional 25% for daytime work, and plus 50% for work between 7 PM and 6 AM or on rest days.
Leave Entitlements
Kuwait provides some of the most generous leave entitlements in the GCC. Annual leave: 30 working days per year (Article 70). Sick leave: 15 days at full pay, 10 days at 75% pay, 10 days at 50% pay, then 10 days at 25% pay, and 30 days unpaid (Article 69). Maternity leave: 70 days with full pay (Article 24).
Additional entitlements include Hajj leave (21 days, once during employment), marriage leave (one month for women), bereavement leave (3-5 days), and exam leave for enrolled students.
Termination and Notice Period
Either party may terminate an indefinite contract with a minimum of 3 months' written notice (Article 44). This is one of the longest notice periods in the GCC. The party failing to provide proper notice must pay compensation equal to 3 months' salary.
The employer may terminate without notice for serious misconduct (Article 41), including assault, dishonesty, gross negligence, and unauthorized absence exceeding 7 consecutive days or 20 non-consecutive days per year.
End-of-Service Indemnity
Kuwait has one of the most generous indemnity systems in the GCC (Articles 51-53). For the first 5 years: 15 days' remuneration per year. After 5 years: one full month's remuneration per year. There is no statutory cap on the total amount. Unlike Saudi Arabia, resignation does not reduce the indemnity — the full amount is payable regardless of the reason for termination, except for gross misconduct under Article 41.