Legal Help · Published July 18, 2026
Annual Leave and Sick Leave Laws in Pakistan
Three different kinds of leave, and the exact numbers depend on which law — and which province — covers your job.
Quick answer
After 12 months of service, expect around 14 days of paid annual leave. Sick leave ranges from 8 to 20 days depending on whether the Factories Act or the Shops and Establishments Ordinance applies, and which province you're in. On top of that, a further ~10 days of casual leave is typically available for short, unplanned absences. Confirm which specific law covers your job to get your exact numbers.
The framework, layer by layer
Annual leave: 14 days after a year of service
Under the Factories Act 1934 and the Shops and Establishments Ordinance, employees generally become entitled to 14 consecutive days of paid annual leave after completing 12 months of continuous service.
Sick leave varies by law and by province
Under the Factories Act, workers in the federal system, Punjab, and KP generally get 16 days of sick leave at half wages per year; Sindh workers get 16 days at full wages; Balochistan workers get 20 days at full pay. Under the Shops and Establishments Ordinance, the entitlement is typically 8 days per year.
Casual leave is a separate entitlement again
On top of annual and sick leave, a regular employee is generally entitled to around 10 days of fully paid casual leave per year — a distinct category from both vacation and medical leave, meant for short, unplanned absences.
Which law applies to you actually matters
Whether you're covered by the Factories Act (typically industrial workers) or the Shops and Establishments Ordinance (typically commercial/office employees) changes your exact entitlements — the two frameworks aren't identical, and neither is guaranteed to be more generous across the board.
Why the exact numbers genuinely differ by province
Comparative summaries like Pakera's leave entitlement guide highlight something people often assume incorrectly — that leave law is uniform across Pakistan. It isn't. Sindh's sick leave rules pay full wages for the same 16-day period that federal, Punjab, and KP rules pay only half wages for, and Balochistan goes further still with 20 days at full pay. This isn't a minor technicality; for a longer illness, the difference between half and full pay for 16 days is a meaningful amount of money.
The practical step worth taking: confirm which specific law (Factories Act vs. Shops and Establishments Ordinance) and which province's rules apply to your employment, rather than relying on a generic national figure — your employment contract or HR policy should specify this, and it's worth asking directly if it doesn't.
What Wakeel.org can help with
Explaining how the leave entitlement rules generally differ by law and province, in plain English or Urdu.
What it cannot do
It cannot calculate your specific accrued leave or review your employment records — your HR department or a licensed advocate can confirm that.
Frequently asked questions
How many days of annual leave am I entitled to in Pakistan?
Generally 14 consecutive days of paid annual leave after completing 12 months of continuous service, under the Factories Act 1934 and the Shops and Establishments Ordinance.
How much sick leave am I entitled to in Pakistan?
It depends on which law and province applies. Under the Factories Act: 16 days at half wages (federal, Punjab, KP), 16 days at full wages (Sindh), or 20 days at full pay (Balochistan). Under the Shops and Establishments Ordinance, it's typically 8 days per year.
What is casual leave and is it separate from sick leave?
Yes, it's a separate entitlement — generally around 10 days of fully paid casual leave per year, intended for short, unplanned absences, distinct from both annual (vacation) leave and medical/sick leave.
Does my leave entitlement depend on which law covers my job?
Yes. Industrial workers are typically covered by the Factories Act 1934, while commercial and office employees usually fall under the Shops and Establishments Ordinance — the specific entitlement numbers differ between the two frameworks, so it's worth confirming which one applies to your role.
Can Wakeel.org tell me exactly how much leave I'm owed?
Wakeel.org can explain the general leave entitlement framework and which law typically applies to different kinds of jobs. It cannot calculate your specific accrued leave or review your employment records — your HR department or a licensed labour law advocate can confirm that.
General educational information, not legal advice. See our full disclaimer.
Sources — check these directly to verify
Unsure about your leave entitlement?
Ask Wakeel how the leave rules generally work — then confirm with HR or a licensed advocate.