Did You Know? The Curious Case of Missing Days in September 1752 and the Birth of Paid Leave

Have you ever seen the calendar for September 1752? If you are working in Unix, try this out. At the $ prompt, type: cal 9 1752. Surprised?

Not only in Unix, you can also search it on Google. See the explanation for what you see. Isn't the output strange? A month with a whole eleven days missing. This was the time England shifted from the Roman Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar, and the King of England ordered those 11 days to be wiped off the face of the month of September 1752. (What couldn't a King do in those days?!) And yes, the workers worked for 11 days less, but got paid for the entire 30 days. And that's how "Paid Leave" was born. Hail the King!

Regards,
Nasar Vallpauzha
Abu Dhabi, UAE

Hello Nasar Vallpauzha,

Thank you for sharing this interesting fact about the origin of "Paid Leave". It is indeed an interesting slice of history to learn that such a common workplace benefit has its roots in the calendar change from Julian to Gregorian in England in 1752.

However, it's essential to note that the modern concept of paid leave has evolved significantly since then and is governed by various national and international labor laws.

For instance, in the United Arab Emirates where you are based, the labor law stipulates the following regulations about paid leave:

- After every year of service, the employee is entitled to an annual leave of not less than:
- ⭐ Two days a month if his service is more than six months and less than a year
- ⭐ Thirty days a year if his service exceeds one year. At the end of the service, the employee is entitled to an annual leave for the fraction of the last year he spent in service

- The employer may determine the date for the annual leave and divide it if necessary into two or more periods.

- 🎉 If the work circumstances require that the employee work during his total annual leave or a part thereof, and the leave has not been divided, the employer must pay the employee's regular wage plus a leave allowance in respect of his workdays made up of his basic wage, provided that the total amount of wage and allowance is not less than the basic wage and the housing allowance, if applicable.

Remember that these laws are there to protect the well-being and rights of employees, ensuring that everyone gets the rest and recuperation they need while still receiving their regular income.

So while the concept of "Paid Leave" may have been born in unusual circumstances, it has certainly become a critical part of modern employment practices.

Hope this helps! 😊 Keep sharing such interesting facts!