Employment contracts are required to be in writing, in triplicate and in Arabic language. The employer, employee and social insurance office each keep one copy of the employment contract, which must include certain information as specified in the Labor Law.
A typical labor contract would include:
- Name of the employer and the address of the work place.
- Name, qualifications, occupation and address of the employee and the documents required to prove his identity, and his social insurance number.
- Nature and kind of work subject to the contract.
- The wage agreed upon and method and time of payment.
If an employee is hired on probation, the employment contract should indicate the probationary period, which cannot exceed three months.
An employment contract may be drawn up for a fixed-term or indefinite period of time. A fixed-term contract with an Egyptian employee, if renewed, automatically becomes an employee contract for an indefinite period.
It is necessary that both the employer and employee agree on essential matters in the law concerning wages, job description, and contract period.
It is also important to state the kind of work, which the employee is obliged to do, and the entity to which he/she is questionable if work is not performed.
Contract Period
The legislator regulates a maximum of five years for a fixed contract. If the employer and employee agree on a longer employment duration, then the latter has the right to terminate the contract after the initial five years, without receiving compensation; however, the employer must be notified within an agreed upon time period.
The probation period shall be specified in the labor contract and no employee shall be appointed under probation for a period exceeding three months, neither shall an employee be appointed under probation more than once with the same employer.
Working Hours
Employees should not work more than eight hours a day or 48 hours over a six days working week.
Most private sector employees work 5 days a week, usually Sunday to Thursday. The number of working hours may be increased to 9 hours a day in certain circumstances.
Employees are entitled to one whole working day off each week. Certain exceptions apply when work is intended to prevent a serious accident or to cope with a heavy workload. In such situations, the employee must be paid overtime.
|
