The General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) has said any work-related leaves, whether paid or unpaid, fall within the contribution period by which the insured is entitled to a pension or end-of-service reward. The responsibility to pay contributions due by insured individuals varies depending on the reason for the leave granted by their employers.
According to the pension and social security law, the insured individual pays full contributions on behalf of the employer and him/herself in case of an unpaid leave, while both the insured and the employer bear their share of contributions according to what the law has determined in the case of a paid leave.
However, the responsibility to pay the due amounts may vary according to different circumstances.
Government sector employers are mandated to bear full contributions due from the insured in cases where he/she is accompanying a spouse for study leave purposes or if they are with their spouse who is a diplomat on a work mission, while an insured individual working in the private sector bears the full percentage of contributions on behalf of the employer and him/herself.
If the insured is on an external secondment period without pay, or on special leaves, they must pay their share of contributions and the employer’s.
If an insured employee working in a government sector applied for an unpaid study leave, both the employer and the insured individual are obligated to pay their share in contributions, while in the private sector, the employee bears the employer’s as well as their share of contributions.
On internal secondments, if the entity bears the employee’s salary, both the entity and the employee must pay their monthly shares of contributions.
In the case of a sick leave, the insured individual must pay his/her share based on the actual contribution calculation salary received and the employer is mandated to pay their contribution for the full contribution account salary, whether the leave is paid or unpaid.
The employer under any given condition, must continue to pay the monthly contributions in full based on the percentage due on the dates specified by GPSSA, subsequently, the insured individual must ensure he/she pay their share to the employer. In cases where the insured is unable to pay their share to the employer, GPSSA deducts the amount paid from the insured’s end-of-service reward to return it to the employer.
Contribution amounts in the private sector are calculated at the beginning of each January, while in the government sector, contributions are paid on the basis of the actual contribution calculation salary each month.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
