Maternity leave pay: 4 steps for owners

Maternity leave takes four steps: get the medical certificate, map out the twelve weeks, check GOSI's (social insurance) maternity benefit before payroll, and prepare her return. The basis is Article 151 of the Saudi Labor Law: a working woman is entitled to twelve weeks of maternity leave on full pay, of which the six weeks after delivery are mandatory, and she may spread the remaining six as she wishes, starting no earlier than four weeks before the expected delivery date.

This follows the sick leave pay lesson, but maternity leave has a fixed schedule, and GOSI may pay it instead of you.

What the law says, in short

Item	Rule	Source
Length	12 weeks on full pay, 6 of them mandatory after delivery	Article 151
Extension	One month unpaid if she asks	Article 151
Sick or disabled newborn	One extra month on full pay after the leave, extendable by an unpaid month	Article 151
After return	Nursing breaks of up to one hour a day, counted as working time, no pay cut	Article 154
Dismissal	No dismissal or warning of dismissal during pregnancy or maternity leave	Article 155

The four steps

1. Get the medical certificate and record the expected date

The expected date is set "by a medical certificate authenticated by a health authority". File it, and get her chosen start date in writing, no more than four weeks before that date.

2. Map out the twelve weeks

Record start and return dates and arrange cover. If delivery is late and less than six weeks of leave remain, the article makes the days needed to reach six weeks unpaid leave. So adjust the schedule after the actual delivery.

3. Check the maternity benefit before payroll

According to GOSI's maternity benefit guide for employers, GOSI pays the employee on the employer's behalf, Saudi or not, if she is employed on the delivery date, has at least 12 months of contributions in the 36 months before delivery, and delivers at least six months into the pregnancy. It equals 100% of her average monthly contributory wage over the prior 12 months. GOSI's introductory guide adds: it is due from the start of the delivery month, paid for three months plus one for a sick or disabled newborn, for births from July 2025. And per the employer guide: it cannot be combined with wages, and contributions continue. Check the status in your GOSI business account before approving payroll.

4. Prepare the return

• Nursing hour: Article 154 gives her one or more breaks totalling no more than an hour a day, counted as actual working time with no cut in pay.
• No dismissal or warning: Article 155 bars dismissing or warning her during pregnancy or maternity leave, including certified illness arising from either, up to 180 days a year.
• Working elsewhere: if she works for another employer during her leave, Article 157 lets you withhold her pay for that period or recover what you paid.

A WhatsApp example

An accountant sent a certificate with an expected delivery date of 22 January 2027 and asked to start leave on 1 January. The owner wrote:

Owner: The accountant sent her due-date certificate, wants leave from 1 January. Set it up.

System: Recorded: expected date 22 January. Starting 1 January is allowed, three weeks early. If on time, her last day is 25 March and she returns 26 March, with nine weeks after delivery. I will adjust after the actual delivery.

Owner: And her salary?

System: She has 30 months of contributions in the last 36, so that condition is met. After delivery GOSI texts her and she applies. The benefit cannot be combined with wages, so her pay in the January to March payrolls is on hold until approval shows in the business account; contributions continue. I will show you her days from 26 March before the March payroll.

Owner: Fine. Who covers her work?

System: Her listed cover in the coverage plan is the second accountant. Send him the handover list?

More on staff and payroll by chat in WhatsApp ERP for your business.

Checklist

Step	Question	Evidence
Certificate	Is the expected date backed by an authenticated certificate?	Certificate in her file
Schedule	Does the leave start no more than 4 weeks early, with at least 6 weeks after delivery?	Written schedule, updated after delivery
Benefit	Has benefit approval appeared before you approve payroll?	Payment status in your business account
Return	Is the nursing hour in her schedule?	Work schedule