Important notice: This is general educational information, not legal advice, and it does not guarantee any particular outcome. The practical application may vary depending on the sector, employment contract, applicable regulations, and the employer’s rules. The current official texts and the facts of each case should be reviewed before action is taken.

The birth of a child raises practical employment questions for fathers: how many days can they take away from work, will those days be paid, and what documents or procedures may be required? The answer depends first on the worker’s status. The officially available material distinguishes between workers governed by Jordan’s Labour Law, employees of private educational institutions, and public-sector employees.

How many days of paternity leave are workers entitled to in Jordan, and how can they claim it?

Jordanian worker submitting a paternity leave request to human resources with a medical document and calendar

According to guidance published by the Jordanian Ministry of Labour, a worker is entitled to three days of paid paternity leave. This is the duration that can be officially confirmed from the available guidance for workers under the Ministry’s supervision. The Ministry has also stated, in awareness material addressing employees of private educational institutions, that a teacher is entitled to three days of paid paternity leave.

For public-sector employees, the officially published Human Resources Management System in the Public Sector No. 33 of 2024, in the version containing amendments through 24 February 2025, provides for three working days on full salary when the employee’s wife gives birth and on the basis of a medical report.

Which workers are covered?

  • Workers governed by the Labour Law: three days of paid paternity leave, according to the Ministry of Labour’s guidance.
  • Employees of private educational institutions: the Ministry’s awareness material confirms three paid days for the teacher.
  • Public-sector employees: three working days on full salary when the employee’s wife gives birth and a medical report is provided, under the cited system.

These rules should not automatically be extended to members of the armed forces, security agencies, workers excluded from the Labour Law, or people working under special contracts. Such groups may be governed by independent service systems or different contractual provisions. Identifying the applicable employment regime is therefore the first step in any careful assessment.

What are the confirmed eligibility conditions?

For the public sector, the official wording expressly refers to two conditions: the employee’s wife must have given birth, and a medical report must be provided. For workers governed by the Labour Law, the available Ministry guidance confirms the duration and paid nature of the leave, but it does not settle every procedural detail in the material reviewed.

Several questions therefore should not be answered as universal rules without checking the consolidated legislation or applicable instructions. These include whether a private-sector worker must provide a medical report or birth certificate, whether the three days must be taken consecutively, whether the leave must begin on the date of birth, and whether a specific deadline applies to the request. The answer may also be affected by the employment contract or workplace regulations.

Is paternity leave paid?

Yes, to the extent confirmed by the available official sources. A private-sector worker is entitled to three paid days under the Ministry of Labour guidance. A public-sector employee is entitled to three working days on full salary under the cited Human Resources Management System. This does not necessarily resolve how every component of compensation is treated. Salary or wages payable during leave should be distinguished from allowances or incentives that may depend on actual attendance, since the reviewed material does not provide a detailed rule on every element of pay.

How should a worker request paternity leave?

  1. Identify the applicable employment category: a worker in an establishment governed by the Labour Law, a public-sector employee, an employee of a private educational institution, or a person subject to an independent system.
  2. Submit a written or electronic request to the employer or human resources department, stating the birth and the dates requested.
  3. Attach the medical report or other evidence required by the relevant authority. For public-sector employees, the cited system expressly refers to a medical report.
  4. Keep a copy of the request and supporting documents, together with proof of delivery, such as an email, application number, or administrative acknowledgment.
  5. If the request is not approved or there is a dispute about the number of days or payment, ask for the position and reasons in writing.

The available material does not establish a general rule requiring the request to be submitted before or after the birth within a specified number of days. It also does not establish, as a general rule, that an employer may postpone the leave for operational reasons. As a practical matter, the worker should submit the request as soon as reasonably possible after learning of the birth and ask human resources about the applicable form and documents, without assuming that an internal procedure changes the legal entitlement.

What if the employer refuses the request?

A structured response begins with requesting written clarification. The reason may relate to the worker’s employment category, missing documents, the requested dates, or a different interpretation of the workplace rules. The worker should preserve the employment contract, leave policy, request, correspondence, and the relevant medical or birth evidence.

Where the employer falls under the Ministry of Labour’s jurisdiction, the worker may seek guidance from the Ministry. Public-sector employees may also refer the issue to their human resources department and the competent administrative authority. If the disagreement continues, the appropriate options should be assessed after reviewing the governing system, contract, documents, and dates. A worker should not simply stop attending work based on an undocumented assumption, and an employer should not treat the request as rejected only through an unclear verbal statement where the applicable procedure calls for documentation.

Frequently asked questions about paternity leave in Jordan

Are the three days calendar days or working days?

For a worker covered by the Ministry of Labour guidance, the material states three paid days. The public-sector system expressly states three working days. “Working days” should therefore not be automatically applied to every category without checking the rule governing that employee.

Must a private-sector worker provide a medical report?

The available Ministry guidance confirms the duration and paid status of the leave, but the material reviewed does not establish whether a medical report or birth certificate is a universal private-sector requirement. The applicable legislation and workplace procedure should be checked.

Are teachers in private educational institutions covered?

Yes. The Ministry’s awareness material for private educational institutions confirms three paid days of paternity leave for the teacher. The contract and the institution’s applicable rules should still be reviewed.

Does the entitlement apply to the armed forces and security agencies?

This cannot be assumed from the rules discussed here. Those personnel may be governed by separate service systems, which should be consulted directly.

Can the starting date of the leave be confirmed?

Not generally from the available material. It does not settle whether the leave must begin on the date of birth or may be used later. That issue requires checking the applicable official text or workplace regulation.

A conclusion for professional review

The officially confirmed position is three paid days for workers covered by the Ministry of Labour guidance, three paid days for employees of private educational institutions, and three working days on full salary for public-sector employees when their wife gives birth and a medical report is provided. The timing of the request, private-sector documentation, calculation of the days, and effect of internal regulations require a category-specific review.

The safest practical approach is to submit the request in writing, preserve proof of delivery, and obtain written reasons if the request is refused. A professional review of the current official texts and the relevant documents remains advisable before taking a step that could affect the employment relationship.

Official sources