The new labour law in Egypt, Law 14 of 2025, took effect on 1 September 2025, and Law 12 of 2003 was repealed with it. Here are the rules that touch plants and warehouses every day, with the article numbers, and what each one takes to apply.
The short version in three lines
- A written contract in Arabic for every worker before he starts, with a copy in his hand.
- Working hours, overtime and leave are fixed figures in the law, not matters of custom.
- Dismissal is now for the Labour Court alone to rule on, and only in defined cases.
New labour law Egypt 2025: start date and scope
The law was published in the Official Gazette, issue 18 (supplement), on 3 May 2025. It took effect on the first day of the month after 90 days from publication, that is 1 September 2025. The specialised labour courts began work on 1 October 2025.
The law governs employment relations in the private sector, and replaced Law 12 of 2003. Contracts and written regulations drafted on the old law therefore need a review, even if nothing changed in operations.
The contract and the probation period
The employment contract is written in Arabic in four copies: employer, worker, social insurance office, and the competent administrative authority (Article 89). A foreign worker may have a contract in two languages, and the Arabic text is the authoritative one.
The probation period does not exceed three months. A worker may not be placed on probation more than once with the same employer (Article 90).
In your plant: no worker starts a shift before his contract is signed. Keep the signed copies in his file, with proof that the worker’s copy was handed over.
Working hours, rest and overtime
Articles 117 to 121 set the ceilings for work, rest and overtime. Article 117 states that this does not prejudice Law 133 of 1961 on employing workers in industrial establishments, so read both laws together.
| The rule | What the law says | What to check in your plant |
|---|---|---|
| Actual working hours | 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week, excluding meal and rest breaks (Art. 117) | The shift roster as actually run, not only as written |
| Rest breaks | At least one hour a day, and continuous work does not exceed 5 hours (Art. 118) | Where the break falls inside each shift |
| Span of the working day | 10 hours at most from the start of the day to its end, and 12 for intermittent work (Art. 119) | Split shifts |
| Weekly rest | 24 full hours with pay, after at most 6 consecutive working days (Art. 120) | Consecutive working days for each worker |
| Overtime | For exceptional circumstances, with notice to the administrative authority within 7 days. Wage + 35% an hour by day and + 70% by night (Art. 121) | Overtime calculated from the biometric record |
| Work on the rest day | Double the day’s wage, plus a substitute rest day (Art. 121) | Register of rest days worked |
| Maximum time on site | 12 hours a day (Art. 121) | Extended shifts |
Annual leave and public holidays
Annual leave is 15 days in the first year, after at least six months of service, then 21 days from the second year. It becomes 30 days for a worker with 10 years of service with one or more employers, or who has passed fifty (Article 124). The worker must take 15 days a year, 6 of them continuous, and the unused balance is paid at end of service (Article 125). Public holidays are paid. A worker who works on a public holiday is entitled to the day’s wage plus twice that amount. He may instead take a substitute day, at his written request (Article 129).
A leave balance is a financial liability that accrues every month. Calculate it and record it monthly, not at end of service or at the first dispute.
Women workers: pregnancy, childbirth and nursing
A woman worker has four months of paid maternity leave, at least 45 days of it after delivery, three times over her service (Article 54). From the sixth month of pregnancy her working hours fall by at least one hour a day. She is not assigned overtime until six months after delivery. She also has two nursing breaks of no less than half an hour each for two years, counted as working time (Article 56).
Plan the shifts for these cases in advance. The paid leave is her right, and covering it is a planning responsibility, not hers.
Wages and the periodic raise
The private-sector minimum wage has been 7,000 EGP a month since 1 March 2025, by decision of the National Wages Council. Up to September 2026 no new figure has been issued for the private sector, and the 8,000 EGP rise applies to state employees.
The periodic raise is no less than 3% of the insurable wage. It falls due one year after appointment, or one year after the last raise (Article 12). The National Wages Council set its floor at 250 EGP a month. An establishment in difficulty may ask the Council to reduce it or waive it.
Ending the relationship and dismissal
The penalty of dismissal now rests with the competent Labour Court alone (Article 148), and is imposed only for the gross misconduct the law defines. The employer may suspend the worker on full pay for up to 60 days while the dismissal request is heard (Article 145). The court rules within three months (Article 150). Terminating an open-ended contract without legitimate justification requires compensation of no less than two months’ wages for every year of service (Article 165).
Before any termination decision: document the violation, the investigation and the warnings with their dates, and consult your legal adviser. An undocumented decision is the weakest thing to bring to any dispute.
Safety, the medical examination and employment fees
The establishment must carry out the medical examination before appointment, and the fitness-for-work test (Article 266). It may not charge the worker any cost, or deduct any amount from his wage, for protective equipment (Article 267).
Employment agencies may not take any amount from a worker in return for placing him. The only exception is administrative expenses of no more than 1% of the first year’s wage, charged by licensed recruitment companies (Article 43).
Contractors and foreign workers
When an employer entrusts work to a contractor at the same workplace, the contractor must give his workers the same rights as the employer’s workers. The employer is jointly liable with him (Article 94).
The share of foreign workers was left by the law to a ministerial decree (Article 70). Decree 279 of 2025 caps it at 10% of the number of Egyptian employees in the establishment, with defined exceptions. The details are in the work permits and visas service.
A checklist for your plant under the new labour law
- A written contract in Arabic for every worker, signed before the first day, with the worker’s copy handed over
- A probation period of no more than three months, not repeated with the same worker
- A shift roster within the daily and weekly ceilings, with paid weekly rest
- Overtime hours taken from the attendance record, calculated at the day or the night rate
- A leave balance calculated and recorded every month
- A wage no lower than the announced minimum, and the periodic raise on its due date
- A medical examination before appointment at company cost, and protective equipment free of charge
- Updated disciplinary regulations, and a documented investigation before any penalty
If the disciplinary regulations in your plant are written on the previous law, updating them is one scope of our HR consulting service.
If the workers are on a supplier’s payroll, this list is his responsibility. Ask him for proof of every item, and read the twelve questions before you sign with a supplier.
Frequently asked questions
Can the probation period be repeated with the same worker?
No. Article 90 bars placing a worker on probation more than once with the same employer, and the period does not exceed three months.
What is a worker owed for an overtime hour at night?
The hourly wage plus 70%. A daytime hour carries an increase of 35%, and night runs from sunset to sunrise (Article 121).
Can an employer dismiss a worker by his own decision?
No. The penalty of dismissal rests with the Labour Court (Article 148). The worker may be suspended on full pay for up to 60 days while the request is heard (Article 145).
Is the employer responsible for a contractor’s or a supplier’s workers?
When work is entrusted to a contractor at the same workplace, the employer is jointly liable for his workers’ rights (Article 94). Choosing a supplier is therefore a legal decision, not only a price decision.
Sources
- Labour Law 14 of 2025 — Official Gazette, issue 18 (supplement), 3 May 2025. Articles 12, 43, 54, 56, 70, 89, 90, 94, 117–125, 129, 145–150, 165, 266–267.
- The law came into force on 1 September 2025 — Youm7.
- Decision of the National Wages Council on the minimum wage and the periodic raise.
- Ministerial Decree 279 of 2025 on work permits for foreigners, Article 9.
