Introduction:
The Lebanese Parliament has amended the Lebanese Labor Law in May 2025 by Law no. 22, dated May 16, 2025. For the first time in decades, core provisions were substantially revised, modernizing definitions of the employment relationship, recognizing non-traditional forms of work such as part-time and remote arrangements, and seeking to better align Lebanese labor legislation with international standards.
This article will focus on the recent amendments of the Lebanese Labor Law. It will examine the key provisions introduced by the amendments of the aforementioned new Law and explain their legal implications.
Major Labor Law Amendments:
Notably, Article 1, redefines the term “employer.” The previous terminology, رب العمل (“master of work”), has been replaced with صاحب العمل (“employer”), a deliberate linguistic and conceptual shift toward neutrality, clarity, and alignment with international legal standards. This adjustment goes beyond semantics; it reconfigures the employer-employee relationship by removing hierarchical connotations. Additionally, the amendment removed the limitation of the employment to industrial, commercial or agricultural projects. Such removal opens the field of work and no longer ties work to particular projects.
Equally significant is the formal recognition of remote work in Article 2, marking the first time Lebanese labor law acknowledges and regulates this increasingly common form of employment. This reform is particularly important because, prior to the amendments, the physical workplace was essential in qualifying an employment relationship. In the absence of a shared workplace, many such arrangements risked being classified instead as contracting agreements, depriving employees of the protections and benefits of the Labor Law. The amendment thus fills a long-standing gap and responds to the realities of a modern labor market where remote work is no longer exceptional but often central. It is, therefore, not only a positive step but also one that was highly anticipated. Additionally, the amended article considers that a person can be still considered an employee even if they use their own equipment and tools to carry out the work.
Article 12 has undergone the most substantial transformation, expanding from a single paragraph into a comprehensive framework of ten provisions addressing non-traditional forms of work. Compressed schedules, part-time employment, seasonal work, and remote work are each addressed separately.
- Compressed work arrangements are now subject to clear rules designed to balance flexibility with the safeguarding of employee rights. Compressed work is permitted provided that the nature of the work allows it, that weekly working hours do not exceed 48 hours, and without prejudice to the prescribed rest periods, both intermittent and continuous.
- Part-time employment receives formal recognition, and the law provides that part-time employees should enjoy equitable treatment with full-time employees. The longstanding debate concerning annual leave entitlements has finally been settled: the amendments explicitly introduce the proportional rule, whereby part-time employees are granted leave in proportion to their working hours, rather than the full entitlement of 15 days.
a) The new Law defined the part-time work. It is considered to be work where the working hours are at least one-third but no more than two-thirds of the hours of comparable full-time employees within the same establishment or company.
b) The new Law has also determined the form and the content of the part-time employment contract. The latter may be written or oral and must specify the type of work; the employee’s working hours; the method of distributing these hours over the week, month, or year; as well as the employee’s remuneration, with a clear breakdown of its components.
c) The new Law has also regulated the overtime for part-time employees. The employer may require a part-time employee to perform additional working hours when this is necessitated by the interests of the establishment, provided that:
- There is an explicit prior agreement between the parties, either at the time of contracting or subsequently, concerning the possibility of performing additional hours of work; and
- In the absence of such prior agreement, the employer must notify the employee at least three days in advance of the required additional working hours.
The additional working hours may not exceed 10% of the regular working hours of the part-time employee, unless both parties agree otherwise.
The part-time employee shall be paid for each additional hour of work an overtime wage increased by 50% above the employee’s regular hourly rate.
- As for seasonal work, the amendments represent an effort to bring clarity by recognizing it as a distinct category. Seasonal work is the work that, by its nature, must be performed within a limited period not exceeding (6) six months. It is deemed to be a fixed term employment contract. Part-time employees, seasonal employees and employees who work remotely shall benefit from the same protections granted to permanent employees, including: the right to collective bargaining and organization; the right to occupational health and safety; as well as protection against discrimination.
- Part-time employees and employees who work remotely shall also benefit from the same rights granted to full-time employees, in accordance with the provisions of labour and social security laws, provided that the calculation and determination of their rights and entitlements are made on a pro rata basis according to the number of hours worked.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The May 2025 amendments to the Lebanese Labor Law enhance workers’ rights, improve flexibility, and aim to ensure greater inclusivity in the labor market. By recognizing remote, part-time, and seasonal work while guaranteeing equal treatment and proportional entitlements, the amendments strengthen the legal framework and bring it closer in line with international labor standards.
However, the effectiveness of these changes will depend largely on their enforcement – whether by employers or by the authorities - which underscores the importance of continued oversight and the development of clearer mechanisms for monitoring compliance. In this regard, the new Law requires from the employer to maintain registers showing the names of employees, the types of their contracts, the number of hours worked, the nature of their activities, and the conditions and terms of their employment. These records shall be made available, when necessary, to the Ministry of Labour and to the Labour Inspection for their review. Additionally, the new Law also requires implementing decrees regarding inspections to ensure proper compliance and to secure that remote, seasonal and part-time employees enjoy the benefits of the National Social Security Funds.
Additionally, the practical application of these amendments will heavily rely on judicial interpretation to address the significant gaps that remain. For instance, it is still unclear how existing workplace accident legislation will apply to remote employees who perform their duties from locations and with equipment chosen independently of the employer. Applying Legislative Decree No. 136/1983 in this context raises complex questions of liability and insurance coverage, particularly in light of Article 12, which requires employers to maintain insurance policies covering compensation and medical treatment. It is uncertain whether insurers currently offer insurance policies that adequately address accidents occurring in remote, non-controlled workplaces.
Seven months after the promulgation of the amendments, the absence of implementing decrees continues to hinder clarity. It is therefore imperative for the government to expedite their issuance. These decrees will be crucial for defining inspection mechanisms, clarifying the scope of occupational safety and health protections for remote and non-traditional workers, and operationalizing access to social security benefits for part-time, remote, and seasonal employees.