Arabic term (edited): ����� �����

Vacations are classified as scheduled or unscheduled. Scheduled vacations require prior approval. Unscheduled vacations are taken for urgent reasons, not necessarily an emergency, and cannot be pre-scheduled.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 mins (2005-02-24 22:52:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or unscheduled leave

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2005-02-24 22:52:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or unscheduled time-off

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs 3 mins (2005-02-25 06:38:44 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

From the discussion below, there seems to be some confusion regarding the term \"vacation\" versus \"leave.\"

Leave time is any amount of time off that the employee takes. It may be sick leave, administrative leave (such as time taken off to serve on a jury), leave without pay, or any other kind. Vacation is a type of paid leave that the employee earns at the rate of so many hours per month of work and is allowed to take according to certain internal procedures subject to labor laws. In some places, it is called \"annual leave,\" because the common practice is to take it all at once every year for R&R.

When an employee asks for time off, the department needs to know how to charge that time off. If it is for illness, it is charged as sick leave. If not, then it comes off the vacation hours. If no vacation hours are left in the account, then it is charged as leave without pay.

Different companies and civil service systems have different rules. For example, in some places, an employee is allowed to take leave without pay even though the employee has accumulated many vacation hours. This practice is not allowed everywhere.

Likewise, in some places, maternity leave is counted as sick leave. If the employee askes for more time than her balance of sick leave hours, then the excess comes off her vacation time, and if she asks for more, then it is charged as leave without pay. On the other hand, in some places, maternity leave is a separate kind of leave and has nothing to do with sick leave or vacation.

These are accounting issues that are system-specific. It is impossible to transpose terms from one system to another with perfect match. The translator is always advised to exercise utmost caution when translating such terms.

What I have tried to address in this question is simply the issue of the time off being unscheduled.