Q: Can I trade my annual leaves with notice period under unlimited contract?

س: سيدتي العزيزة، تحياتي، أنا الآن أعمل في فترة إخطار مدتها 30 يومًا بعد إنهاء عقد العمل معي في شركة في دبي. هل هو إلزامي طبقًا لقوانين الإمارات أن أحضر للعمل في فترة الإخطار؟ هل يحق لي المطالبة نقدًا بقيمة تذكرة المغادرة؟ أتمنى أن أتلقى نصيحتك القيمة في أقرب وقت. شكرًا لكِ سيدتي

Q: My employment was terminated with a proper 30-day notice by the company. I have worked 3 years 7 months and 10 days. I took 8 days per year annual leave instead of 30. Now that I am leaving, I wish to be reimbursed the unused leave. How many days unused leave can I claim according to the law? 

س: إذا كان العقد ينص على فترة إخطار مدتها 60 يومًا، فهل هذا يعني شهرين؟ هل هذا يعني تضمين عطلة نهاية الأسبوع / والأجازات ضمن المدة؟

س: مرحبًا طاب صباحك، إنني أعمل لدى أحد الفنادق. لقد قدمت طلب للحصول على إجازة وبدل تذكرة الطيران. بعد الحصول على بدل التذكرة وراتب الإجازة، هل يمكنني الاستقالة قبل الذهاب في إجازة (إلى بلدي الأم)؟ لديّ 48 يوم إجازة ويحق لي 80% من قيمة التذكرة؟ يرجى تقديم المشورة.

Q: Good evening, I have an unlimited contract, and I have received an offer letter from another company. However, my previous employer is holding up my resignation. My next job is urgent, but my company does not want to let me go. They said that I need to render a one-month notice. I plan to tell them that I will use my two years' annual leave to cover the one-month notice period. I do not know what to do. I need to start immediately at my new company, but my previous company does not want to let me go. I will complete my two years and am entitled to take a vacation, but I need to resign urgently.

Q: An employee has 2.5 weeks of annual leave booked next month. She has now resigned. Does the notice period include the annual leave? If the annual leave was approved before the resignation, is she still legally allowed to take that leave?

Q: I am a married pregnant teacher, with a renewed contract starting next August 2025 and running until August 2026. The school suddenly stated I was not meeting their standard of lesson delivery - and I recognize it - so they said they would review my renewed contract. After stating my case to my principal and my concerns as a mom-to-be, they asked me whether I wanted to stay or not next year to see what they could offer me. The truth is I do not want to stay, as it will be an inspection year, I will be absent for 3 to 4 months to have the baby and I do not want the pressure of when I go back. However, the implication is that I would have to fly home to South America by the end of my current contract (August 2025) which will be impossible on my 37-38 pregnancy week. It seems I have to break my current contract to fly home earlier but I am afraid this will leave them free of the responsibility of giving me partial maternity benefits. I am not sure what to do.

أقرت دولة الإمارات إصلاحات تشريعية كبيرة أسفرت عن إدخال 40 قانونًا وتعديلًا جديدًا على قانون الشركات والقانون الجنائي وقانون الأحوال الشخصية وغيرها. تهدف هذه التعديلات إلى تطوير الهيكل التشريعي في مختلف القطاعات، وكان أحدثها قانون العمل. نحاول في هذا المقال إلقاء الضوء على التعديلات التي أُدخلت على قانون العمل الجديد وتأثيرها على كلٍ من صاحب العمل والعامل.

The provisions of this Law, known as "UAE Labour Law", govern the relationship between employers and employees and other labour matters in the United Arab Emirates. There are special labour related regulations applicable in some of the free zones in the UAE.

This Decree sets the rules and conditions for the termination of fixed-term (limited) or unlimited (not term-bound) employment contract between employer and worker in the United Arab Emirates.

The provisions of this Decree-Law, known as "New UAE Labor Law", govern labour relations in the private sector of the United Arab Emirates. The New Labor Law repeals the previous UAE Labor Law (Federal Law No. (8) of 1980).