Q: Dear Sir/Madam, Is it legal under the UAE labour law to dismiss someone for redundancy, in particular as this is not linked to restructuring, factory closure, business resizing...etc? Regards, EAM

Q: I am working in the HR department in one of the private companies for the last 12 years. Last week I received a redundancy letter from the HR manager terminating me for reducing people. However, the actual reason is something else. I have sent an email to our company helpline on the HR manager and complained about him, and he came to know that I have sent an email to the senior manager. It was only me who got this letter from the HR department. Now, they got a replacement for my position. Can I file a complaint against the company in the labour court? Please advise.

Q: Good day, I have a question about my contract being terminated in the UAE. I was verbally informed of my contract being ended due to redundancy on 6th October with no requirement to work the notice period. There is a 2-month notice period in the employment contract. The written notification was only provided on 4th December. Company is refusing to pay gratuity and vacation during notice period with all calculations only being until 6th October. Is this calculation correct? How does the lack of written notification affect this as I would think the notice period should commence when that is received? Secondly, in the redundancy letter which was titled “Notice of redundancy,” it was called a “necessary restructure”. I have since found out that somebody else has been brought into my position but the job title has been changed. All reporting lines and work responsibilities seem to remain the same based on what I have heard from former colleagues. Would this fall under an arbitrary dismissal?

Q: Hi ma'am, Good Day! Hope you’re well! I got terminated from the company due to company restructuring and they gave me 1 month notice period. I’m under an unlimited contract, with a private company in Dubai. Which benefits I would get with this termination which I believe is wrongful dismissal? I hope you can help me! Thank you! Kind Regards,

Q: Hi, I have received an employment termination letter due to company restructuring. This was done without prior notice, and I am currently completing a one-month grace period. I have not used any of my annual leave, and I have been working here for nine months. Could you please let me know what sort of compensation I am supposed to receive? Thank you!

Q: My company terminated my employment because it was making the position I held redundant. I was advised that in no way was this performance-related but purely a restructuring exercise.  However, within 1 month of leaving the company, they have externally recruited another person to fill my exact position, with the same job title, that they made redundant. Whilst I believe that this is unethical behavior, could anyone tell me if this is legal within the UAE or should I lodge a complaint for unfair dismissal?

Q: Hello, My employer has notified me of the redundancy of my role; however, they have offered me an alternative position that is not suitable. What are my rights if I reject the alternative position? Am I still entitled to my 90 days' notice and payment, as well as end-of-service benefits?

Three new ministerial decrees containing a new set of rules for the labour market were issued by the UAE Ministry of Labour last year and came into force on the 1st of January this year. The decrees are expected to alter the contractual relationship between employers and workers in the UAE.

The UAE has adopted a major reform in its legislative system that brought about 40 new laws and amendments to the company law, criminal law, personal status, among others. The amendments aim to develop the legislative structure in various sectors, the labor law being one of these, was the most recent. We try in this article to shed light on the changes introduced with the new labor law and their significance on both, the employer and employee.

The UAE government introduced the new Unemployment Insurance Law under the Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2022 Concerning the Unemployment Insurance Scheme for Unemployed People. The law aims at providing a sort of financial support in case of unemployment for a brief period, probably to help employees who got terminated find another job and avoid failing in other financial obligations.

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).