Q: Can I request my employer to cancel my visa even if I have a pending case? They filed a case against me (breach of contract).

Q: I need some help. I was working in a salon since January 2016 (Sharjah visa and a limited contract). I've been working there for 1 year and 10 months. This October 9, 2017, my employer cancelled me without giving my all dues: gratuity, annual leave and even my salary for this month. In May of this year my passport expired, I talked to my employer since April that I want to renew my passport but she said 'No'. On October 19, I filed a case against my employer for retrieving my passport and getting my salary. Last Wednesday we meet in Labour Department and my employer said she will give the passport on November 8, which is the same date when my visa expired. I'm just scared of what will happen if I overstay here.

Q: I recently ended up my contract with my employer because of a medical grounds. Actually, we don't have medical insurance, we are working 17 hours and I am not getting any assistance from the company. After submitting my resignation letter, my employer accepted it but requested me to leave the country then only after he will proceed with the cancellation. He finally agreed after a long period of negotiation. Now, the employment visa is cancelled and he forwarded me the residence cancellation where it's clearly mentioned that I have until 08 December grace period. I asked him to give me back my passport which he is keeping it since I started working for the company and he refused, saying that only on the 19th Jan in reference to my flight date which is 20th of January. In between, I received an offer with three times the salary I used to get and a lot of benefits including health insurance. As per the labour law, does he have the right to keep hold of my passport even after cancellation of my employment visa?

س: السلام عليكم، أنا عامل في مغسلة ملابس في أبوظبي. عقدي محدد المدة بتاريخ (2022/2/10). ٨ ساعات عمل ويوم واحد إجازة في الأسبوع. صاحب العمل لم يلتزم ببنود العقد ويشغلني كل يوم 10 ساعات و٥ ساعات إجازة فقط في الأسبوع ولا يعطيني أوفر تايم. تحدثت معه بشأن إلغاء العقد فطلب نصف ثمن الإقامة، وقد أخذ مني جواز السفر.

Q: My visa is canceled by labor and they will transfer my all data to the federal authority of the immigration office for cancellation. But my employer can not give me my passport or my Emirates ID and it is required for cancellation. How I can recover my documents?

Q: I'm working in a semi-government company. They are asking me to keep my passport under their custody. Is it legal? Does any law allow the employer to keep an employee's passport?

س: السلام عليكم، لدي موظف مدير المكتب يستلم أموال نقدًا وشيكات إيجار عقارات وشيكات ضمان ولديه مبلغ مصروفات دائمًا. هل يجوز أن يسلم جواز سفره لحفظه لحين الإجازة السنوية لأن لديه أمانات وعهدة؟

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, How can I pick up my passport from my employer without requesting a vacation?

An interview-format article covering the topic of an employer demanding to hold an employees passport. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of LAWGICAL with LYLAW.

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 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.

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).