Q: Hi Mr Hari, Hope you're doing well. I would like to ask if I'm obliged to pay my employer before I can leave the company. I'm currently employed in a free zone company in Al Qouz for 3 months, and I'm still in the probationary period. I would like to resign because I got another job and also I'm not comfortable with the environment; that's why I look for another opportunity. Now, my employer would like me to pay a sum of AED 5250. This fine, is it for the visa and Emirates ID? And do I really need to pay them that amount? Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you soon. Best regards,

Q: Hi, I have been working in a company in Abu Dhabi for the past two and a half years. I gave my resignation less than a month ago. When I got this month salary, the salary amount was reduced. When I enquired about it, the company informed me that they will be charging me a certain amount from my settlement as visa cancellation process fee. When I called to the Ministry of labour, they told me that company cannot charge me any of such fee. So I would like to know whether I should move by complaining to the MOL, and if I do, what would be the probable result from that action. Thank you.

Q: Hi, I am a first timer here in Dubai. My employer wants to charge me all her expenses incurred during my application; like medical examination, visa, work permit and the money she gave to my agency. What should I do?

Q: Hi This is R. here HRBP in the UAE. Is it legal to recover the visa expenses from an employee who resigns before the completion of a contract of two years? Please revert. R.

Q: Dear sir/madam, When I left my previous employer in the UAE before the end of my probation period, they deducted expenses related to my final clearance, such as recruitment, visa, ID, and medical costs. As a result, I did not receive my last salary and had to pay extra. I was not given a final clearance before I sent them an email agreeing to these deductions. I believe that it is not legal to deduct recruitment expenses from an employee. Do I have the right to ask for this money back? If so, what is the procedure?

Q: Dear sir/madam, My employer terminated me without notice. She is asking for a refund of the visa expenses. Do I need to pay them as they are the ones who broke the contract?

Q: Hi. Companies A & B are owned by the same person. I was hired under A with a job offer stating that if I do not finish my 2-year contract, I need to pay visa costs and training, etc. However, my visa was processed under B which is a DMCC company. And non-completion of visa payments was not mentioned in the submitted contract during visa processing. Is my offer letter with A still binding, and do I have to pay if I will only stay with the company for 1 year?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I have a limited-term contract. I completed 15 months and worked my notice period. My company is asking me to pay half of my visa expenses, which they say is mentioned in my offer letter. What should I do?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My employer signed an offer letter from a different company, adding a clause stating that if the employee resigns, he needs to give one month's notice and refund AED 5000 as visa charges. However, I have already signed a contract from another company and received my EID, with no such clause mentioned. Now that I resign by giving one month's notice, my employer has not paid any salary or benefits even after completing one year and three months. Additionally, they are demanding AED 5000. Please advise!

Q: My friend is currently in the UAE on a visit visa and has received a job offer from a company. However, the employer is asking him to pay for the visa status change from a visit/tourist visa to an employment visa since he is inside the country. According to UAE labor law, who is responsible for covering these charges—the employee or the employer?

Q: Hello I joined my new company on February 26, 2025. Upon joining the new company, I asked HR if it was free to join the company, and she said yes. After working with them for 1 month, I experienced a salary delay, and I had to go to the office to ask why there was a delay in my salary. That is when the HR told me she deducted my whole salary to recover the transfer fee. Now my question is, who is supposed to pay for the transfer fee, the employee or the employer?

Further to my article Scam Alert: Fake UAE Job Offers, I believe the scam artists have read the same. Yes, I call them the artists as it is an art to fool people. They have paid attention to every aspect of my article and now have come up with an innovative way to scam the job seekers. Therefore, my revised strategy in this article.

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.

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).