Q: I worked in a company for more than 5 years. I was terminated (with notice period) after I made a salary complaint. The labour researcher said it might not be arbitrary dismissal because I'm on an unlimited contract, saying any party may terminate the contract as long as there is notice period. So I didn’t push for it. We haven’t settled my gratuity yet, but they want to deduct my lates and absences. As of now, I'm just assuming they want to deduct all my lates and absences from my joining date until my last day. I admit that I have many lates and absences (sick leaves) in my entire employment with them, but they never issued any written warning or imposed any fine as disciplinary actions - they didn’t deduct anything on my salary following every incident. Is it legal for the company to deduct lates and absences on my gratuity? Can they count the lates and absences from my joining date until my last day? Or only for the past few months, or 1 year, or start on my latest renewal date? Thank you.

Q: Dear Ms Rajasree, I am working for 6 years and 6 months and recently my new manager has terminated my services by giving me two warning letters within a month, stating that I did not submit invoices in time. It was in direct coordination with dept. heads, and at the third stage was the termination. I have signed and acknowledged all these docs i.e. the warning letters and termination. Kindly advise if as per the UAE Labor Law I am entitled to 3 months notice salaries. Kindly note that my contract is limited. Looking forward to your kind advice. Regards

Q: Dear Ma'am, Greetings! I have a case where we have terminated an employee at 360 days, on an immediate basis. We have not allowed him to serve a 30 day notice period, however, we have compensated the 30 days through an additional salary. Please advise if we need to compensate the employee inclusive of the 30 days (notice period) in his leave salary and gratuity? Or do we take the termination date as the basis of calculation for leave salary and gratuity? Kindly advise.

Q: Dear Sir/ Ma'am, Greetings! I have a case where we have terminated an employee at 360 days, on an immediate basis. We have not allowed him to serve a 30 day notice period, however, we have compensated the 30 days through an additional salary. Please advise if we need to compensate the employee inclusive of the 30 days (notice period) in his leave salary and gratuity. Or do we take the termination date as the basis of calculation for leave salary and gratuity? Kindly advise.

س: السلام عليكم، لو سمحت موجود بند في عقد العمل ينص على العمل ٦ أشهر تحت التجربة. اشتغلت شهر ونصف وتم فصلي بدون إنذار، وفي بنود العقد مَن يفسخ العقد لازم ينذر قبلها بشهر. هل يحق لي بدل إنذار شهر أو ١٤ يومًا؟ وسؤال آخر: أنا دوامي ٨ ساعات وخلال هذه المدة كنت أعمل ١٠ ساعات. إذا أردت أن أحسب العمل الإضافي. راتب الساعة +25%. صحيح هذا الكلام؟ وشكرًا!

س: السلام عليكم، لدي عقد محدد المدة. في آخر يوم من العقد، أرسلوا لي رسالة خطية أنه لن يتم تجديد عقدي بدون أي إشعار مسبق. هل يوجد أي تعويض يجب دفعه لي؟

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).