Q: I am the manager of a boutique retail store in Abu Dhabi. My company has not been earning money, details I am privy to due to the report I send to the owners, my boss. I know they considered filing bankruptcy last year when his loan application was denied. Now, my boss is suddenly accusing me of theft a week before my vacation. He says items are missing in the inventory. When I joined 2 years ago the inventory wasn't complete, and when we changed the systems this year, items were not migrated properly. I suspect this is their way of regaining back loss, accusing me of theft. How do I protect myself?

Q: I have been accused of theft, with the company asking to meet with me in regards to questioning. The company says they have CCTV footage of me stealing even though I am innocent. Is it worth fighting?

Q: Hi Sir, I have a case in Dubai Courts for the embezzlement of 30500. When I appeared in front of the judge in the 1st hearing, they asked me if I did it or not. I said I did not, then they said I need to submit my reply in Arabic to defend myself. What will be the charges from the court if I lose the case and where can I get it translated to Arabic?

Q: Good day, I was hoping to get legal advice regarding my situation. Three of us in the company filed a labor complaint against the employer due to delayed and incomplete salary since May of 2020. The labor called our employer and agrees to settle our due within 10 days, however after that conversation, our boss sent us messages falsely accusing us of theft. He said that he has evidence but we are sure that this is just a threat as we didn't do anything wrong. On the day of settlement, as he promised, he never gave us anything, instead, he harassed us to sign the cancellation without getting our balance and threatened us that we will go to jail if we refuse. We know that this is what will happen because he did the same thing to other ex-employees who complained and those who ended contracts with him not getting anything because of that wrongful accusation. What should we do next? Shall we inform the labor regarding this or just file a case for defamation regarding his false allegation?

Q: I am falsely accused of theft in the company where I work by my colleague due to a mistake I have done. This mistake has opened a door of false accusations and led to my termination, withholding my end of service and passport by the company. I need advice on what should I do!

Q: My boss started a company in Abu Dhabi. It's a limousine company (100% owned by a local and he rented the license). Suddenly he got a travel ban and he made me the manager of the company and I give him a signed blank company cheque. After Covid, I was in India and couldn't come to the UAE, he has to pay money to the sponsor (Kafeel) for sponsorship and other expenses (he didn't pay one employee's salary so the latter made a complaint, and the sponsor paid in labor court, because my boss not paying). He didn’t pay the sponsor and the company got fined. One of the other employees is helping him and that employee stole the passports of other employees and is not returning them. So the sponsor made a case against that employee. Once I reached the UAE, he bounced the cheque and made a criminal case against me for revenge. The police caught me and I got bail. After 1 year procedure, I closed the criminal case then I went for my visa. I have one civil case too. He made a civil execution case for a cheque bounce against me and the company sponsor. He put the wrong address purposefully.

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I want to file a defamation case against a company. How much compensation can I expect? I have been unemployed since September 2021 due to a criminal case and a labor case, and I have paid $18,000 in legal fees.

Q: My employer in Dubai for whom I worked for over a year accused me of stealing cash. HR and their legal team opened an investigation in which they concluded I partnered with my colleague to steal. I was terminated. The legal team opened a case against me in the police. The evidence presented is video footage of my colleague giving me an AED 50 tip that he kept for me in the cash register. The police called me and took my statement. The employer canceled my visa before I signed my termination letter, doesn’t want to pay my settlement, and wants me to empty the accommodation. I have found another job but I am worried that I will not be able to work with an open case. What should I do? I did not steal this money. Is there any way to prove that it was a tip? The video clip is cropped to incriminate me even though it was a legitimate tip.

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.

This Law promulgates the Federal Penal Code (Criminal Law) of the United Arab Emirates. Crimes and chastisement punishments shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other penal codes.

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).