Q: I am under a limited contract with a DMCC company. The contract has been generated on the 5th of September 2017. Both parties signed on the 19th. The first day of work was the 25th of September. Which date is considered the official date of joining, so I can know if I am still on probation? What do I have to pay to my employer if I resign on probation? What is the compensation? Do I have a risk of getting a ban? Nadine

Q: I am living in Dubai under my husband sponsorship. I started a new job two months ago, but this is not the job for me. If I resign during my probation period, is there a possibility of getting a one-year labour ban? I got very mixed reviews on this and I want to find another employment, but certainly, I do not want a labour ban imposed on me.

Q: Hi, I joined a company in Dubai free zone 3 months ago with unlimited contract and a probation period of 6 months. My current situation is that I am not comfortable with my current employer and want to come back to my home country. I have handled my resignation letter 10 days ago. My visa is still in the process of making and I have not got my passport back yet. The company does not want me to leave and now requires me to pay 30000 AED without giving any explanation. Could you please let me know if Free Zone Labor Law allows a company to charge employee resigning from work during probation period? What is the process of resignation from here? When should company return my passport? Regards, Karolis Griskevicius

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).