Q: Hi, Sir. Good evening. My name is Sanal and I have a question. My current employer is a lady and she is harassing me too much. Now, I'm nearly three years with her and every time she harasses me. She says I will complain about you in the immigration and put you in jail. I make u a big problem like that, not only me in my company but there are other employees also struggling the same situation. Until now three years, we are afraid of her and we are silent. Now, she realises we are not going to continue in this company and she wants to make a problem for us. It's simple, she doesn't want to pay us in ten months and our visa is going to finish so she starts t make issues for us. I need your help, Sir

Q: The final settlement is not given by the company (when I filed a complaint about the ladies harassment they threw me out of the company). They threatened me to write a resignation letter like as per the cost-cutting measures I am resigning from the office. I need to know what can I do for this.

Q: Hi Sir, I worked for a travel agency for 3years, as accounting manager; when wanted to come back to my home country I resigned from my job in July 2017. My employer didn’t pay my dues and didn't make any final settlement amount. Being trusting the manager I signed the end of services form for visa cancellation. He promised me to make the payment once the visa is cancelled, but after cancellation, he started harassing me saying I have manipulated his accounts and stole his money and tortured me. Finally, he made me sign a document that I have adjusted amount which was approx 50,000 Dhs, for my mistakes in white paper and gave my passport and I left Dubai in July. I have 1 loan of 30,000 and 10,000 credit with banks, who are after me to make the payment. Is there anything I can do to get my money? Pls, help me I want to clear my dues in Dubai. Thanks in advance. Regards, Sk

Q: Dear sir/madam, I joined a company in December. My manager was on leave for 2 months and returned back. Since he is back, he micromanages me and is verbally abusive, and shouts at me in the office and in front of others. He keeps threatening me that when my 6 months are up, he will fire me as I’m not performing according to him. I have documented/journaled every time he has been abusive and what he said. I have a daily tracker of my work and everything that I am working on. What are my legal rights? He is the marketing director of a larger group and I was hired as a dedicated resource to handle marketing for one of the larger entities.

Q: Dear sir/madam, Ex-personal training client bought me gifts. Now, he has sent an email from their lawyers asking for 1.4 million AED back within 5 days. I started training a very wealthy client last year. I’m female, he is a male. He started to buy me costly gifts, flight tickets, and even a car. This was a strictly professional relationship although I did know he seemed to have feelings for me. I told him I had gotten into a relationship, he then said he wanted me to leave him alone. A few weeks later, I got an email from his lawyers saying all the money he spent on these gifts, including all money for training, he wanted back; 1.4 million AED worth. As I have “breached” the contract. We never signed any contract. I never asked for any of the gifts. I never agreed to anything he bought me being a payment for future sessions. Has he got any right to do this? Can he take me to court? I do not have the money to pay him back.

Q: Good morning, I am working in Dubai. My manager is always harassing me by using slang. Yesterday, my manager didn't allow me to work and told me that no need to come to work. He is not allowing me to enter my workplace. I asked him to give me it in writing. Today also he is not allowing me to work. What should I do now? If it is like this, then I don't want to work here. I am on a limited contract for 2 years. What should I do now?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, One employee who recently resigned has sent threatening WhatsApp messages, abusing and cursing my family, swearing at them, and wishing that bad things happen to my family. What are my rights in the UAE regarding this behavior by the employee? Can I sue this person and report them to the police?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, Is it legal to take a video or photo in the UAE of someone for protection, for example, if someone is harassing you?

Q: Hello, My HR sent me a WhatsApp accusing me of things that didn't happen. She sent me WhatsApp during the weekend and her accusations were rude and this affected me as I am diabetic. Can I sue her for that?

An interview-format article covering the topic of harassment in the UAE. 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.

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 Federal Decree-Law No. (31) of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law, known as the "New UAE Penal Code", governs criminal actions in the United Arab Emirates. The New Penal Code repeals the previous UAE Penal Code (Federal Law No. (3) of 1987 Promulgating the Penal Code).