Q: Dear Sir, I am working at a construction company in Dubai with an unlimited contract, the company not paying me the last four months. I have another offer from an Abu Dhabi based company. Can I resign from the current company without notice period? Is that legal? What should I do in this case? Please advise.

Q: I am on my probation period and I want to resign. But the company I work for won't let me resign without giving 3 months notice period. Do I have a notice period while on probation?

Q: Hi, I am a female physiotherapist and I got a job offer from my facility on October 15th 2020, after which they delayed the medical licensing process until February. I got my licence activated under their facility on February 21st 2021 and again they delayed the joining process and they asked me to cancel my visa (spouse) on March 21st 2021. My grace period will expire tomorrow and they want me to take a visit visa now or they will cut the penalty from my future salary. What am I supposed to do? Also, I am not willing to pay a penalty as it's not my fault and a visit visa can't be taken as my husband has already lost his job. Please give me an advice.

Q: I am working with a hotel which comes under the immigration department. I have a limited contract of 3 years. I want to resign and breach the contract due to a delay in salaries. They are paying salary every month but of past months such as I will be paid for September by mid or 10th of Nov 2019. I have spoken to management but nothing is working so if I breach the contract, do I have to pay something to a company like 45 days salary or visa cost? Secondly, do I have to give notice or I can quit on the spot? I am alone in Dubai. No one is giving me the correct information. I am out of money to hire a lawyer. Please help me!

Q: My friend was working in a Hamriyah Free Zone company for two years. His contract expiry date is 13th Aug 2021. He has requested not to renew his contract further as his company has not paid his salary for 8 months.

Q: I am a GCC national working for a private company in Dubai. I am employed under an unlimited GCC employment contract. I have not been paid my salary for the month of September. I have already filed a complaint to MOHRE 2 days ago and they accepted the complaint. I also sent in my notice to resign yesterday. Do I have any right to terminate my contract without notice due to the employers failing to meet their obligations towards the employee?

Q: Hi Sir, I have a question regarding my employer. I worked for over 9 years in a restaurant company here in Dubai. The problem was that I submitted an immediate resignation via email without the 30 days notice period. According to them, they will deduct my 1-month salary because of that. Is it okay to deduct my salary even though they're the reason why the employees are resigning due to not giving the pending salaries? We have 8 pending salaries until now. Please help me with this matter, Sir.

Q: Good day! I would like to seek advice regarding my situation. I am currently employed by a Freezone company under a limited contract valid until October 2024. The issue is that they haven’t paid our salaries for 5 months (since February 2024). We have been receiving monthly promises that they will pay and settle the amounts, but we haven't received anything. I tried talking to the management and sent them emails, and they again promised that they will settle everything in 2 months. I want to know my rights and if it is possible to leave without the notice period since they are already in breach of contract. Additionally, is it better to complain to MOHRE immediately before my resignation, or should I wait for the 2 months they promised? Thank you for the insights!

An interview-format article covering the topic of employment in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW. In this article, Ludmila informs readers what they should do and where they should go if they have not been paid by their employer.

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 UAE attracts a large population of expatriates from around the world for business or leisure. It occurs sometimes that those expatriates violate the rules of their visas and incur overstay fines which accumulate the longer they stay beyond their visa's expiry date. This may result in travel restrictions, banning violators from entering the UAE for a certain period or lifetime. The UAE authorities have now announced a two-month scheme for violators to rectify their situations.

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).