Q: Dear Sir/Mam, After serving my 30 days notice in which I had sent multiple emails to the management for the handover and cancellation, I received the first reply from the management on the last day of the notice stating that I need to extend and the visa will be cancelled only if a satisfactory handover is done. I filed a labour complaint on 16th Feb and got a call from labour on 21st Feb stating that my visa cancellation and settlement will be done by 28th Feb as per the management and the labour complaint was closed. ON the 24th when I called the company if I need to come to sign the cancellation documents, they informed me that they won't cancel my visa as my handover was not complete! I have filed a complaint again. Can handover be the basis of the non-cancellation as I had served my 30 days notice period and whose responsibility is in regards to handover, employee or employer? Can the legal advisor force the company to cancel my visa or is it mandatory to be transferred to the labour court?

Q: Dear Ms. Rajasree, I would like to ask if an employee is not allowed to leave a company, even after completing the notice period, without having the employer found and trained a replacement? I mean, I am willing to train if there is someone. But shouldn't it be within my notice period? Can I stop going to work after my last day? And what can I do if I do not have anyone I can hand over to? Can I send an email attaching my hand-over list and procedures using my personal email towards the end of my notice period?

Q: Dear sir/madam, I was working for a transport company in Abu Dhabi as an engineer. My limited contract end date was in September 2022. I gave one-month prior notice in August asking not to renew my contract as I had found another job to be joined before October 2022. To date, my old company has not paid my salary for August and September and also has not paid my end-of-service benefits and so my visa is also not canceled. Now, my new company is saying I am already late in joining and they cannot wait. I have my wife and a daughter also to take care of. I am paying my daily expenses with the help of my friends as I was not able to work since September. Is there any law in the UAE where I can claim compensation from my old company for not clearing my dues and putting me in a situation where I am jobless for 2 months now? Also, I have lost my new job offer due to this delay. Kind lawyers, please help!

Q: My visa expires on 31/08/2023 and my labor card expires on 31/07/2023. Should I go to the relevant institution and cancel it? If my labor card is not canceled, will I have to pay a fine for it? I intend to go to my mother country after my visa expires. But my company was ready to charge me money for canceling my labor card. Please give me an answer. Thank you

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I live in Dubai. I used to work for a private electrical company. I sent a resignation email to my company on August 8, 2023. After a phone conversation with my boss, he agreed to cancel my visa after I finish the current site. However, I received an email on October 6, 2023, saying that I have to complete a 3-month notice period. My boss only agreed to cancel my visa verbally, and I don't have any written proof. I tried to call him many times, but he didn't answer. My contract states that the notice period is 3 months. What should I do now?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My contract expired on December 22, and I gave a non-renewal notice on December 4. As per the employer's request, I worked until January 15. After that, they are holding my cancellation. My visa is valid until the end of January. I need to go back to my home country for some medical purposes before January 19. Is that possible, or if they do not allow it, what should I do?

Q: Dear Sir, I am working for a free zone company with a 60-day notice period in my contract. I am currently serving my notice period, but my employer claims that all employees have a 90-day notice period and is asking me to serve 90 days as well. Is this legally correct, considering that I am not under a labor contract, as my company operates within a free zone?

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).