Q: My company was taken over by another company. The management of the new company assured us, old employees, that we won't be terminated. My visa got expired on the first week of November 2017. So I asked my boss about the renewal and he assured me that it's a long process and might take time for the renewal. On the 1st week of December, I was called along with some other staff to the head office, got informed that they are not going to renew our contracts and we have to stop going to work. I have an unlimited contract. The company did not give us any notice in advance nor did they make us sign on any papers and we did not receive any termination letter. In this situation, I would like to know our rights as per the labour law. I am still searching for a job and I have a loan with the bank. Appreciate your advice in advance.

Q: Hi Sir, I have been working in a company since Jan of 2015. On the 2nd quarter of 2017, the company was sold. All employees remained. So, we are still with the company but with new owners. This year, they changed the name of the company. Our contracts here expired last December. We are now waiting for our new contracts to be signed. It's taking awhile. Today, I was asked to sign a job offer dated Jan 2018. I am on husband visa. Isn't a job offer only for new employees? I am not new, we only have a new owner and a new company name. If I sign this job offer, does it mean I am a new employee and not an old employee who started in 2015? Hope you can help me. And is this a new requirement in Dubai? Even for those who are already on husband visa? Thank you.

Q: Hi, My company in DMCC is planning to shut down. They are not willing to pay us the gratuity. They have offered the remaining staff, including me, to be transferred to a new company they are opening soon. Is there any way we can get a continuation of the contract in order not to lose our gratuity in the long run? We have all been in the company for more than 8 years now. Many thanks,

Q: I am working in a company in Abu Dhabi on an unlimited contract (Joined on 19/06/2019). Now I want to resign from the company. Should I follow my old contract (old UAE labor law) or the new contract (new labor law)?

Q: I am yet to join an organization that has been in existence in the UAE since 1996. However, they were hard hit during Covid 19. The owner was sick for some time & during this period, there were funds that were embezzled & some executives ended up fleeing the country, leaving employees unpaid & the company barely running. There are investors who want to inject funds into the company at the moment (buy 75% of shares) currently & revive operations. We are currently working on resolving issues with WPS, renewing the Trade License & registering the new investors to the new commercial license. The bone of contention is that there are employees who worked with this company for over 30 years & want to leave but there are unavailable funds to cover their EOS. Kindly advise how we should go about it. Can we negotiate EOS pay?

The management of individual financial affairs is crucial and all the actions must be weighed down while committing to any financial liability. Whether it's job loss that may have lead to financial failure or the opposite, one must be aware of the personal liability which will not diminish by paying fines for cheque bounce cases. There are two major types of liabilities, criminal liability and civil liability. Each has its own significance, hence, must be dealt with accordingly.

An interview-format article covering the topic of filing an employment court case 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.

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).