Q: Dear Ma'am Good day to you, I am working in a company where they didn't pay me for 5 months and I have asked them to do so, in order to leave for marriage on August 26, 2018 (Please note my visa expires on 18/09/2018). But the response from them was swift and fast and they gave me a letter of termination with notice period 30 days. I have refused to sign the letter. The company is not in a position to settle my outstanding salary gratuity and leave salary at the moment, as I have been informed so verbally. So shall I file a case and tell the labour office to hold it till I come back from my marriage, one day before my visa expires? is that possible? Thanks in advance for your advice. Dima

Q: Recently, there was a change in the management of our company and my new manager didn't like the way I look. He told me about it and warned me that next time I will be fined. After a week or so, I received a notice that I'm fined of AED 500 for the unprofessional appearance. I work for the company for a long time and I've never had such a kind of complaints before. I believe that my appearance is appropriate. Moreover, there is no strict dress code in our company and I've never seen and never signed any papers in this regard. Does my manager have the right to decide how I look? Is this penalty legal? Do they have the right to deduct it from my salary?

Q: Hello. I am working in a company in Abu Dhabi for more than one year now, and my pending salaries have not been paid for more than four months. Every time I ask them about the salary, they just tell me to wait. I even have WPS, but no money comes in there too. I have told the owner of my company many times. They just delay from week to week. Kindly help me and tell me what should I do next. I am in a lot of trouble already. Thank you.

Q: Sir. I am a pharmacist in the UAE working in a company since May this year. I have an unlimited contract and in probation period, but all those months the employer paid me only half salary. When I ask about this they are threatening me that they will terminate me and I have to pay the visa expenses. I need some legal advice regarding this.

Q: The company has instructed a salary cut (around 10%) retrospectively. Further, the company has instructed that this salary cut would be effective even on terminated/resigned employees who have either served their notice period or are in the process of serving their notice period. Accordingly, this will impact the EOSB for terminated/resigned employees. Is this legal? Under which Act of the Labor Law, is this illegal? Please advise

Q: Hi I was working with a company for last 3.10 years. In 2018 and because of the financial problems, the company was struggling to pay salaries to the employees and most of the employees got terminated or resigned. I also started searching for a new job as I was getting half of my salary for 6 months. Fortunately, I got a new job and the company asked me to join immediately. I requested my current company to cancel my visa as soon as possible and they agreed. I cancelled my family visa and they ask me to sign the cancellation paper and the settlement will be processed within 2 weeks. Because of the urgency, I signed the paper by believing the company. But now they are not paying the amount and simply avoiding me with some excuses. I was struggling with my family for 6 months with half a salary and now they cheated me also. Please advise me, what do I need to do with this?

Q: Dear Sir, When I joined a company, my original contract said I was to get $17000 p.a. plus a day rate, they decided to cut my pay from $17000 to $14000 p.a. and said I’m to get 50% of my day rate. They did this without me signing anything in an agreement. Also, the contract is confusing. It states that when I’m in the base and not offshore, I’m to receive only 9 hours pro-rata of my pay and at the same time it says I’m to receive only 50% of my day rate. Can you please advise?

Q: Hello, My company reduced my salary and made me sign a letter but have not issued a new contract despite several requests. My salary was reduced from AED 17,000 to AED 10,500. I have now resigned and gave them a one-month notice but they are asking me to pay 45 days salary to them because I am on a limited contract. What are my options, please?

Q: Hi. My employment contract is unlimited. The company reduced my salary by 40% from Jan 19 and I have not signed the revised agreement. My employer also did not make any new contract with labour dept. However, I have accepted the revised salary to date. Now, I have resigned from my role. Do I have any right to ask for my balance salary which is deducted from Jan 19 while making the final settlement? Kindly advise.

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 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).