Q: I want to take my passport back from my employer. I am taking a salary of 1800 and working as an engineer, so why should I keep my passport with them? I have not taken any advance from the company, but I am afraid to ask them to return it to me. What to do if they deny it because after asking passport a new issue will be raised and I know they will not give?

Q: Good afternoon. I am on an unlimited contract in Abu Dhabi, working at a private company. I've been here for 5 months, now I submitted my resignation letter to my boss last May 18 as he wanted to put me on commission-based payment. I asked for a reduction of salary letter or any letter stating that I will be on a commission basis. He doesn't want to give me and wants me to reimburse the money he has put in my bank account. He wants me to pay for the visa costs. He is also holding my passport. I have filed a complaint on MOHRE about this on May 18. Then he received a message about the complaint and instructed me to leave. On May 19, I received a call from MOHRE and we settled and I withdrew the complaint. I went back to work to do the 1-month notice but he refused. He is threatening me that I was absent since May 18. He doesn't want me to work there, he deleted my work email. I was at the office on May 22 but he refused to accept me so I called MOHRE about my case and they reactivate my complaint again.

Q: I recently ended up my contract with my employer because of a medical grounds. Actually, we don't have medical insurance, we are working 17 hours and I am not getting any assistance from the company. After submitting my resignation letter, my employer accepted it but requested me to leave the country then only after he will proceed with the cancellation. He finally agreed after a long period of negotiation. Now, the employment visa is cancelled and he forwarded me the residence cancellation where it's clearly mentioned that I have until 08 December grace period. I asked him to give me back my passport which he is keeping it since I started working for the company and he refused, saying that only on the 19th Jan in reference to my flight date which is 20th of January. In between, I received an offer with three times the salary I used to get and a lot of benefits including health insurance. As per the labour law, does he have the right to keep hold of my passport even after cancellation of my employment visa?

Q: Submitted a resignation letter to my employer, but he rejected claiming for AED 10,000 before he cancels my visa and gives me my passport (he is holding my passport). 10 months of working with him (already completed my 3 months probation). There's also a breach of the contract: 1. Working not on the agreed hours (No overtime compensation paid). 2. Salary delay every month. Any advice to take him on through the appropriate quarters to get my visa canceled and get back my passport? He is claiming 10,000 before he gives me my passport and cancels my visa.

Q: Hello, I have given my notice, and my last day is July 24, but the employer is refusing to pay my salary; even the salary for June. Is this even legal? He claims I'll get everything at once, which is after leaving the country or changing status.

An interview-format article covering the topic of an employer demanding to hold an employees passport. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of LAWGICAL with LYLAW.

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.

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).