Q: Hi, Relating to my passport, I know it is illegal to withhold employees' passports. Mine is with my employer, and when I requested it a couple of months ago, they said that it is the company policy to keep it. I am about to file a complaint to the Department of Labour, but I just want to get your advice first. They also said to retrieve it, we should apply for an application and state the length of retrieval. Is this common practice here in Dubai? Thank you very much!

Q: Dear Madam, How can I get my passport from my employer? My employer has filed a case against me for misappropriation of company money in Sharjah Police Station. When I went to my employer to claim for my passport to deposit in the police, he refused to give my passport and I deposited my wife's passport and faced the inquiry officer and they released me. How can I get my passport from the employer and deposit the same with the police station so that my wife can get back her passport? My labour card and insurance card are already cancelled by my employer since last 2 months before filing the case against me. My legal status is still valid, as my immigration has not been cancelled yet and my family is under my sponsorship. Please advise. Regards

Q: I'm working with an LLC company in Abu Dhabi. for the past 13 days, the visa is already stamped on my passport but he is not giving it back to me. Is there any law in UAE that says "the employer can hold the employee passport"? Please clear my doubt.

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 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 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).