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: So, I started to work for a hotel company in Dubai and signed the contract on September 9, 2018. I am on the probation period and I would quit because of many reasons. The probation period in the contract is 6 months, at which time either party has the right to terminate the contract without following the notice. My question is, do I need to pay them something? How can I exit the UAE? With the same e-Visa, I entered on? Do they ask for medical at the airport in this case? Thanks all!

Q: Hi Sir/Madam I have given resignation during my probation period (within three months), and I want to know if I have to pay any compensation to the company.

Q: I am serving the 30 days notice and on the 23rd day, the payroll cycle came and all employees received their salaries. Is the employer authorized to suspend the salary until the last working day and include all the amounts in the final settlement?

Q: My employer has already cancelled my visa, but they hold my passport.

Q: Hello Ma'am, My English is a little bit weak. My name is B. S. I am speaking from Jebel Ali. My visa cancelation date is 14-02-2022. The company canceled my visa but they did not give me my passport, and they hold my salary for January month. I went to the management office and told them to give back my passport and they said first you give us 2000 dirhams and take passport according to Dubai law.

Q: Dear sir/madam, Immediate resignation was rejected. The job I am doing is not in my signed contract. The amount paid is in my contract but does not match the duties given to me. I was stopped from doing what is in my contract or else to resign & go home. I have audios of phone calls being threatened by C.E.O. All this is because they have my passport in their custody, therefore, they promised that I won't go home till I die and I have evidence of this statement. Need advice, please!

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.

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).