Q: Is it legal to hold the passport of the employee by a company? I didn't get my passport back after stamping visa, they gave me just a copy of passport with the visa page. My PRO told me that all passports should stay with the company and I can receive it back to travel only upon approval of the management. He explained that this is the company policy and common practice.

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?

س: السلام عليكم، أنا عامل في مغسلة ملابس في أبوظبي. عقدي محدد المدة بتاريخ (2022/2/10). ٨ ساعات عمل ويوم واحد إجازة في الأسبوع. صاحب العمل لم يلتزم ببنود العقد ويشغلني كل يوم 10 ساعات و٥ ساعات إجازة فقط في الأسبوع ولا يعطيني أوفر تايم. تحدثت معه بشأن إلغاء العقد فطلب نصف ثمن الإقامة، وقد أخذ مني جواز السفر.

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).