Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I have worked continuously for a company for 10 years and am now being retired. My original contract was signed in 2013. However, in 2018, we were asked to sign a new contract and were given a gratuity payment. On 1 January 2023, we were given another new contract which further reduced the gratuity. Each new contract has reduced the gratuity from the original contract. I understand that contract amendments should not disadvantage employees. Therefore, should the gratuity be paid at the original, most beneficial rate for the employee?

Q:   I started working with a developer's hotels & resorts on Aug 17, 2015, as Director of Digital. They hired another Digital Director in early April. I was terminated July 28th. I have refused to sign the letter as I was going to Ireland that afternoon. I contacted them 2 days after and I advised that I would sign the letter based on the following:       * Full payment of 30 days notice & holidays owed.       * Full payment of yearly bonus, which, unfortunately, I had to learn after the payment of bonus to other staff members management did not approve. No reason was given for this.       * Payment of value of flight home per year of completion of 1 year.       * Payment for flight changes in December 2015 as per management request - AED 4K.       * Gratuity payment as per UAE employment law.No response has been forthcoming.       Am I better to go legal and just deal with them directly through a legal team? Should I go to Ministry of Labour?       Any advice on a good employment law specialist would be most grateful.    

Q: I have resigned from my current job and my last day is May 9th after a notice period of 2 months. I was employed for 4 years. My employer has paid me a full year housing allowance and would like to deduct the remaining months from my end of service. Is this allowed? I have not been made aware that the amount would be deducted in case I resign. Also, I am entitled to 30 days of leave per year. Since I have resigned, they have applied a pro-rata for this year for the end of service calculation. Is this allowed? Shouldn't I be compensated for the 30 days that I have not taken? Thank you!

Q: I work in DAFZA. My company does business in USD. My company gave me a target letter that if I did X amount in Euros, then I'll get AED 57K as an incentive. I managed to do 102% and was expecting an incentive payout accordingly. But they gave me a bonus as per 94% target achievement. They mentioned that the exchange rate was favorable all throughout the year for USD. But if they calculate the sales at the original exchange rate used while deciding the target, I have achieved only 94% of my target. 2 things: 1. They never mentioned in writing anywhere that the final calculation would be based on the fixed exchange rate. 2. Target versus Achievement as per our ERP system, which I used for tracking my achievement status showed me the result as per the actual exchange rate on that day and hence I assumed that I hit 102%. No one pointed out in the whole year that my achievement was not 100% and there's is nothing in writing reflecting that. How can I ensure that my company pays me the correct amount?

Q: Hello, I currently work for an American company based out of the US, but my contract is through a legal entity in the UAE. I received a salary increase last December. I had to sign a salary increase document. I have been getting paid that salary since. Now the company has a registered entity in the UAE. While they were reviewing the financials to transfer our contracts from the current local entity to the new one, HR claims they made a mistake, stating that I have been overpaid. They are asking me to revert to my previous salary and pay back the extra money I received. I have the signed contracts and the emails where they are admitting that error. Note that the new salary has been submitted to the involuntary loss of job insurance, and I have also applied for a bank loan using the new salary, providing certificates from my current local employer with that salary to secure the loan. Thanks!

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).

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.