Q: Can the company take back the bonus that they confirmed after 45 days and deduct it from your salary?

Q: I have an unlimited contract since October 2019 with a company registered in DMCC Dubai. I did not receive any wage (basic salary, bonus, accommodation allowance, business expenses reimbursement) since March 2020 (18 months) and no health insurance coverage since October 2020. The company is just promising. The company decided first to reduce salaries by 50% due to Covid for three months (Apr-Jun 2020) with my acceptance. After that, they continued with the same reduction without my agreement. But even with that, no salaries are paid. The total amount due is above 500,000 USD. I was obliged to leave UAE in November 2020 because of no income. It has been agreed and accepted by the company to work remotely. I was also obliged to go back to Dubai at my expense every 6 months in order not to lose the visa. Now, I have a job offer in another country starting in Oct 2021. How to proceed with my company? How to inform them? Would I resign and file a claim later or file a claim immediately without resignation?

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: Dear Sir/Madam, If the company HR is now forcing me to sign an addendum to my contract to give up a benefit in my original contract, and is threatening to fire me if I do not sign, what is the best way to protect myself? The benefit they want to remove is that "upon completion of each year of service, staff will receive two additional full months' salary, according to their performance appraisal." My performance appraisal entitles me to the full two months' salary, but the new GM is asking HR to have all staff sign the addendum to give up this benefit, or they will be fired.

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.