Q: I sent a formal email asking for 12 days annual leave and it was approved. On my last working day before my annual leave starts, the HR guy asked for me and we sat down and he told me that I am out of balance and that I owe them 14 days. I asked him to show me the annual leave forms that I have signed, and according to what I have signed, I only took 14 days in my second year so far with this employer. My hiring date was in September 2015. He also told me that I have exceeded my balance during the first year and that I have to work until September 2017 with no right to book annual leaves. And that if I resigned or got terminated they are going to deduct those 14 days from my salary. My question is: can my employer do what he has just done, deny me my annual leave at such a short notice, and can he deduct those 14 days from my salary? Is it my fault that they are not organised? And under what circumstances can I sue my employer with regards to the above?

Q: My employer does not want to give me the annual leave and when I took one week off to go back to my home country since my mother passed away, he deducted the same from my salary and refused to give it to me. I have been working for one year and 7 months with the same employer, I think I am entitled to more than one month. What can I do?

Q: Hi Madam, I have an 80-day annual leave balance in my company. I am still working in the company. As per the UAE labor law, can I encash my leave salary? I requested my company for 60 days leave encashment. The company says that as per the UAE Law, there is no encashment. Is it true? If encashment is available, how to calculate my leave encashment? For my personal issues, I can't go on vacation. I can't take local leave also. Please advise me! Best Regards,

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I am from South Africa, employed under a UAE fixed-term contract to work in Madagascar. My rotation is 12 weeks on and 3 weeks off, unpaid. I've been with them for over a year. I've just been terminated, and my employer says I'm not entitled to annual leave due to the rotational contract. Is this correct?

Q: Dear Sir/Ma'am, My employer insists I take annual leave after 2 years, but as per my contract, I can take it annually. What should I tell him?

Q: Hello, I resigned from a free zone company. I had booked two weeks of leave earlier, but when I resigned, they asked me to cancel the approved annual leave to serve the full 30 days in the office. I have been working with this company for over two years, and there is nothing in the contract about canceling leave during the notice period. Is that legal?

Q: Hi, I have completed two years, but my company is not allowing me to take annual leave. What can I do now? How can I take my annual leave?

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.

The provisions of this law On Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions (Law of Evidence) govern evidence in civil and commercial disputes 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).