Q: Hi, Good day. I have been working with a company for 5 years and a half. Then I applied for my resignation (with a 1 month notice period as per my contract) and my service ended on June 30, 2018. A month after, my manager contacted me and asked me to sign some "pre-termination" paper. When I asked about my gratuity payment, He mentions that I can get it within a month or two and that if I still didn't receive it, I can still have grounds for complaint that I can submit to the Ministry of Labour. However, I still declined to sign any letter. They then just told me that they'll contact me if ever the cheque is ready. My question is: - Was my action right by not signing any papers considering I had no guarantee of receiving my gratuity? - Also, since I'm still looking for a job currently (and I want to settle things amicably), is it an option for me to simply just wait it out until they contact me again with regards to my cancellation and gratuity? Thank you and have a nice day.

Q: I submitted my resignation and served my one-month notice. My company asked me to sign the cancellation papers, however, mentioned that they cannot pay End of Service Benefits now and that they will pay in future. As I am going back to my country permanently, what is the best way to get my due payments? I heard raising a complaint and the due procedure take months to settle.

Q: Hi I've recently resigned from the company I worked at 4 yrs and 9 months. I submitted my resignation on 16th of Oct, and now the company informed me they are going to terminate me for my poor performance. It's a semi-government company and I'm having 2 months' notice period with last working day on 15 Dec. Contract type- unlimited. Am I entitled to receive my end of service benefits...etc?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam I have been working with a company in Dubai for 4 years and 9 months under an unlimited contract. I have been offered a job in Pakistan and my joining date there is the  5th of March. I have given my resignation to my current employer and it was accepted via email. My notice period ends on the 28th of Feb. I have been given an indication through internal sources within the company that the company is looking not to pay my final dues and delaying it will force me to just get the visa cancelled and leave. I am in need of some advice in this situation. Can I file a case before the 28th of Feb and leave the country to join my other employer and hope in my absence the case will be resolved by the labour court? Would appreciate a reply.

س: أنا أعمل في محل منذ خمس سنوات وإقامتي قاربت على النهاية. أنا أخشى من عدم دفع صاحب العمل مستحقاتي. قد يدعي أنه لا يملك المال أو أي سبب آخر للهروب من دفع مستحقاتي. ماذا أفعل؟

Q: If an employee has been terminated after 6 months probation, should he serve the notice period of 1 month?

Q: I had filed a complaint against my previous employer to whom I worked for 6 years and 7 months. They did not give me my End of Service Gratuity, Leaves and Salary which amount, in total, to 87,000 AED. They are now 10 months due from the time I resigned. My previous employer's legal representative first said that I am not eligible for all my claims since I did not serve notice period which is not true. I responded citing evidence and today I received a letter from them again saying that I already signed that I received all my dues. Yes, I signed the MOL cancellation, but I haven't received my money. There is no evidence that our company transferred such amount to my account. I signed because I was told that they will not cancel my MOL and I would not be able to start with my new job. I wish someone represents me as I feel like my previous employer's legal representative is only delaying what is due.

Q: Sir, I am working in Dubai as a sales representative with 1000 as basic salary in the contract. I submit my resignation on 15/09/2020 with 30 days notice period. The company asked me to hand over the job on 01/10/2020. I handed over the company car, SIM, and laptop. On 11/10/2020, the company filed a case against me that I deleted all company emails. They filed a case in labor court. They don't want to pay me September month salary + 6 years final settlement +1 year leave salary. Also, They don't want me to join a competitor company. That's why they filed the case. I do not have money for food. My 4 member family in India depends only on my salary. I don't know what to do. Please help me!

Q: Dear Lawyer, I'm canceling my job visa with my employer to shift to a new job. They provided me with the cancellation paper. But they have asked to provide my new visa status change copy in order to release my passport, gratuity, leave salary and insurance continuity papers... etc. Is this legal?? Can you advise me on the same? Thank you.

Q: My new employer is not changing my visa status and refuses to provide cancellation papers, especially when I don’t recall signing any cancellation documents and haven’t received my gratuity yet. How can I register a complaint against my employer for holding my passport after visa cancellation? I had completed my one-month notice period and followed all procedures properly when I resigned. I'm currently working in a free zone company.

Issue: An employee resigned from the job after working for 5 years, and signs a letter addressed to the employer that he wants his gratuity to be paid only after his customer pays the employer. Therefore, has the employer defaulted for End of Service (EOS) payment under the UAE Labour Law?

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 UAE government introduced the new Unemployment Insurance Law under the Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2022 Concerning the Unemployment Insurance Scheme for Unemployed People. The law aims at providing a sort of financial support in case of unemployment for a brief period, probably to help employees who got terminated find another job and avoid failing in other financial obligations.

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).