Lost your job in the UAE?These are your rights under UAE Labour Law

According to Article 43 of the Labor Law “Notice of Termination of Labor Contract”, no matter which of the two parties (employer or employee) decides to terminate the labor contract, a notice period of 30 to 90 days needs to be served. work contract. This notice period may also be waived if the parties mutually agree.

Another interesting clause of the article states that if the employer is the one who terminates the contract, the employee can take weekly leave (without pay) to look for other job opportunities.

Article 43(3) – A party who breaches the notice period shall pay to the other party compensation known as payment in lieu of notice, even if no damage has been caused by the failure to notify. Compensation shall be equal to the worker’s wages for the entire notice period, or the remainder of their wages.

Read more about the notice period requirements that employers and employees (in the case of resignation) should meet here.

However, it is important to note that in some cases, employees may have committed serious mistakes and fraud. In this case, the law does not require the employer to provide notice before firing the worker. for more information, please click here.

You are also entitled to honoraria if you have completed at least one year of continuous service, depending on the length of your service. According to Article 51(2) of the UAE Labour Law, tips are calculated as follows:

One. For the first five years of service, 21 working days’ wages are available each year.

b. The salary for each subsequent year of work is 30 working days.

Here, salary refers to the basic salary or basic salary stipulated in your labor contract.

The article also states: “Foreign workers who have completed one year of continuous service are entitled to severance pay in proportion to their years of service.”

To learn more about how your service period is calculated and how it affects your gratuity, read our detailed guide here.

Article 13(11) of the UAE Labour Law states that providing workers with certificates of experience is part of the obligations of private sector employers. The clause states: “[The employer shall] Upon expiry of the labor contract, upon the worker’s request, provide the worker with a free certificate of termination of service, which shall state the start and end dates of the service, the total duration of the service, the position or nature of the work performed, the final salary and termination employment contract, provided that the certificate does not include anything that could damage the worker’s reputation or reduce his chances of finding a job.

Want to know more about what are employers’ obligations under UAE labour law? Click here.

You are also entitled to a repatriation ticket if you do not intend to continue working in the UAE, you are your employer.

Article 13, paragraph 12 of the Labour Code states: “[The employer shall] bear the costs of repatriating the worker to his or her place of employment or any other place mutually agreed, unless the worker joins another employer, or the employment contract is terminated for the worker’s cause; in which case the costs shall be borne by the latter. “

You may still have some annual leave available when your employer terminates your contract. According to Article 29(9) of the UAE Labour Law: “If a worker leaves the job before using it, regardless of the length of the work, he or she is entitled to remuneration for the number of days he or she has taken leave. He or she has not used the leave. The worker is entitled to the same Annual leave pay proportional to years of service, which is based on base pay.”

In addition, Article 19, paragraph 2, of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 states: “If a worker’s service ends, a cash allowance shall be paid to the balance of his legally due annual leave based on his basic salary.”

Do you have any questions about labor laws in the UAE or other topics covered in living in the UAE?write to us reader@gulfnews.com