Employers in both onshore and free zone areas must abide by the New Labour Law 2022, which is a part of Federal Law No. 33 of 2021. The Dubai International Financial Centre and the ADGM are exempt from the law.
As it introduces numerous major reforms and gives employers a year to make plans for complete compliance with the legislation, the law is appropriately referred to as an evolution in the legislative history of the United Arab Emirates.
Quick Enquiry
Here Are the 10 UAE Labour Laws of 2024
Many labour-related job contracts such as full, partly, timely, and flexible hours, are provided under the new labour legislation. It gets rid of contracts and commitments that are limitless. New holiday types are offered, and issues about violence, abuse, oppression, harassment, and victimization of employees are addressed.
Because of this rule, discrimination based on race, gender, religion, color, creed, social concerns, personal health, or infirmity is prohibited in the workplace. One can describe the major modifications as follows:
1. Employment Contract (Article 8)
- Employers have to make a work contract. There are two copies for each party (employees & employer).
- Workers can prove their rights using legal proof including salary and the contract.
- Contracts cannot last over three years but they can be renewed or extended for up to three more years.
- If a contract is extended, the original term counts towards service time.
- If parties keep working after expiry without a new deal, it’s seen as an extension.
- The ministry will provide templates for different skill levels. These cover changing work models and registration.
Also read: Final Settlement in UAE Labour Law
2. Working Hours in the UAE’s Private Sector
Temporary, flexible, and part-time employment arrangements are all recognized under the UAE’s new labour legislation. As per the administrative requirements of labour legislation, some business zones or groups of employees may have their daily duty hours raised or lowered, as stipulated by Article No. 17 of the labour law.
- The time the worker spends traveling from his job to his home is not included in his working hours.
- Aside from certain labour classifications as specified by the labour law’s administrative rules, no one shall be permitted to require the employee to work longer hours than those specified in the contract.
- Both UAE citizens and foreign workers should have set and specified working hours.
- If an employee works five shifts, he is entitled to many breaks. Breaks are measured in hours and do not have to be shorter than one.
3. Extra-duty Guidelines
The management should adhere to the following guidelines if he needs more duty hours from the workforce:
- Workers cannot work more than two hours if the boss requests extra work from them.
- If the nature of the task requires the labourer to work beyond regular business hours, he will be compensated by his owner with an additional 25% of his regular salary. If the additional time is needed tonight at 10 and tomorrow morning at 4, it can be raised to 50%. Workers who work shifts are exempt from this requirement.
- According to the terms of the labour contract, if the worker is required to work on his holiday, he will either receive a wage increase of 50% or another break or a leisure day in addition to his regular working hours.
4. Notification From Workers
Employees must give 14 days’ notice if they plan to leave the UAE during their probationary period. If he plans to join another job in the United Arab Emirates, he must give thirty days’ notice. The former employer may be entitled to reimbursement for costs incurred if an employee quits during their probationary period and then returns to work for a different company within three months.
Also read: Leave Salary Calculation in UAE
5. Previous Contract’s Notice Period
The notice period for the previous contracts was as follows: 30 days for services under five years, 60 days for services over five years but less than ten years, and 90 days for services of ten years or more, with the agreement of both employers and employees. The previous unlimited contracts could be terminated after mutual notice. Mutual signatures are permitted for fixed-term agreements under the new labour legislation.
6. Protection From Harassment, Bullying, and Discrimination
Per the new labour rules, employees are shielded from harassment and bullying in the workplace as well as discrimination based on race, religion, gender, nationality, or origin. No woman can be terminated during pregnancy and her maternity holidays. Following Federal Law Decree No. 6 of 2020 (By-Law), women are entitled to the same compensation as men for equivalent labour.
7. Unlawful Dismissal From the Job
If an employee files a complaint against their employer, their termination will be deemed unlawful, and they will be entitled to three months’ compensation if the complaint is upheld. There are no longer any funding “Arbitral Dismissal” compensatory claims. The employer is required to pay the gratuity to the employee within 14 days after the employee’s work termination.
8. Maternity/Motherhood
A total of sixty days of leave, of which fifteen are paid half-time, have been awarded. Provisions of the New Labour Law of the United Arab Emirates protect employers and employees by outlining their respective rights and duties. If a woman has worked consistently for at least one year, she is eligible for 45 days of paid maternity leave, which encompasses time spent before and after the birth.
The woman’s maternity leave will be paid for, in part, if she hasn’t worked for a full year. On the expiration of maternity leave, the woman becomes eligible for 100 days of additional unpaid leave. If her illness prevents her from working, this unpaid leave may continue or be interrupted. The condition has to be verified by an accredited government physician licensed by the relevant health authority.
In either of the situations above, maternity leave shouldn’t be deducted from any other leaves for which the female employee is eligible. A working woman who takes care of her child has the right to two daily intervals, lasting no more than thirty minutes each, for the first eighteen months after the child is born. The last two periods will be included in the working hours without deduction.
9. Fixed-Term Contracts
All contracts have a set duration, such as three years, although they are usually limited to two years in Abu Dhabi. The new labour law has ended the unlimited duration of job contracts. These agreements have a set duration but can be ended for any good reason.
10. Mandatory 30-Day Notice Period
The notice period is limited to three months under the UAE’s new labour law. There is a mandatory 30-day notice period in case the job is terminated as summary dismissal.
The latest law in the UAE has made it easier for workers to deal with their challenges and rights in the private sector. Their lifestyles increased along with their earnings. In the medical field, they also receive security and protection.
Given the significant role that labourers play in commercial organizations, it is imperative that they are given the right rights and that appropriate legislation governs their interactions.
