UAE Labour Law: a practical guide for employees
What rights does UAE Labour Law give private-sector employees?
As of November 2026, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, as amended, sets private-sector rules for contracts, probation, hours, leave, notice and end-of-service benefits. Your employment regime and work pattern matter. Government jobs, domestic work, DIFC and ADGM need separate checks.
Published . Updated .
Content record as of November 2026. Checked against official UAE Labour Law texts, MOHRE, DIFC and ADGM pages on 12 November 2026.
Start by checking which employment law covers your contract. For a federal private-sector job, use the relevant law article, your contract and payroll records together; MOHRE handles covered employment disputes.
In this guide
Which UAE employment law covers you?
As of November 2026, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, as amended, is the main federal law governing private-sector employment. Its implementing regulations and later decisions add detail. Read a provision alongside its amendments rather than relying on an old PDF headed “UAE Labour Law”.
Article 3 excludes government employees, armed forces, police and security employees, and domestic workers. Their rules are separate. Start with the employer named in your contract and the authority responsible for your work permit.
DIFC and ADGM have separate employment regimes. DIFC's legislation guidance discusses its Employment Law and qualifying savings schemes. ADGM's Employment Affairs Office provides its employment regulations. Do not apply the federal calculators to those jobs without checking the applicable regime.
What should your employment contract show?
Article 8 requires an employment contract and a copy for the worker. As amended, it provides for a specified term that can be renewed by agreement. Do not assume the original three-year maximum in an early version of the law is still the rule.
Check the job, work pattern, start date, basic wage, allowances, probation and notice terms before signing. Compare the contract with the offer you accepted. If there is a difference, ask for it to be explained and corrected in writing.
Article 7 recognises full-time, part-time, temporary and flexible work. The applicable rules can depend on that pattern. A calculation for a full-time employee may need adjustment for a part-time worker, particularly for annual leave and end-of-service benefits.
Article 6 prevents employers from charging workers recruitment and employment fees, directly or indirectly. Keep receipts if you are asked to pay. An employment contract, a work permit and a residence visa serve different purposes; ask the responsible authority about any missing authorisation.
How long is probation, and what notice applies?
Under Article 9, probation cannot exceed six months from starting work. The same employer cannot place you on probation more than once. If you pass and continue working, the probation period counts towards your service.
| Situation | Written notice |
|---|---|
| Employer ends employment | At least 14 days before termination |
| Worker moves to another UAE employer | At least one month |
| Foreign worker ends employment to leave the UAE | At least 14 days |
These are separate from the ordinary notice rules after probation. Article 9 also contains rules about recruitment-cost compensation between employers and returning to the UAE. Get MOHRE advice on your circumstances before leaving without notice or agreeing to personally repay recruitment costs.
What are the working-hour and overtime rules?
Article 17 sets normal maximum hours at eight per day or 48 per week, subject to the applicable exceptions and arrangements. Article 18 generally requires a break or breaks totalling at least one hour after no more than five consecutive hours of work. Breaks are excluded from working hours.
Under Article 19, ordinary overtime uses the basic wage for the extra hours with an increase of at least 25%. Overtime between 10pm and 4am has an increase of at least 50%, with an exception for shift workers. Rest-day work has a separate compensation rule.
Do not treat those percentages as a single rate for every extra shift. Keep rosters, attendance records and instructions to work extra hours. Use our UAE overtime calculator for the relevant scenario and check whether an hours exemption applies to your role.
Ramadan hours are addressed through Article 17 and the implementing rules. Check the applicable MOHRE announcement and your employer's roster for the relevant year. Public-holiday work is also different from ordinary overtime; see the UAE public-holiday guide before comparing the two.
Which leave types does the law provide?
Annual leave, sick leave and family-related leave have different eligibility and pay rules. Ask HR to record the correct type. Using annual leave to cover every absence can hide a separate entitlement.
| Leave | Core rule | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Annual leave | At least 30 days per year of service; two days per month where service is more than six months but less than a year | 29 |
| Sick leave after probation | Up to 90 days annually: first 15 full pay, next 30 half pay, remaining 45 unpaid | 31 |
| Maternity leave | 60 days: 45 full pay and 15 half pay; additional provisions apply in specified circumstances | 30 |
| Parental leave | Five working days for either parent, taken continuously or separately within six months of birth | 32 |
| Bereavement leave | Five days for a spouse's death; three for the other relatives listed in Article 32 | 32 |
| Study leave | May be granted ten working days a year for exams to an enrolled or regularly studying worker, after at least two years with the employer, at an institution approved in the UAE | 32 |
Article 29 requires coordination of annual-leave dates and allows more beneficial contractual terms. It also addresses public holidays falling within annual leave. Do not convert a calendar-day allowance to working days without checking the policy and whether it preserves your entitlement.
Our leave salary calculator separates pay while taking annual leave from payment for unused leave on leaving employment. Our sick-leave guide explains probation, medical reports and the three-working-day notification requirement.
What is the notice period after probation?
Article 43 allows either party to end the contract for a legitimate reason with written notice. The contractual notice period must be between 30 and 90 days. Employment continues during that period, and the article protects the worker's full wage for it.
If a party fails to observe the required notice, a notice allowance can be due for the unserved period. Ask the employer to distinguish your last working day, the contract end date and any paid release from duties. Keep the written agreement if notice is shortened.
Dismissal without notice is restricted by Article 44 and requires the prescribed investigation and written decision. A resignation without notice also has specific grounds and procedures under Article 45. Do not assume a dispute with your manager automatically allows you to stop attending work.
Article 46 protects against termination for lack of health fitness before legally accrued leave is used. Article 47 addresses termination because of a serious MOHRE complaint or a lawsuit whose validity is proven. Seek advice on the stated reason and evidence if you believe a dismissal breaches these protections.
How does end-of-service gratuity work?
Article 51 gives an eligible full-time foreign worker gratuity after at least one year of continuous service. It uses the last basic wage: 21 days for each of the first five years, then 30 days for each later year. Eligible fractions of a year are proportionate.
Unpaid absence is excluded from the service calculation. The article also caps the total benefit and permits alternative end-of-service arrangements. UAE nationals' pension and social-security treatment is separate. Confirm which scheme covers you before treating a standard gratuity estimate as the amount owed.
Use the gratuity calculator to check the standard case and its exclusions. Your final settlement can also include wages, unused annual leave and notice allowance. Article 53 requires payment of wages and other entitlements within 14 days of the contract ending.
ILOE unemployment insurance is a separate scheme. Do not add an assumed insurance payout to the employer's gratuity calculation or assume that receiving gratuity proves insurance eligibility.
How do you raise a dispute with MOHRE?
For a covered private-sector job, approach MOHRE about an unresolved employment dispute. Its current workforce interaction guidance describes complaint and advice channels, including the Labour Claims and Advisory Centre on 80084.
- Identify the issue. Write the disputed dates, amounts and contractual terms in plain language.
- Collect evidence. Include your contract, payslips, bank records, rosters, leave records and relevant correspondence.
- Ask for a written correction. Keep the employer's response where it is practical to seek one.
- Use the appropriate MOHRE channel. Check the route for your employment category and save the reference.
- Follow the actual decision or referral. Obtain advice promptly about any court step or challenge deadline.
MOHRE's current guidance confirms that it can decide disputes where the claim does not exceed AED 50,000. Do not assume every unresolved complaint goes straight to court. Later amendments changed dispute handling, so an older copy of Article 54 may be incomplete.
Before signing a final settlement, compare each line with your evidence. Ask what any deduction represents and whether the document confirms receipt of money you have actually received. Keep a copy of everything you sign.
Common questions
What is the current UAE Labour Law?
Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, as amended, is the main federal private-sector employment law. Read it with its implementing regulations and later decisions. Separate employment regimes apply to some jobs.
How long can probation last in the UAE?
Article 9 allows up to six months from starting work, once with the same employer. Different written-notice rules apply depending on who ends employment and whether the worker moves to another UAE employer or leaves the country.
What is the notice period under UAE Labour Law?
Outside probation, Article 43 requires the contractual notice period to be at least 30 days and no more than 90 days. Notice must be in writing. Specific exceptions have separate legal requirements.
How much annual leave does UAE Labour Law provide?
Article 29 gives at least 30 days per year of service, or two days per month where service is more than six months but less than a year. Part-time leave has separate calculation rules.
How is gratuity calculated under UAE Labour Law?
For an eligible full-time foreign worker under the standard scheme, Article 51 uses the last basic wage: 21 days per year for the first five years, then 30 days per later year. At least one year of continuous service is required. Exclusions and alternative schemes matter.
Does the federal Labour Law cover domestic workers?
Article 3 excludes domestic workers, government employees, and armed forces, police and security employees. Check the separate legislation and complaint route for your job.
Where can I get help with a labour dispute?
MOHRE offers website, app and advisory channels for covered employment disputes. Its toll-free Labour Claims and Advisory Centre is 80084. Keep your contract, pay records and written correspondence, and follow the instructions in any decision or referral.
Official sources
- MOHRE — Labour Law with amendments and Executive Regulations — checked
- UAE Government — Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 — checked
- Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation — Labour Law with the Article 8 amendment — checked
- MOHRE Labour Market Observatory — Workforce interaction channels — checked
- DIFC — Amendments to legislation including Employment Law — checked
- ADGM — Employment Affairs Office — checked
SettleUAE is an independent guide, not a government website, and is not affiliated with any UAE authority. This is general information, not personal legal, financial or immigration advice.