Labour basics: probation, notice, end-of-service gratuity, absence reports

Checked on 8 October 2026

Source: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (private sector) as amended, and its executive regulation (Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022).

Probation (Art. 9): at most 6 months, only once with the same employer. The employer must give at least 14 days' written notice to end it. A worker moving to another UAE employer must give at least one month's written notice; a foreign worker leaving the UAE must give at least 14 days.

Notice period (Art. 43): agreed in the contract, between 30 and 90 days, the same for both sides. Full wage is paid during notice. If the employer ends the contract, the worker may take one unpaid day a week to look for work. A party that skips notice pays the wage for the notice period.

End-of-service gratuity (Art. 51), full-time foreign workers with at least one year of continuous service: 21 days' basic wage for each of the first five years and 30 days for each further year, pro rata for part years; unpaid absence is not counted; total capped at two years' wage. Final dues must be paid within 14 days of the contract ending (Art. 53).

Absence report ('absconding'): the employer may report work abandonment after more than 7 consecutive days' absence when the worker cannot be reached. A worker who leaves work without a legitimate reason before the contract ends may be barred from a new work permit for one year (Art. 50), with exceptions such as family-sponsored workers, Golden Visa holders and in-demand skills.

Other: employers may not charge workers recruitment fees (Art. 6). Disputes go to MOHRE first (600 590000). MOHRE can itself decide claims of up to AED 50,000, and a claim cannot be heard more than two years after the employment ends (Art. 54, as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2024). Wages for each month are due on the first day of the next month through the Wage Protection System (Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026).

What to do: keep your contract and payslips; raise disputes with MOHRE before leaving the job.

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