UAE Reaffirms Commitment to Fair Labour Practices, Launches Awareness Toolkit for Employers

The United Arab Emirates has once again stressed its commitment to fair and balanced labour relations, ensuring clear rights and responsibilities for both employers and employees. This is guided by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations, along with its Executive Regulations and Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) resolutions.

The law provides a framework that protects workers’ rights while also supporting the smooth operation of businesses. As part of this effort, the Ministry has launched an Awareness Toolkit for Employers. The aim is to educate employers about legal requirements and entitlements that help build strong contractual relations with their employees. The initiative reflects the UAE’s vision of respecting human dignity, supporting cultural diversity, and creating professional, stable, and productive workplaces.

The toolkit highlights the types of leave available to private-sector employees. These include:

• Annual leave – 30 days fully paid after each year of service.
• Maternity leave – 60 days (45 days fully paid, 15 days half pay).
• Sick leave – Up to 90 days (15 days fully paid, 30 days half pay, the rest unpaid).
• Parental, bereavement, and study leave, under certain conditions.
• National service leave – for UAE nationals.
• Public holidays – as mandated.

The law also ensures timely wage payments in UAE dirhams (unless agreed otherwise) and provides end-of-service benefits. Expatriate employees are entitled to gratuity pay after one year of continuous service — 21 days’ basic wage for each of the first five years, and 30 days for each year after that. UAE nationals receive end-of-service benefits under national systems.

With these steps, the UAE government and MoHRE reaffirm their goal of building a fair, equitable, and sustainable labour environment that supports long-term growth and respects human dignity.