Changes to the way employment in the private sector operates, such as flexible working and shared jobs, were introduced on Wednesday, February 2, 2022.
The amended labour laws, which were first outlined by the government in November last year, provide options that were not available before and strengthens employees' rights.
Among the headline changes are shorter, fixed-term contracts for most private sector employees, the ability to stay in the country for 180 days after leaving your job, and the introduction of job shares, which may suit students and people returning to the workplace. And there are significant changes to maternity leave.
UAE officials recently told private sector bosses that they have to strictly follow these new laws, and warned that a lack of knowledge could not be an excuse to break the law.
The National explains what's new.
The new employer will have to compensate the old employer for the visa costs and expenses for the hiring of the ex-employee. It’s like compensation
Mohamed Rouchdi,
ICLO
What new work options are now available?
Under condensed hours options, if an employee works 40 hours a week in line with their contract, they can now work those hours over three days, according to Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation.
Other flexible working options include shared jobs, when two people do one job and split the hours after agreeing to the arrangement with their employer.
People can now work for more than one employer for a specified number of working hours or days.
They can also take on work for a temporary period to complete a specific task.
Working hours or days can also be changed, depending on the workload and an employer’s needs. Employers may also allow people to choose the times they work.
Dr Hassan Elhais, a legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates, said the abolition of unlimited contracts, anti-discrimination protection and the new work models such as flexi-time, part-time work and supplementary leave are the headline changes.
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UAE salary guide 2022
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"For flexible work, this is a new thing,” said Mohamed Rouchdi, partner at ICLO law firm.
“There is something very good here for employed students, who can freely work and have their own arrangements with mutual consent from their employer.”
What other changes have been made to contracts?
Employment contracts must now be limited.
This means people on indefinite, or permanent, contracts will be switched to fixed-term contracts of up to three years, which can be renewed.
Probation periods cannot be more than six months, and a notice of two weeks must be given to terminate them during this time. Employees who want to change jobs during the probation period must give a month’s notice, or 14 days if they want to leave the country.
“In case the employee wishes to join another employer during of course the probationary period the employee will have to serve 30 days’ notice,” Mr Rouchdi said.
“And in this case, also, the new employer will have to compensate the old employer for the visa costs and expenses for the hiring of the ex-employee. It’s like compensation.”
If an employee leaves the country then returns to take up a new job within three months, the new employer would have to pay the former employer for the visa costs and the labour expenses incurred, he said.
Employers cannot force workers to leave the country after they leave their job or their employment is terminated. Instead, the former employee will be allowed up to 180 days to find a job without overstaying their visa.
Under the previous law, someone who had their residency visa cancelled had just 30 days to find new work or leave the country without incurring fines for overstaying, making this one of the most significant changes.
How has protection for employees been strengthened?
Discrimination is prohibited in any form, be it race, colour, gender, religion, nationality, social origin or disability. A new minimum wage will be set.
“Article 27 of the new law will set a minimum wage, which is a new thing for the UAE to do,” Dr Elhais said.
“A proposal from the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, in collaboration with other authorities, will set the minimum wage in the United Arab Emirates."
The new laws also provide more protection against harassment.
Employees cannot be forced to work any more than two hours of overtime a day. And if their job requires it, they must be paid 25 per cent more than their regular hourly rate.
In addition, employers cannot withhold employees’ documents, such as passports, and they cannot charge workers recruitment fees.
Employees will not have to pay legal fees when filing labour cases against employers for compensation of less than Dh100,000. If the amount is more than Dh100,000, there will be legal fees to pay.
End of service gratuity payments can now be paid in either UAE dirhams, or an employee’s chosen currency, as agreed upon in the employment contract.
All end-of-service entitlements must be paid within 14 days to avoid a penalty, Dr Elhais said.
Employees must also be given one month from the end of the contract to leave accommodation that might be paid for by their employer.
Employers must pay any end of service benefits due to the employee’s family in the event of their death. The employer must cover the cost of repatriating their body.
Employees can now be served notice during their period of leave, but the notice period will not begin until the first day they return to work, Mr Rouchdi said.
In addition, notice periods can be no longer than three months.
Employment can be terminated without notice for 10 specific reasons, including in the case of misuse of power by the employee, or if the employee gains personal benefits from their position.
Rights have also been strengthened for employees in terms of termination, giving them the power to leave their job without serving a notice period.
“Article 45 has increased the reasons for termination by the employee without notice,” Dr Elhais said.
“Under paragraph four of Article 45 under the new law, which permits the employee to terminate the contract in case of significant change of his tasks or work. And without a written consent of the employee. This should be, of course, to the employee’s favour.”
What about paid leave?
Everyone must have at least one rest day, with the option of more depending on their contract.
Employees must receive paid mourning leave of between three and five days, depending on their relationship to the deceased.
“They will be able to ask for bereavement leave of five days after the death of a spouse and three days after the death of a close family member; parental leave of five days within six months of the birth of a child, and study leave of 10 days for employees who need to take exams if they have worked for two years for the same employer,” Dr Elhais said.
“Mothers will also get more time off, with 45 days of full pay and 15 days of half pay.”
Fathers are permitted five days’ paid leave across all emirates.
Is there anything else you need to be aware of?
Non-compete clauses can now be written into a contract, allowing an employer to prevent a former employee from competing against them or participating in a competing project in the same sector.
In another change, teenagers aged 15 and above can now work after obtaining written approval from their parents and a medical fitness report. They should not, however, be hired to do risky jobs or work later than 7pm. They must also work no longer than six hours each day, inclusive of a one-hour break.
The changes, introduced by Federal Decree-Law No 33 of 2021, were issued by President Sheikh Khalifa in November.
Who do these new laws apply to?
Those working in the private sector only but not including domestic workers.
“All private sector employees and employers in the UAE, onshore and in the free zones, are subject to the new law, except for those in the DIFC and ADGM, which have their own employment legislation,” Dr Elhais said.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
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Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
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Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
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Company%20Profile
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October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
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Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
RESULTS
Cagliari 5-2 Fiorentina
Udinese 0-0 SPAL
Sampdoria 0-0 Atalanta
Lazio 4-2 Lecce
Parma 2-0 Roma
Juventus 1-0 AC Milan
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
The past Palme d'Or winners
2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda
2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund
2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach
2015 Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke
2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Crawley Town 3 (Tsaroulla 50', Nadesan 53', Tunnicliffe 70')
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Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
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Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
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