UAE Labour Law Basics for Workers 2026: Hours, Leave, Overtime, Gratuity and Termination

The UAE's private-sector labour law, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, sets the ground rules for your job: maximum working hours, overtime pay, annual and sick leave, end-of-service gratuity, and how a contract can legally end. Knowing these basics protects you from exploitation and helps you read your own contract with confidence.

This guide explains the law in plain language for workers. It is general information, not legal advice, and your signed contract plus the current law govern your specific situation. Free zones and government jobs have their own rules, so confirm which regime covers your role.

The standard maximum is eight hours per day and 48 hours per week, with a daily rest break. During Ramadan, working hours are generally reduced by two hours per day for most workers. Your contract should state your hours, and any regular schedule beyond the legal maximum should be treated as overtime, not as the norm.

Overtime is paid at your basic salary plus an uplift, commonly 25 percent for daytime overtime and 50 percent for overtime between 10pm and 4am, with weekly rest-day work also attracting an uplift. The exact calculation depends on your contract and the law, so check your payslip against your basic salary each month and query discrepancies in writing.

Keep a personal record of your hours. If overtime is regularly unpaid or unrecorded, that record is your evidence. The Wage Protection System requires most private-sector salaries to be paid through bank transfer, so your bank statement is also a useful cross-check.

You are entitled to paid annual leave of 30 calendar days per year once you have completed one year of service, with pro-rata entitlement during your first year in many cases. Your employer sets the timing in consultation with you, and unused leave may be carried forward or paid out depending on your contract and the law.

Sick leave is structured in stages: full pay for the first 15 days, half pay for the next 30 days, and unpaid thereafter within a 12-month period, subject to medical certification. You must report sickness promptly and provide a medical certificate as the law requires.

Maternity leave is 60 days, with 45 days at full pay and 15 days at half pay, plus additional provisions for related circumstances. Fathers are entitled to five days of parental leave. Other leave types, such as bereavement or study leave, depend on your contract and employer policy, so read the policy before you need it.

If you complete at least one year of continuous service, you are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity calculated on your basic salary, not your total package. The formula is 21 days of basic salary for each year of the first five years of service, and 30 days for each additional year, subject to a cap of two years' salary in total and to the law's detailed conditions.

The distinction between basic salary and total salary matters enormously: allowances for housing, transport and other benefits are not part of the gratuity calculation unless your contract says otherwise. Check your contract's salary breakdown before you sign, because a high-allowance, low-basic structure reduces your gratuity.

Unpaid salary, leave balances and gratuity are common dispute areas. Keep copies of your contract, payslips and any amendments, and raise discrepancies in writing while you are still employed, when they are easiest to resolve.

Employment contracts in the UAE are fixed-term, and the contract must state its duration, job, workplace, salary and notice terms. During probation, which is capped at six months, either party can end the contract with the notice period the contract and law provide, commonly 14 days from the other party, and the employer must follow the proper procedure.

After probation, termination requires a legitimate reason and the contractual notice period, typically 30 to 90 days. An employer cannot dismiss you arbitrarily, and dismissals for discriminatory reasons or for filing a legitimate labour complaint are unlawful. If you are dismissed, you are generally entitled to your notice period or pay in lieu, plus outstanding salary, leave and gratuity.

If you believe you have been treated unlawfully, you can raise a complaint with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), which offers a dispute process before matters reach the labour court. Act promptly: deadlines apply, and evidence gathered early is far stronger than evidence gathered months later.

Read your contract before you sign, not after. Check the job title, workplace, basic salary versus allowances, working hours, probation length, notice period and any non-compete clause. A non-compete can restrict your next job, and the law sets conditions on when it is enforceable, so understand it before you agree to it.

Keep copies of everything: contract, offer letter, payslips, leave approvals and any written instructions. If your employer asks you to sign a document you do not understand, ask for time to read it and, for anything significant, get independent advice.

Know where to go for help: MOHRE for labour complaints, your embassy for consular support, and a licensed labour lawyer for disputes. You have rights under UAE law, and using them is not disloyalty; it is how the system is designed to work.

A good employer respects the law and your contract, and the best protection is a clear contract signed before you travel. Apply for UAE roles on SteadStaff, where employers are screened and roles come with proper contracts and visa sponsorship.

Read every contract carefully, keep your documents, and choose employers who do things properly. Your career in the Gulf will be built on that foundation.