UAE employment law changed significantly under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, in force since February 2022. If your understanding of notice periods or probation rules predates this, it’s likely outdated. Here’s what actually applies now.
Fixed-Term Contracts Are Now Standard
Unlimited-term contracts were abolished under the current law — all employment contracts are now fixed-term. Every contract must clearly state: job title and description, basic salary and allowances, workplace and work pattern, probation period (if any), notice period, and annual leave entitlements.
Probation Period Rules
- Maximum duration: 6 months, cannot be extended or renewed under any circumstance
- Single use: an employer can only apply probation once per employee
- Automatic conversion: once 6 months pass, employment becomes permanent and counts fully toward continuous service, including gratuity
- Employer-initiated termination: requires 14 days’ written notice
- Employee resignation to leave the UAE: requires 14 days’ written notice
- Employee resignation to join another UAE employer: requires 30 days’ written notice, and the new employer may need to compensate the original employer for recruitment costs if the move happens within 3 months
Notice Periods After Probation
Once probation ends, the notice period is whatever’s agreed in your contract — but the law sets a floor and ceiling: a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 90 days, per Article 43. The notice period must be identical for both employer and employee; a contract can’t require you to give more notice than your employer would.
During the notice period, the contract stays fully in force: you keep working, and your employer keeps paying your full wage and benefits.
What Happens If You Skip Notice
If either party ends the contract without honoring the required notice, the terminating party must pay the other side compensation equal to the salary and allowances due for the remaining notice period. In practice, if you quit without serving a 30-day notice, you may owe your employer the equivalent of 30 days’ salary.
Working Hours & Leave
- Standard working hours: 8 hours/day, 48 hours/week
- Annual leave: 30 days per year
- Maternity leave: 60 days
Gratuity (End of Service)
Gratuity calculations are covered in detail in our Salary & End of Service guide — the short version is 21-30 days’ pay per year of service, depending on tenure.
Enforcement
Compliance is enforced through the Wage Protection System (WPS), with penalties for employers reaching up to AED 1 million per violation in serious cases — a strong incentive for employers to follow these rules correctly.
Verify Your Specific Situation
Free zones sometimes have their own employment regulations layered on top of federal law. Confirm your specific rights directly with MOHRE or your free zone authority, especially before resigning or signing a new contract.
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