Sharjah became one of the first emirates in the UAE to grant government employees three days off, every week. The federal government increased public worker benefits when it amended the UAE’s labor law. As a result, the majority of the government’s office hours and workdays have been rescheduled.

Sharjah government employees will work from Monday to Thursday and their holiday is from Friday to Sunday. The UAE cabinet meeting decided to provide public servants two and a half days off every week because they would work a half-day on Friday.

While the other six emirates in the UAE followed the UAE government’s holiday guidelines and rearranged their work schedules under the new law, Sharjah went a step further and provided three days off, whilst the other emirates offered two and a half days.

Sharjah has adjusted the 3 days off by increasing work hours, so employees will now work from 7.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m., which is 60 to 90 minutes longer than they do currently.

The UAE government announced the last week about the government sector employees weekend which will come into effect from Feb 2, 2022.

This new revision will apply to government offices, but there is room for the private sector, which means that the government has given the decision authority to the private sector employer and employees, who can decide on work hours and weekends when signing the contract.

The school in the UAE will remain close fully Saturday and Sunday while on Friday they will open till noon.

The banking industry has already welcomed the federal government’s decision to declare a holiday, and most banks have already shown cooperation by adjusting their work hours and days.

Along with Sharjah government employees, some of the leading private sector firms have already indicated their support for the new system.

According to the expert, these vacation rules will have an impact on the private sector; otherwise, private sector jobs will diminish. 

The UAE government has shifted the weekend for government employees from Friday to Saturday and Sunday. The previous holiday Friday will be a half-day for work. The new working days in the UAE will begin in early 2022.

The working days will apply for the federal and state government employees, however, for the private sector, it isn’t clear if the same rules will apply.

According to a federal government announcement, the following are the working hours for government personnel in the United Arab Emirates.

1. Monday until Thursday, 7.30am to 3.30pm
2. Friday from 7.30am to 12pm.

This new holiday law applies not only to government employees but also to schools in the United Arab Emirates. Schools, whether public or private, are open four days a week.

The UAE has emerged as a regional economic hub for multinational corporations as well as a popular destination for global talent. Many revisions have been made to the country’s labor law to overcome the gaps that exist when compared to a world-class labor market.

After the implementation of this law, the UAE became the first country in the world to implement a national working day that is shorter than the global five-day a week.

Every week, government employees need to work four days and a half of Friday because it is the payer day for Islam.

What are the working days for the private sector in the UAE?

The UAE labor law provides employees with one day off each week or four days per month. Although the new degree makes no reference to the private sector, it encourages private sector employers and employees to arrange their workdays prior to signing the contract.

It means that if you and your employer have agreed to work four days and a half-day on Fridays each week, this arrangement is legally binding.

Although the private sector will have the flexibility to decide the weekend in the initial stage, ultimately the government’s intention is to implement this initiative to both privates and the public sector.

Flexibility in work hours helps to increase worker productivity, so, this initiative will impact the private sector’s work environment in the long run.

Weekend days in Dubai have already been set up according to this degree while other Emirates are already under ways to implement it.

The UAE government has Amended the UAE labour law 2021, and it will take effect on February 2, 2022. The sweeping change has been made on existing labor law of the country since the workplace environment rapidly changed with the advancement of technology after the Covid 19 pandemic.

The newly introduced law has added the work categories from two (Full-Time & Part-Time) to many including;

1.  full-time,
2. part-time,
3. temporary,
4. flexy work and
5. among other categories

In this post, I would discuss the most important topics that the new law has addressed. After reading all of the sections that have been changed, I felt that the new law will help the UAE’s labor market become more flexible and sustainable.

What is new in UAE labour law 2021?

1. Part-Time, Temporary and Flexy employment.

If the company has to hire part-time, temporary, or flexible staff, the law gives them the power to do so. People who have expired visas can also be hired by companies, but they must not leave the country.

a). Part-time worker: company can hire employees for specific hours or days. 

b). Temporary worker: Employed by the organization to accomplish a specific project or job, or it can go for a fixed period of time.

C). Flexible work: For flexible workers, work hours and days might change according to the economy, the volume of work, and job factors of their employer.

There were only two categories of work in the old labor law: part-time and full-time work, but today there are two more: temporary and flexible employment contracts.

2. Salary and payments.

The organization can pay salaries to the employee in UAE (Dhiram) or any other currency specified in the contract paper signed by both parties. The former labor regulation required employers to pay salaries in local currency only.

The new law also declared explicitly that there is no pay discrimination based on gender. Women must be paid equally to men if they performed the same duties and had the same sort of employment.

3. Removing the Unlimited contract

As previous labor code, there were two types of contracts: limited and unlimited. The duration of the limited contract has increased to one year or it can be valid for three years, whereas previously, the limited contract time was just two years.

The unlimited contract can convert to a fixed or limited contract in accordance with the rules, controls, and procedures outlined in this legislative decree.

Unlimited contacts are no longer available in the UAE, and a deadline of one year has granted for converting to limited contracts. The contract can renew after completing 3 years.

4. Leave;

Under the new law, Working fathers can now take 5 days of paternity leave within 6 months of their child’s birth. 

The law allows the mother to take 45 days of paid maternity leave and an additional 15 days at half pay if the child’s and mother’s health need it.

Regardless of the cause of the mother’s or child’s illness, the mother may take an additional 45 days of unpaid leave.

If the child is born with a disability, the mother is entitled to 75 days of paid leave and an additional 30 days of unpaid leave.

Each employee with a minimum of two years of service is entitled to ten days of study leave if they are enrolled in an accredited institution in the UAE.

Employees are entitled to five days of mourning leave for the death of a spouse and three days for the death of other family members.

Every employee in the private sector gets a rest day once a week and 30 days of vacation each year. Learn more

5. Recruitment costs and procedures

The law also states that the employer is accountable for the entire recruitment process and that it is illegal to collect fees from employees. It also barred the employer from holding the employee’s official documentation, such as a passport.

After completing the contract employees have the right to go with another establishment for employment.

6. Minimum wage

There was no minimum wage in the previous labor law, but now the cabinet will establish the minimum wage for private-sector employees, and all enterprises must meet it. This is an unprecedented move in the Gulf of the labor market because most of the countries do not have a minimum wage.

7. End of service

If a worker works in an establishment for more than one year but less than five years, he or she is entitled to 21 days of pay as a gratuity per year up to five years, and if the worker works for more than five years and he or she is entitled to 30 days of full pay per year.

The degree also waives all lawsuit fees claimed by employees, however, they do not exceed Dhs 100,000.

8. Obligations of employers and employees

The law also specifies the obligations of both employers and employees and increases its control over the issue of implementation.

The employer is responsible for providing suitable housing, protection, and prevention, as well as training and assisting employees in developing their skills.

Meanwhile, employees are also accountable for adhering to the terms and conditions outlined in the labor contract including;

• performing work during the specified times;
• abiding by work ethics and good conduct;
• keeping work secrets;
• developing job skills;
• not to work for another competing employer;
• vacating the labor accommodation within one month of expiry of employment contract and
• other obligations

9. Anti-discrimination and workplace harassment

The new rule prohibits employers from recruiting employees based on their gender, race, color, nationality, religion, socioeconomic origin, or disability.

The Degree legislation states that an employer may not force an employee to work by threatening them with penalties or through any other means.

Harassment of any kind in the workplace will take seriously, and bullying or any form of verbal or sexual harassment in the workplace by employers or superiors is illegal.

10. Probation rules

The probation period remains at 6 months; if the employer wishes to terminate the employee’s contract, he or she must offer 14 days’ notice. In the previous arrangement, contract termination during the probation period was immediate.

If an employee wishes to leave the nation after quitting their employment, they must notify their employers before 14 days. An employee wishes to change job, he or she must give the current employer one month’s notice.

If either party violates or breaches the terms and conditions outlined in the work contract, should financially compensate another party.

There are many sections in the UAE labour law 2021, but these above are notable since they directly relate to the employees’ well-being. UAE is a prominent destination for job seekers in the Gulf region, and as a result, the country’s labor laws have changed to address the changing work environment.

The new degree announced by the UAE government’s cabinet meeting chaired by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid would allow foreign nationals to continue their residency visas after they retire from their employer.

The UAE government was considering issuing retirement visas to foreign nationals, but the cabinet had not given consent, despite the fact that it was on the table for debate.

In 2018, the UAE government announced the granting of retirement visas to foreign citizens who match specific conditions; nonetheless, the issuance of residency visas to retiree workers is the first time the UAE government has taken such a step.

In the UAE, the age restriction for workers in both the public and commercial sectors is 60 years.

There was one issue that needed to address.

If you stay in the UAE for a long period of time while you are already 60 years old, and the employer would terminate the contract, it is logical because the law states that any UAE national or foreigner who reaches the age of 60 automatically retires.

The newspapers reported many heartbreaking stories about people who had spent 30 to 35 years making the UAE their second home and had returned to their home country, leaving behind their family members in the UAE.

There was no legal provision specifying which types of visas would be available to a person who retired from an employment visa. As a result, they needed to return to their home nation at the age of over 60.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, posted a tweet on his account announcing the revision of the UAE’s visa law for foreign nationals who have retired or will retire in the future.

According to the new law, retirees may remain in the UAE after retirement if they meet the following conditions:

Criteria for Retired Visa UAE

1. Holding a single or many properties worth Dhs1 million or
2. a bank deposit of no less than Dhs1m, or
3. an active income of no less than Dhs180,000 per annum.

If you meet one of the above criteria can apply for a residency visa for retirees to the immigration department will issues after evaluating your application.

The provision of the Retired Visa UAE is the most popular move announced by the UAE government since it will offer delight to those who have been living in this country for many years with their family members and are nearing retirement due to their age.