In the UAE private sector, either side can end an employment contract by giving written notice of between 30 and 90 days. The exact length is whatever your contract says, within those limits. You keep working and keep getting paid until the notice runs out.
In short
- Notice is 30 days at least and 90 days at most, as written in your contract.
- The contract stays fully in force during notice: normal work, normal pay.
- Whoever skips the notice pays the other side the salary for the days not served.
- If your employer gave the notice, you can take one unpaid day off a week to look for work.
How long is the notice period?
Article 43 of the Labour Law lets either the employer or the employee end the contract for a legitimate reason, provided they give written notice. The notice cannot be shorter than 30 days or longer than 90 days.
Your contract fixes the number. One month is the most common. Senior roles are often on two or three months. If your registered contract and your offer letter give different periods, the registered contract is the one MOHRE will look at.
What happens during notice
- You carry on working your normal hours and receive your full salary.
- The time counts as service, so it adds to your gratuity and your leave balance.
- Your last working day is the final day of the notice period. That is the date your end of service is calculated to.
If the notice is not served
The side that does not respect the notice period must pay the other compensation, known as pay in lieu of notice. It equals your wage for the whole notice period, or for the part that was not served, and it is worked out on the last wage you received.
| Situation | Who pays | Example on a salary of AED 9,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Employer ends the contract and tells you not to work your 30 days | Employer pays you | AED 9,000 |
| You resign on 60 days' notice and leave after 40 days | You pay the employer for 20 days | 9,000 ÷ 30 × 20 = AED 6,000 |
| Both sides agree in writing to shorten or waive the notice | Nobody | Nothing |
The third row is the one to aim for if you need to leave early. Ask, get the answer by email and keep it. When an employee owes pay in lieu, employers usually take it out of the final settlement.
Your job-search day
When it is the employer who ends the contract, you are entitled to one working day off a week, without pay, during the notice period so that you can look for another job. If you and your employer cannot agree which day, you may choose it, as long as you tell them at least three days in advance.
Notice during probation
Probation can last up to six months, and the notice rules are different while it runs:
- Employer ends it: at least 14 days' written notice.
- You leave to join another employer in the UAE: at least one month's written notice. Your new employer may also have to compensate the old one for the cost of recruiting you, unless they agree otherwise.
- You leave the UAE: at least 14 days' written notice.
When notice is not required
The law lists a small number of serious cases in which the contract can be ended at once.
By the employer (Article 44): after a written investigation, for conduct such as using forged documents, causing a serious loss to the business, breaking safety rules that were clearly displayed, being drunk or drugged at work, assaulting someone at work, or being absent without a valid reason for more than seven days in a row or twenty days in a year.
By the employee (Article 45): where the employer breaks its obligations and does not put things right after you report it to MOHRE, where you are assaulted or harassed at work, where there is a serious danger to your safety that the employer knew about, or where you are told to do work that is fundamentally different from what you agreed to.
These cases have conditions and deadlines attached. Speak to MOHRE before you rely on one of them.
Does notice change your gratuity?
It increases it slightly, because the notice period is service. It never reduces it. Even an employee dismissed without notice keeps the gratuity they have earned under the current law, though the employer may deduct amounts that are lawfully owed. More in gratuity on resignation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum notice period in the UAE?
30 days. The maximum is 90 days. Your contract sets the exact period between the two.
Can I leave before my notice period ends?
Only if your employer agrees to shorten or waive it. Otherwise you owe your employer your salary for the days you did not serve.
Is notice pay calculated on basic salary or full salary?
On the last wage you received, which is your full salary, not only the basic.
Can I take annual leave during my notice period?
Only with your employer's agreement. Unused leave is otherwise paid out in your final settlement.
Do I have to serve notice during probation?
Yes. One month if you are moving to another UAE employer, or 14 days if you are leaving the country.