Notice Period and Termination Under UAE Labour Law

Most disputes at the end of an employment are not about whether it ends, but how: who gave notice, how long it was, whether it was worked, and what was paid instead. The UAE labour law answers each of those questions precisely. This guide sets out the notice rules for resignation and termination, the cases where no notice is needed on either side, and the situations in which a dismissal is unlawful.

Who these rules cover

The rules come from Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the regulation of employment relationships, the UAE labour law, and its executive regulations, Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022. They apply to private-sector employees on the mainland in every emirate. The DIFC and ADGM free zones have their own employment laws, and government employees and domestic workers are covered by separate rules.

How an employment contract can end

The law lists nine ways an employment contract ends (Article 42):

1. Both parties agree in writing.
2. A fixed term expires and is not extended or renewed.
3. Either party ends it, following the law's rules and the agreed notice period.
4. The employer dies, where the contract depends on the employer personally.
5. The employee dies, or becomes fully and permanently unable to work, as certified by a medical body.
6. A final court judgment imposes a custodial sentence of at least three months on the employee.
7. The establishment closes permanently.
8. The employer becomes bankrupt or insolvent, or economic or exceptional reasons make continuing impossible.
9. The employee no longer meets the conditions for renewing the work permit, for a reason beyond the employer's control.

The notice period

Either side can end the contract for a legitimate reason by giving the other written notice (Article 43). The rules for that notice are fixed:

Rule	What the law says
Length	As agreed in the contract, at least 30 days and no more than 90
Form	In writing
Both sides	The same period for the employer and the employee, unless a difference favours the employee
During notice	The contract stays in force, the employee works if asked, and is paid the full wage
Waiving it	Allowed by agreement, but the employee keeps the rights of the agreed notice period
Not given	The side that skips it pays the employee's wage for the notice period, or the part not worked

Pay in lieu of notice is owed even if the other side suffered no loss. It is calculated on the full wage, based on the last wage received; for an employee paid by the piece, on the average daily wage. What else is owed when the contract ends is set out in our guide to the final settlement calculation in the UAE.

A day a week to look for work. When the employer gives notice, the employee can take one working day a week off, unpaid, to look for another job. The employee chooses the day and tells the employer at least three days in advance.

Notice given during leave. If notice is given while the employee is on leave, it starts the day after the leave was due to end, unless both sides agree otherwise (Article 35).

Resignation

An employee resigns by giving written notice of the length the contract sets, within the 30 to 90 day range. They keep working and are paid in full until it ends, unless both sides agree to shorten it. Resigning does not reduce the end-of-service gratuity under the 2021 law: an employee with at least a year of continuous service earns it on the same formula, as our UAE gratuity calculator shows.

Notice during probation

Probation has its own notice rules (Article 9). The employer must give at least 14 days' written notice to end the employment during probation. An employee who wants to move to another employer in the UAE must give at least one month, and the new employer compensates the old one for the recruitment costs unless they agree otherwise; an employee leaving the UAE gives at least 14 days. The side that breaks these rules pays the wage for the notice period. More on probation is in our guide to probation and replacement rules in the UAE.

Termination without notice

An employer can end the contract without notice only on the grounds the law lists, and only after a written investigation with the employee, followed by a written, reasoned decision handed to the employee (Article 44). The grounds are:

1. Impersonating someone, or submitting forged certificates or documents.
2. A mistake that causes the employer a serious financial loss, or deliberate damage to the employer's property, admitted by the employee; the employer must tell MOHRE within seven working days of learning of it.
3. Breaking the workplace safety instructions, where they are written, displayed and made known to the employee.
4. Failing the basic duties of the contract and continuing after a written investigation and two warnings of dismissal.
5. Disclosing a work secret about industrial or intellectual property, causing a loss, a lost opportunity or a personal gain.
6. Being drunk or under the influence of drugs during working hours, or an act against public morals at work.
7. Assaulting the employer, a manager, a superior or a colleague at work.
8. Absence without a legitimate reason for more than 20 separate days in a year, or more than 7 consecutive days.
9. Illegally exploiting the position for personal gain.
10. Joining another establishment without following the required procedures.

No notice period is owed in these cases. The article sets no forfeiture of the end-of-service gratuity, which is still calculated in the usual way, less lawful deductions.

Leaving without notice

An employee can leave without notice and keep all end-of-service rights in four cases (Article 45):

1. The employer breaches the contract or the law, the employee notifies MOHRE at least 14 working days before leaving, and the employer does not put it right after MOHRE tells it to.
2. The employer or its representative assaults, uses violence against or harasses the employee at work, proven, and the employee reports it to the authorities and MOHRE within five working days of being able to.
3. There is a grave danger at work that the employer knows about and does not remove.
4. The employer assigns fundamentally different work without the employee's written consent, outside the limited cases of necessity the law allows.

When a dismissal is unlawful

Some reasons and moments are protected:

Protection	Legal basis
No dismissal, or notice of dismissal, because of pregnancy, maternity leave or the extra leave after it	Article 30
No dismissal for illness until the sick leave entitlement is used up and the employee cannot return	Article 31
No dismissal for medical unfitness before the employee has used the leave they have earned	Article 46
No discrimination on race, colour, sex, religion, national or social origin or disability	Article 4
Dismissal because the employee filed a serious complaint with MOHRE or a valid lawsuit against the employer is unlawful, and a court can award compensation of up to three months' wage, on top of notice pay and gratuity	Article 47

The UAE Government portal also states that an employee cannot be dismissed or given notice while on sick leave. See sick leave under UAE labour law and maternity and parental leave in the UAE.

What employers need in place

Notice in writing, dated and acknowledged. The notice period runs from a date both sides can prove. A message that went unanswered is not a record.

The investigation before the decision. Dismissal without notice depends on a written investigation and a written, reasoned decision. Skipping them turns a lawful dismissal into a dispute.

The calendar of protected moments. Pregnancy, maternity leave and sick leave change what an employer may do. Whoever can give notice should check them first.

The settlement and the cancellation ready. The final dues are owed within 14 days of the contract ending, and the work permit and visa are cancelled after them. Our guide to employment visa cancellation in the UAE has the steps.

For the wider picture, see our UAE labour law guide for employers.

The bottom line

Under UAE labour law, notice is 30 to 90 days in writing, the same for both sides unless it favours the employee, worked and paid at the full wage, or paid in lieu. Probation has shorter notice rules. An employer can dismiss without notice only on the listed grounds after a written investigation, an employee can leave without notice in four listed cases, and dismissals for pregnancy, illness or a complaint to MOHRE are protected.

When tamdeed runs the employment administration for a company, or employs the people itself, notices, investigations and settlements are recorded on the platform, so the end of an employment follows the law step by step. See HR outsourcing in Dubai, or for a company with no UAE entity, employer of record.

Sources: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Articles 4, 9, 30, 31, 35, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47; Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022; the UAE Government portal on terminating employment contracts. Checked on 14 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice; confirm your own case with MOHRE or a qualified adviser.

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