What you need to know about February's new UAE labour laws

Written by:
Lauren Fletcher
1st February 2022

The new rules explained…

As of tomorrow, February 2, 2022, a number of new labour regulations are coming into effect in the UAE for the private sector. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation will issue twelve different types of work permits and introduce six job models under the new labour law. This includes part time, flexible and remote working.

Here’s what you need to know about the new UAE labour laws…

Working week

A huge update announced in the UAE was the shift of the working week from Sunday to Thursday, to Monday to Friday. This came into effect on Monday January 3, 2022 and is only mandatory for government workers, however most private sector companies have followed suit. Those companies following the new working week will now enjoy weekends on Saturday and Sunday.

Flexible working hours

The actions of the Federal Decree-Law No 33 of 2021, which was announced on Monday, November 15, 2021, will give people in the private sector ‘the chance to opt for temporary and flexible work, freelance jobs, condensed working hours and shared jobs’. Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation said: “In the condensed-hours model, if an employee works 40 hours a week as per the contract, he can now perform the 40 hours in three days”. This can be put into effect if the employer and the employee agree to all clauses in the contract.

Shared and multiple jobs

As of February 2, two people can do one job and split the hours, so long as it is agreed with the employer. People can now work for two different employers for a specified number of hours or days or, if there is a specific task to be done, temporary work can be undertaken by someone.

Changes to contracts

People on indefinite or permanent contracts will be switched to fixed-term contracts of up to three years, which can be renewed. This is due to the new law stating that employment contracts must now be limited. Probation periods cannot be more than six months, and a notice of two weeks must be given to terminate them during this time.