UAE: If I quit job during my leave period, when will the notice period start?

Dubai: If you decide to quit from your job while you are on leave, what are the rules that you need to follow in terms of serving your notice period? From February 2, the new UAE Labour Law – Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 – came into effect, which covers various aspects that govern the relationship between employers and employees in the private sector.

Article 35 of the new labour law, titled ‘Commencement of notice period in case of termination of contract during leave’ states: “If either party wants to terminate the contract during the period of leave in accordance with the provisions of this Decree-Law and its Executive Regulations, then the Notice Period agreed upon in the employment contract shall commence only on the day following the date on which the worker returns from leave, unless agreed otherwise by the parties.”

How long should the notice period be?

As per Article 43 of the labour law, the notice period can be anywhere between 30 to 90 days, and the exact duration needs to be mentioned in the employment contract. Failure to give the necessary notice period, whether is from the employer or employee’s end, will lead to a breach of contract and as per the law, the party in breach of the notice period should pay the other a compensation called ‘pay in lieu of notice’, which would be equal to the wage of the worker for the entire notice period, based on the last wage received by the employee. To read a detailed guide on what the new labour law says about the notice period that needs to be served, click here.