Abu Dhabi court orders Dh113,611 payout after worker sacked without dues

The Abu Dhabi Labour Court of First Instance has ordered a company to pay Dh113,611 in compensation to a former employee after ruling that he had been dismissed without receiving his legal entitlements following more than two decades of service.

The court found that the employee, who had worked for the company for about 21 years, was owed unpaid salaries, end-of-service benefits and compensation for unused annual leave. The court said the company had failed to settle his dues upon termination.

According to court records, the employee filed the case after being dismissed without receiving his outstanding payments. He demanded Dh16,000 in unpaid salaries for two months, Dh130,000 in end-of-service gratuity, and Dh13,000 for unused leave accumulated over nearly five years, in addition to legal fees and immediate enforcement of the ruling.

The plaintiff told the court he had worked in the same role for more than two decades, earning a basic salary of Dh6,500 and a total monthly income of Dh8,000, Al Khaleej Arabic daily reported. The claimant said he was terminated without notice and without being paid what he was legally owed.

In its reasoning, the court stressed that employers are legally required to pay workers their wages on time, as stipulated in employment contracts. On that basis, it ruled that the employee was entitled to Dh16,000 in unpaid wages for the two months in question.

The court also addressed the claim for end-of-service benefits, noting that foreign workers are entitled to gratuity payments based on the length of continuous service, provided they have completed at least one year of employment. Periods of unpaid absence, it added, do not count towards service calculations.

After reviewing the records, the court concluded that the plaintiff had worked for the company for 21 years and six months. It ruled that he was entitled to Dh93,051 in end-of-service benefits, in addition to the unpaid wages and other dues.

The final award brought the total compensation to Dh113,611.