Abu Dhabi court orders employer to pay Dh55,874 to former worker

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Labour Court of First Instance has ruled that an employer must pay Dh55,874 in compensation to a former employee who worked for nearly 11 years, after the employer cancelled his residency and failed to settle his full entitlements.

The employee filed a lawsuit following an adjudication by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation committee, according to Al Khaleej newspaper.

He sought payment for 30 months of salary arrears totalling Dh15,875, an end-of-service gratuity of Dh35,906, Dh8,000 for annual leave, and Dh8,000 in general compensation, in addition to court costs and expenses.

In his submission, the worker said he had been employed by the company since 2014, earning a basic and total salary of Dh4,000, and that his employer had cancelled his residency without paying his dues.

The court examined the claim for back pay and referred to an expert report offering two methods of calculation. The first assumed full-time work throughout the period, while the second accounted for part-time or remote working and periods when the employee was on visits.

The court adopted the second method, finding that the claimant’s work pattern during the disputed period amounted to partial rather than full employment. Using that calculation, the employee was awarded Dh23,643 in accrued salary differences.

The court then granted the remainder of his entitlements according to statutory provisions, ordering the employer to pay the full Dh55,874 owed to the worker.