Employee quit via WhatsApp over unpaid wages, court orders compensation

Al Ain: A court in Al Ain has ordered a company to pay Dh58,500 in unpaid wages and an additional Dh5,000 in compensation to a former employee, after finding that the firm failed to pay her salary for months despite assigning her senior responsibilities.

The ruling, issued by the  Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Cases Court, followed a lawsuit filed by the employee after attempts at conciliation and settlement proved unsuccessful.

According to Al Khaleej newspaper, the employee had been offered a position as head of a department with a monthly salary of Dh9,000.

She carried out her duties but said her employment was never formalised through a written contract and that her wages went unpaid throughout her time with the company.

Unable to sustain the situation, she eventually resigned. In a WhatsApp message cited by the court, she apologised for being unable to continue in the role, referring to the prolonged delay in receiving her salary.

A court-appointed expert confirmed that the employee had worked for the company under the agreed salary and that the outstanding amount of Dh58,500 represented unpaid wages owed to her.

During the proceedings, the employer failed to appear in court despite being formally notified and did not present any evidence to dispute the claim or show that the employee’s entitlements had been settled.

In its judgment, the court ruled that the employer must pay the full amount of outstanding wages. It also awarded Dh5,000 in compensation, finding that the employee had suffered harm as a result of the company’s failure to meet its obligations.