UAE employee sues company, wins over Dh100,000 in gratuity, unpaid wages

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi labour court has ruled in favour of a former employee, ordering a private company to pay Dh102,209 in overdue wages and end-of-service benefits, after the man was dismissed following 14 years of service without receiving his salary for 10 consecutive months.

The judgment, issued by the Abu Dhabi Labor Court (First Instance), came after the employee filed a claim demanding compensation for unpaid wages, end-of-service gratuity, unused leave, and return airfare, in addition to compensation for emotional and financial distress.

According to court records, the employee joined the company in 2010 under a contract stipulating a monthly salary of Dh11,500, including a basic wage of Dh6,900. He was terminated in the second half of last year.

In his lawsuit, the employee demanded Dh87,285 in gratuity, Dh18,496 for unused leave, Dh34,500 for delayed wages over 10 months, another Dh34,500 in lieu of notice, Dh1,500 for a return ticket, a certificate of experience, and late-payment interest until the full amount is settled.

In its ruling, the court found that the employee had served for 14 years, one month, and 23 days and was therefore entitled to a gratuity based on one month's basic salary for every year of service.

The court calculated the gratuity at Dh87,259. He was also awarded Dh3,450 for 15 days of unused leave, based on available records.

The company did not contest the claim or justify the delayed payments, leading the court to rule in the employee's favour.