ADGM Employment Regulations 2024 — articles 1–75

The Regulations set minimum rights that cannot be waived, except by a written settlement signed by both parties covering existing facts or circumstances, after an opportunity for independent legal advice and for valid co…

An Employer must not recruit or induce a person to work by misrepresenting the availability or type of a role, Wages, or any other employment term; contravention may result in a fine under the Fines Scale.

Children under 15 may not be employed. Youth aged 15 to 18 may be employed only subject to Board rules and safe, reasonable conditions appropriate to their age and wellbeing; breach may attract a level 8 fine.

Where required, the Employer must obtain, maintain and pay for the work permit, sponsored residence visa and UAE identity card, apply before work starts, cancel permits promptly after termination, and may not recover tho…

Employment requires an English written contract signed by both parties, with a copy supplied within one month and its meaning explained where needed. It must state the parties, start date, role, Wages and Pay Period, hou…

A contractual amendment must be written and signed by both parties. A purely administrative amendment need only be recorded in writing and notified to the Employee before it takes effect.

On or around each pay date, the Employer must make available a written statement showing Wages and every deduction with its reason. Electronic access is sufficient if the Employee can obtain a hard copy; breach may attra…

Probation must be stated in the contract and may not exceed six months, or half of a contract lasting six months or less. During probation specified leave and benefit provisions do not apply, ordinary termination require…

The Employer must retain English records for each Employee covering the contract, identity and contacts, start date, gross and net Wages, benefits, deductions, vacation, sickness and sick pay, repatriation flight and end…

A Part-Time Employee working every day of the Employer's working week receives specified leave entitlements without pro-rating. Where the contract provides fewer than five working days a week, those entitlements are mult…

Unless agreed otherwise, the Employer supplies and maintains equipment needed for agreed remote or hybrid work. Different workplace, visa, insurance and related provisions are excluded for remote staff inside the UAE and…

The Employer must pay the agreed Wages. A Pay Period may not exceed one month and payment is due within 14 calendar days after that period ends.

A deduction from Wages or payment by an Employee is permitted only when authorised by applicable legislation or the contract, agreed by the Employee in writing, made to repay an overpayment, loan or advance, or ordered b…

All Wages and non-variable sums must be paid within 21 calendar days of termination; Variable Payments may be deferred on reasonable written conditions. Qualifying arrears may trigger a Daily-Wage penalty for each late d…

Working time may not exceed 48 hours in any seven-calendar-day period unless the Employee first consents in writing. Registrar rules or guidance may provide overtime pay for hours above that maximum; breach may attract a…

Regardless of other working-time rules, an Employer must not directly or indirectly require or allow hours detrimental to the Employee's health or safety; breach may attract a fine.

During Ramadan, a Muslim Employee's normal hours are reduced by 25% on each Working Day without reducing Wages; non-compliance may attract a fine.

An Employee is entitled to at least 11 consecutive hours of rest in each 24-hour period.

Except as Board rules may otherwise provide, an Employee is entitled to an uninterrupted rest period of at least 24 hours in every seven calendar days.

A Working Day over six hours carries aggregate rest and prayer breaks of at least one hour away from the workstation. After Maternity Leave, an Employee working over six hours also receives at least one aggregate hour of…

An Employee receives at least 20 paid Working Days of Vacation Leave per Vacation Leave Year. Accrued leave may be carried for up to 12 months, with at least five days protected from a lower agreed carry-over; National H…

Payment instead of accrued leave is available only on termination or by written agreement. On termination unused accrued leave is paid at the Daily Wage then applicable, while excess leave taken may be deducted using the…

Vacation Leave requires Employer consent, which must not be unreasonably withheld. The Employer may direct leave on specified days in the current leave year with at least seven calendar days' prior written notice.

During the first employment year an Employee may take only leave accrued by that time. Vacation Leave accrues monthly at one-twelfth of the annual entitlement.

Where both the Regulations and the Employment Contract grant the same kind of rest or leave, the Employee may choose the more favourable entitlement but may not take both, subject to specified parental-leave provisions.

An Employee receives paid leave for announced UAE National Holidays falling on a Working Day. If the Employee agrees to work, the Employer adds a day in lieu, a full Daily Wage, or a pro-rated Daily Wage for the period w…

A Muslim Employee with at least one year of continuous employment may take up to 30 unpaid calendar days once during that employment to perform Hajj.

Five paid Working Days are available on each death of a spouse, parent, child including an adopted child, or sibling, subject to reasonable evidence, and must be used within one month of the bereavement.

An Employee may take up to 60 Working Days of sick leave in any 12 months, must notify the Employer as soon as reasonably practicable on the first absent day, and must provide a medical certificate if requested; non-comp…

After probation and subject to notice and evidence requirements, the first 10 sick Working Days in a 12-month period are paid at 100% of Daily Wage, the next 20 at 50%, and the remaining 30 are unpaid, whether days are c…

ADGM Employers and Employees must comply with applicable laws concerning national and reserve service.

A female Employee receives 65 Working Days of Maternity Leave. The entitlement also covers adoption of a child under five and stillbirth or miscarriage after week 24; vacation continues accruing and the Employee returns …

After 12 months' continuous employment and required pregnancy and leave notices, Maternity Pay is 100% of Daily Wage for the first 33 Working Days and 50% for the next 32. National Holidays extend leave, no cash substitu…

A father of a newborn or adopted child under five receives at least five Working Days within two months, subject to reasonable evidence. The leave is paid at Daily Wage after 12 months' continuous employment, cannot be e…

A pregnant Employee or an Employee whose wife is pregnant may take reasonable working time for medically advised ante-natal appointments after reasonable notice and requested evidence. An Employee applying to adopt has a…

Time off properly taken under section 35 is paid at the Employee's normal Hourly Rate.

An Employer must, so far as reasonably practicable, protect Employees' health, safety and welfare and maintain a safe workplace free from health risks, discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

The Employer must maintain systems reducing fire, substance and other risks; provide understandable information, training and supervision; notify recruits in writing of dangers and protective measures; maintain safe acce…

Every enclosed workplace must receive a sufficient quantity of fresh or purified air.

The temperature inside workplace buildings must be reasonable during working hours.

The workplace must have suitable and sufficient lighting.

The Employer must keep the workplace and its furniture, furnishings and fittings clean.

Each work room must have sufficient floor area, height and unoccupied space for health, safety and welfare.

Workstations must be suitable for the Employees and the nature of the work performed there.

Suitable and adequate sanitary facilities must be provided at readily accessible workplace locations.

The Employer must provide an adequate supply of wholesome drinking water for all workplace Employees.

An Employee may not be dismissed or penalised for preventing or reducing workplace risks, taking reasonable steps against serious imminent danger, or refusing to return until danger ends. A breach permits just and equita…

The Employer must immediately obtain adequate medical help for a work accident or illness, paying any cost not insured. Negligently caused injury can lead to Court damages and a fine; negligently caused death may result …

The Employer must obtain and maintain health insurance for Employees and, where applicable, their dependants under the requirements of the relevant Competent Authority.

An Employer may be vicariously liable for an Employee's breach sufficiently connected with employment when it did not take all reasonable preventive steps; for discrimination, harassment or victimisation, liability simil…

Unless a section provides otherwise, each failure to comply with Part 7 may attract a fine up to level 4 without limiting an Employee's other remedies.

Subject to the contract, Employees must work with reasonable diligence and care, obey lawful reasonable instructions, protect and return Employer property, avoid bribery and conflicts, serve faithfully, and preserve conf…

Employment discrimination is prohibited on grounds of sex, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, race, nationality, religion, age or Disability and covers direct disadvantage, unjustified indirect practices and harassm…

An Employer must not disadvantage or dismiss an Employee for bringing Part 9 proceedings, giving evidence, or making a good-faith formal allegation. The Court may award up to three years' Wages and order steps to reduce …

A Protected Disclosure does not breach confidentiality duties and must not create civil or contractual liability. The Employer and related parties must not threaten or take retaliation such as dismissal, discipline, forc…

Ordinary termination requires written notice of at least seven calendar days for service under three months and 30 days for longer service; a longer period may be agreed. Payment in lieu requires post-notice written cons…

Either party may terminate immediately for conduct that a reasonable Employer or Employee would regard as warranting immediate termination. If the Employee terminates for Employer cause, the Employee receives the Wages a…

On an Employee's written request, the Employer must provide written reasons for termination within 21 calendar days. An unreasonable failure may attract a fine not exceeding level 2.

Within 21 calendar days after a written post-termination request, the Employer must provide a reference stating the parties, start and termination dates, final job title and, if requested, final Wages. An unreasonable fa…

A UAE or GCC national must be enrolled in the relevant federal pension scheme within 30 calendar days and the Employer must contribute. Such an Employee does not receive section 61 gratuity unless the pension authority a…

After at least one continuous year, gratuity is due regardless of termination reason: 21 days' Basic Wage for each of the first five years and 30 days for each later year, pro-rated for part years. Basic Wage is taken at…

Within 30 calendar days of termination the Employer must provide or reimburse a one-way flight to the Employee's country of origin or another agreed country, except for an overseas Remote Employee, an Employee obtaining …

Procedural safeguards must match the seriousness of proposed action. For breach of a relevant requirement, the Registrar may issue private or public censure, impose a financial penalty, make a prohibition order and/or ac…

Before sanction, the Registrar gives a written Warning Notice stating proposed action, reasons, at least 14 business days for representations, and material-access rights. After considering material and timely representat…

If the Registrar takes warned action, it gives the Employer a written Decision Notice stating its reasons and indicating any right to refer the matter to the Court.

A Decision Notice Recipient may refer the matter to the ADGM Court within one month. The notice remains effective while the Court reviews it unless the Court orders otherwise.

For a warning proposing a level 6 or higher fine, the Registrar normally gives access to relied-on material and material that may undermine its decision. Access may be refused for public-interest, confidentiality, fairne…

A person cannot be compelled to produce, disclose or permit inspection of legally protected communications and items relating to legal advice or contemplated proceedings, or items whose disclosure law prohibits. Protecti…

Warning Notices and their existence or contents must not be published. The Registrar may publish a Decision Notice or information after considering fairness and ADGM interests; others may publish only with written consen…

The Board may make rules within the Regulations' scope and objectives in ADGM's interests, including incidental, supplemental, consequential and transitional provisions.

The Registrar administers the Regulations and subordinate rules, prescribes forms and guidance, monitors and inspects Employer premises, imposes and enforces fines or discipline, and may direct production of documents, i…

For Employer non-compliance, an Employee may seek a Court declaration and an order to comply. Where no other remedy is specified, the Court may award just and equitable compensation considering the Employer's conduct and…

Board rules may require fees for Registrar functions or related services and facilities, set different amounts by circumstance, identify the payer, and specify when and how payment is made.

This section defines central terms including ADGM, Basic and Daily Wage, Competent Authority, Court, Disability, Employee, Employer, Employment Contract, Hourly Rate, parental and vacation leave, Part-Time and Remote Emp…

The Employment Regulations 2024 apply from 1 April 2025 to all ADGM Employers and Employees except dual-licensed Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development Employers whose staff are governed by UAE Labour Law and Emplo…