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Disciplinary Actions Against Employees in UAE

The UAE government has established disciplinary guidelines and penalties for foreign and domestic employees who break the law both within and outside of the workplace to maintain employee discipline. Disciplinary Actions Against Employees in UAE are taken seriously to uphold workplace standards and legal compliance. According to UAE law, your employer may take serious action if you are not disciplined at work or violate the terms of your employment contract. In the private sector, an employer may impose severe penalties ranging from written notice to temporary suspension or termination.

According to UAE law, your employer may take serious action if you are not disciplined at work or violates the terms of your employment contract. In the private sector, an employer may impose severe penalties ranging from written notice to temporary suspension or termination.

The following is a list of disciplinary actions that an employer may take against an employee:
  • A warning
  • Fine
  • A salary deduction of at least five days per month
  • Suspension from employment with a salary cut for a maximum of ten days
  • A denial of a periodic bonus for not more than one year
  • Postpone or denial of promotion for a maximum of two years.
  • Termination without forfeiting severance compensation.
  • Termination with partial or full forfeiture of severance pay.
Guidelines to follow while imposing disciplinary measures on employees:
  • The employer creates a schedule of penalties. The schedule of penalties contains a detailed explanation of each of the disciplinary measures listed in the UAE Labour Law.
  • Only after conducting a thorough investigation and consulting with the employee, the employer may take action against the employee.
  • After 30 days of the employee’s offence being discovered, the employer is not permitted to punish the employee
  • No disciplinary action may be taken after 60 days. Since the inquiry into the offence for which the employee was found guilty was completed.
  • The employee has the right to register a grievance with the relevant department in their firm regarding any penalties imposed on them. The employer informs them about the outcome.
Temporary Suspension of the employee from Work

If the employee is accused of purposefully committing a crime against life, property, honour, or honesty or of carrying out a strike, they may be temporarily suspended from their jobs.

The suspension will start immediately once the incident is reported to the appropriate authorities and may continue until a decision is made. Throughout the suspension, the employee is not allowed to receive payments.

If the employee is found not guilty of the offence they were suspected of or if it is decided not to prosecute them. They will be returned and given their entire salary for the time they were suspended.

When a disciplinary investigation is started:

  • A temporary suspension of the employee will be for a maximum of 30 days.
  • No employee may be punished after 60 days since the investigation into the offence was completed and the employee was found guilty.
  • If there is no evidence against the employee, the company must pay them their full wages throughout the suspension.

This blog is based on UAE Federal Law no.8 of 1980

Reference:

U.A.E. LABOUR LAW

FEDERAL LAW NO. (8) OF 1980

LABOUR LAW AND ITS AMENDMENTS 2001