A handbook sets out how things work here. It is **not** the contract, and it should say so — otherwise every policy in it becomes a term the Company cannot change without consent. Where the handbook and the MOHRE registered contract differ, the contract and the Law govern.
Employee Handbook
UAE mainland — [COMPANY NAME]
A handbook sets out how things work here. It is not the contract, and it should say so — otherwise every policy in it becomes a term the Company cannot change without consent. Where the handbook and the MOHRE registered contract differ, the contract and the Law govern.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Company | [COMPANY NAME], licence [NUMBER] |
| Jurisdiction | [Mainland — Federal Decree-Law 33/2021] |
| Applies to | All employees [, save where a written contract states otherwise] |
| Status | Not contractual — guidance and policy, save where expressly stated |
| Version and date | [NUMBER], effective [DATE] |
| Owner | [NAME], [DESIGNATION] |
| Language | [English; Arabic version available on request] |
| Review | Annually |
1. Status of This Handbook
1.1This handbook describes the Company’s policies and how things work day to day.
1.2It does not form part of your contract of employment. Your terms are in your MOHRE registered employment contract and any supplementary agreement.
1.3Where this handbook and your contract or the Law differ, the contract and the Law prevail.
1.4The Company may update this handbook. Material changes will be notified.
1.5Clause 1.2 matters more than it looks. A handbook expressed as contractual converts every discretionary benefit into a term that cannot be varied without written consent and a MOHRE amendment.
2. Working Hours and Attendance
2.1Normal hours are 8 hours per day, 48 hours per week, worked [DAYS], from [TIME] to [TIME], with a break of [PERIOD].
2.2Ramadan. Working hours are reduced for fasting employees in accordance with the Law. [The Company applies the reduction to all employees.]
2.3Midday work ban. Outdoor work is prohibited during the prescribed afternoon hours in the summer months. This applies regardless of an employee’s willingness to work.
2.4Overtime worked at the Company’s request is compensated in accordance with the Law. Overtime must be authorised in advance by [ROLE].
2.5Employees are entitled to at least one rest day per week and to the gazetted public holidays.
2.6[Where flexible models apply] The Company offers [part-time / flexible / remote] working arrangements under the permitted work models. Requests are made to [ROLE] and considered on the business need.
3. Leave
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These notes accompany the template and explain the drafting choices, the compliance points and the mistakes most often made with this document. They appear as a final page in the Word file, intended to be deleted before the document is executed.
A handbook expressed as contractual turns every policy and discretionary benefit into a term that cannot be varied without written consent and a MOHRE contract amendment. Clause 1.2 states the position; make sure practice matches it and that genuinely contractual items live in the contract instead.
Where the handbook says one thing and the registered MOHRE contract or Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 says another, the contract and the Law govern. A handbook promising less than the statutory entitlement does not reduce it; a handbook promising more may create an expectation that is hard to withdraw.
The Law specifies which penalties an employer may impose. Inventing a sanction — an unpaid suspension, a salary reduction, a withheld allowance — creates a claim even where the underlying misconduct was real. Set out the permitted list and do not depart from it.
Summary termination requires both a statutory ground and the required process, including putting the allegation to the employee and allowing a response. Employers treat obvious misconduct as self-evidently justifying immediate dismissal and skip the process, which converts a defensible decision into a claim.
Dismissing an employee because they filed a legitimate complaint can attract compensation of up to three months’ salary in addition to other entitlements. Clause 7.3 states the commitment; the record of what actually happened is what defends it.
UAE law reaches conduct that in other jurisdictions would be private, including public behaviour and social media, and a criminal matter can affect residence status as well as employment. Employees relocating from elsewhere frequently do not appreciate this. Say it once, plainly, without moralising.
Work permit, visa, medical, Emirates ID and recruitment costs are the employer’s by law and cannot be deducted from salary or recovered on early departure. Stating it in the handbook prevents well-meaning managers from agreeing repayment arrangements that are unenforceable and unlawful.
Outdoor work during the prescribed summer afternoon hours is prohibited, and an employee’s willingness to work makes no difference. It is an employer duty with inspections and penalties behind it.
Unemployment insurance subscription falls on the employee, not the employer, but failure to subscribe attracts a fine and can block a future work permit when they change jobs. Telling them costs nothing and prevents a problem the Company will hear about later.
The most common end-of-service dispute is an employee expecting gratuity on total package. Stating the basis in the handbook, in the contract and in the offer means the conversation happens at hiring rather than at exit.
All final entitlements are due within 14 days of the last working day. Build the calculation into the notice process rather than starting it after the employee has gone, and reconcile the leave balance to records rather than memory.
Where a workforce includes Arabic speakers, and for any dispute or MOHRE process, an Arabic version matters. The English handbook is workable for day-to-day use, but an Arabic version should exist and should be prepared by a qualified translator.
Keep a version number and date, notify material changes, and retain the signed acknowledgement. Where a policy is later relied on, the question is always whether the employee was told — and the acknowledgement is the answer.
The Law recognises defined alternative work models with their own permit requirements. A handbook offering flexible or part-time arrangements should reflect what is actually permitted and permitted for, rather than describing an informal practice.
Reflects UAE law current as of {{DATE OF USE}}. Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 has been amended and Cabinet resolutions on leave, working hours, penalties, work models and dispute resolution change — confirm the current position with MOHRE or a UAE employment adviser, and note that free zone, DIFC and ADGM employers need a handbook drafted for their own regime.
This is a ready-to-use template provided for convenience. Laws and requirements change, and every situation is different — please have it reviewed by a qualified professional (a lawyer, corporate secretary, or accountant as relevant) before you rely on it.