7 illegal workplace practices in the UAE, and how to report your employer to MOHRE

Dubai: As an employee, your rights are protected in the UAE, and backed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). So, if you feel your employer is violating any of them, MOHRE advises reporting the issue immediately. Here are seven workplace practices that MOHRE specifically highlights as illegal under the UAE Labour Law – Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 – and how to lodge a complaint, if your employer has been found violating the law: 1. Your identification documents are being withheld In the UAE, employers cannot hold or confiscate their employee’s passports. Article 13(2) of the UAE Labour Law prohibits employers from seizing their employees’ official documents, and Circular No. 267 of 2002 issued by the UAE Ministry of Interior (MOI) confirms that only official authorities may confiscate a passport under a judicial order. The only time an employer may hold an employee’s passport is when carrying out official business, such as visa issuance, renewal or cancellation. In this case, the passport is retained with the employee’s consent, and is returned after the completion of the process. 2. You are bearing work permit and travel costs Article 6 of the UAE Labour Law states: “An employer shall not charge the worker or collect from him or her recruitment costs, either directly or indirectly.” In other words, the employer is responsible for all recruitment-related expenses, including hiring and visa issuance costs, travel expenses, medical tests and the cost of the employee’s residence permit. If any deductions have been made against your end-of-service gratuity, by your employer, check to ensure they fall within one of the five specific categories outlined by the UAE Labour Law. These are the only conditions where employers are permitted to deduct amounts from an employee’s payout. 3. You are signing a contract with terms that are different from the ones specified in your job offer According to MOHRE, a job offer letter contains a detailed description of the rights and obligations of both parties in accordance with the UAE Labour Law, in addition to the terms and conditions of employment. The employee’s job offer letter is an important document – it is issued by MOHRE, and signed by both the authorised manager and the employee. Once signed by both parties, it becomes a legal contract, which is why it is not permitted for the employer to alter or replace any provisions of the offer after signing. The only situation where alterations are acceptable is if both parties consent to the changes, the alterations are within the scope of the law, and they do not compromise the rights of the worker. The employer is obligated to disclose the terms of the offer letter to MOHRE. A copy of the letter is then stored in the Ministry’s database. 4. You are not being provided a copy of your employment offer According to MOHRE, it is not enough for the employer and the Ministry to store a copy of your job offer letter – it is vital for you to obtain the document as well, so that you can stay apprised of all that your job entails, understand the scope of your responsibilities, and know whether the company is violating the offer’s terms. In 2016, MOHRE advised new employees to hold onto their original job offer letters, signed by both parties, to present as evidence if issues arise regarding fake job offer scams. Since each offer letter features a unique transaction number, employees can use it to look up the offer in MOHRE’s system, and verify whether it is real, before making any future decisions. Learn how to check if a job offer is real here . 5. You aren’t receiving full wages on time Previously, under MOHRE’s Ministerial Resolution 598 of 2022, salary due dates were determined on individual employment contracts, and employers were given a 15-day grace period if they were late on payment. However, since June 1, 2026, private sector employers in the UAE are obligated to pay workers’ salary by the first day of each month, under the country’s Wage Protection System, as outlined in the Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026. The new resolution also eliminates the grace period – employers are issued warnings right from the day after the salary is due, with penalties escalating if delays continue. So, if you are not being paid your dues on time, you are well within your rights to report the matter to MOHRE. The Ministry’s website outlines four types of salary violations that can be reported: Delayed or unpaid salaries Partial payment or underpayment Unfair or unlawful deductions Unpaid overtime dues 6. The establishment is not providing the specified job opportunity Once your job offer has been signed and you are on the payroll, the company must assign you work as per the responsibilities outlined in your offer letter. According to Article 12 of the UAE Labour Law, employers cannot assign employees work that is completely different to the one they were offered and expecting. Article 12 states only two excepti