Leaving your UAE job? 5 documents and records you should keep

Dubai: Planning to leave your job in the UAE? Before you move on to your next work assignment, it is important to maintain a record of all the contractual rights you have as a worker, which can include your notice period duration as well as your final end-of-service dues.

Here are five documents that you should keep safely as you end your job in the UAE’s private sector.

When you started your job, you may have received a more detailed contract from your company, which provides details of company policy and additional benefits you may enjoy. However, the main contract that governs your work relationship with your employer is the work contract issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).

In its workers’ advisory, MOHRE specifically advises employees to keep a copy of their employment contract in a safe place.

If you do not have a copy of your work contract, you can still get a copy through the Ministry’s online portal, by following these steps:

Why your job contract matters

The MOHRE job contract lists out details of your employment relationship, including your basic salary, agreed notice period and contract duration.

This is particularly important as your end-of-service dues will be calculated based on your last basic salary and your notice period will have to be served as per the agreed upon terms.

The official MOHRE job offer is also a helpful document to keep in your records, as it highlights the terms you accepted at the time of recruitment. This is especially useful if you ever need to establish what was offered to you when you were recruited.

When your end of service request is being processed, your employer will give you a final end-of-service settlement, which includes your gratuity as well as any unpaid dues.

As per Article 53 of the UAE Labour Law – Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 – you must receive these dues within 14 days from the date the contract ends. According to MOHRE’s advisory to workers, in case they are not paid these dues within the stipulated time, they can file an official complaint with the Ministry to claim the amount.

When you do receive your dues, it is important to keep a record of the payment, to document the amount you have been paid.

Once you put in your notice at work, your company will then proceed with cancelling your work permit and your work visa, if you were on an employment visa.

As per Article 7 (3) of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 Concerning the Executive Regulations of the Labour Law, the employer has to apply to MOHRE to cancel the work permit.

But before you sign the cancellation document, you must ensure that your employer has paid your end-of-service dues.

A careful read of the cancellation document will show that you as an employee acknowledge that you have received all your dues. Only once the dues are paid to the worker can an employer apply for the cancellation of the work permit with MOHRE.

This is also a document you are legally entitled to request from your employer.

Under Article 13 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, an employer must, at the worker's request and when the employment contract ends, provide an experience certificate free of charge.

According to MOHRE, the certificate should include:

The certificate must not contain anything that could harm the worker's reputation or reduce their employment opportunities, according to the Article.

There is also no minimum service period before you can request the certificate, according to MOHRE. If an employer refuses to issue it, MOHRE says the employee can file a labour complaint.

The document can help provide proof of employment and the work you did for any future job applications.