Can I be terminated while on sick leave in the UAE?

Under the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021), an employer generally cannot terminate an employee during a period of validly documented sick leave that falls within the statutory entitlement. The law protects properly evidenced sick leave so that illness alone is not used as grounds for dismissal. However, if an employee exhausts the full sick-leave entitlement and is still unable to return to work, the law does allow the employer to end the contract in defined circumstances once that limit is reached — and where this happens after the entitlement is used, end-of-service rights are still preserved. An employee who resigns during sick leave before exhausting the entitlement may affect certain pay rights, so timing matters. If you are dismissed while on legitimate, documented sick leave within your entitlement, that may be an unlawful termination you can challenge. Raise it first with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). Because the facts are decisive here, you can also consult verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI before acting.