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What gratuity am I owed after 6 years on a limited contract in Dubai?

Asked by Anonymous·Apr 11, 2026·2 answers
I worked 6 years and 4 months on a limited (fixed-term) contract that just ended at expiry. HR is paying 21 days for years 1-5 plus 30 days from year 6. My basic was AED 11,500. Are they calculating correctly under the post-2022 Labour Law and is anything missing because the contract ended at expiry rather than early?

2 answers

Best answer
Priya IyerVerified Lawyer

corporate-commercial, labour-employment

0.0 · Apr 18, 2026
Two quick checks: (1) was your basic actually AED 11,500 on the latest contract amendment or is HR back-calculating from an older split? Many employers retain an inflated allowance to suppress gratuity. (2) Any accrued leave balance must be paid at gratuity-pay rate. If HR delays beyond 14 calendar days from last working day, you have a clean MOHRE labour-complaint case and a small-claims path through the labour court.
Helpful (17)
Sara El-SayedVerified Lawyer

labour-employment, family-law

4.5 · May 16, 2026
On the new Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law 33 of 2021 + Cabinet Resolution 1 of 2022), all unlimited contracts converted to fixed-term and gratuity rules became uniform: 21 days basic for years 1-5, 30 days basic for each year after, capped at 2 years of total wages. Your figures look right in principle — verify HR is using BASIC (not total) and that they have included partial years (4 months ÷ 12 × 30 days). Push for end-of-service settlement within 14 days of last working day; otherwise an MOHRE complaint accelerates it.
Helpful (2)

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