Federal Decree by Law No. (47) of 2021 Concerning the Unified General Rules of Employment in the United Arab Emirates (labour, residency and leberal professions law)

Article (1) 
Definitions  
In application of the provisions of this Law by Decree, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings assigned to each of them, unless the context otherwise requires:  
 State  : United Arab Emirates.  
 Law  : The Law regulating human resources in the Federal 
Government Sector or labour relations in the private sector in 
the States, and their executive regulations and resolutions 
issued in implementation thereof.  
Establishment(s)  : 
 Every economic, technical, i ndustrial or commercial unit, or any 
other unit approved in the State, which aims to produce or  
Federal Law by Decree No. (47) of 2021  Concerning the Unified General Rules of Employment in the United Arab 
Emirates  2 
 market commodities or to provide services, and which is 
subject to the provisions of this Law by Decree and licensed by 
the Competent Authorities.  
 
 Employer  : The federal government entity, or any of the private sector 
establishments in the State, as the case may be.  
Employee/ 
Worker  : Every natural person who is an employee working for Federal 
Governmental Authorities or a worker working in one of the 
licen sed Establishments in the Private Sector in the State.  
Employment 
Contract  : Every agreement concluded between the Employer and the 
Employee or Worker, in which the latter commits to work for 
the Employer and under its supervision and di rection, in return 
for a wage that the Employer is obligated to pay, according to 
the contract forms specified by the Law.  
 Basic Wage  : The wage specified in the employment contract, which is 
received by the Employer or Worker in return for his work 
und er the employment contract, on a monthly, weekly, daily, 
hourly or piece -meal basis, and does not include any other 
allowances, bonuses or benefits in kind.  
 Wage  : The basic wage, plus the cash allowances and bonuses and 
benefits in kind that are decide d for the Employer or Worker.

Article (2) 
Objectives of the Law by Decree  
This Law by Decree aims to achieve the following:  
1. Setting and unifying the general rules of labour for all job occupants and workers in the 
state.  
2. Enhancing the efficiency, attractiveness and sustainability of the labour market by 
ensuring the protection of the parties to the relationship and its developments.  
3. Determining the rights of all employees and workers in the State in a balanced manner.   
Federal Law by Decree No. (47) of 2021  Concerning the Unified General Rules of Employment in the United Arab 
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 4. Creating balance and integration with regard to the attractiveness and efficiency of the 
work environment between the public and private sectors.

Article (3) 
Scope of Application  
1. This Law by Decree shall apply to job occupants subject to the provisions of the Human Resources Law in the Federal Government and its Executive Regulation, as well as to 
workers in the private sector in the State whose provisions are regulated by the Law 
Regulating Labour Relations.  
2. The Cabinet may, upon the proposal of the Minister of Human Resources and 
Emiratisation, exclude any category from being subject to the provisions of this Law by Decree.

Article (4) 
Equality and Non -Discrimination  
Discrimination between persons, on the grounds of race, colour, sex, religion,  nationality, 
social origin, or disability is prohibited, which would weaken equal opportunities or would 
prejudice equality in obtaining or continuing a job or work and enjoying its rights. 
Discrimination is prohibited in jobs with the same job functions.  
Rules and procedures that enhance the participation of the State's citizens in the labour 
market are not deemed as discriminatory as stipulated in this Article.

Article (5) 
General Controls for Work  
1. The relationship between the Employer and the Employee or Worker shall be regulated 
under a fixed -term employment contract. The Law shall define the conditions, controls 
and procedures for contracting, and the obligations of both parties to the relationship.  
2. It is prohibited to hire or employ persons under the age of eighteen (18) years. The Employer may hire or employ a person who has completed fifteen (15) years of age in  
Federal Law by Decree No. (47) of 2021  Concerning the Unified General Rules of Employment in the United Arab 
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 accordance with the rules and cases determined by the regulating legislation in t his 
regard.  
3. The Employer may appoint the Employee or Worker under the Probation Period for a 
period not exceeding six (6) months as of the date of commencing work; and the Law shall determine the provisions in this regard.

Article (6) 
Types of Work  
1. The work types that be contracted shall be according to the following:  
a. Full- time:  Working for one Employer for the full daily working hours throughout 
business days, whether from the workplace, remotely, or a hybrid work type, based on the employment c ontract, or what is agreed upon between the Employer and the 
Employee or Worker.  
b. Part -time:  Working for one or multiple Employers for a specified number of working 
hours or days, whether from the workplace, re motely, or a hybrid work type, based on 
the employment contract, or what is agreed upon between the Employer(s) and the Employee or Worker.  
c. Temporary work : Work of which nature requires a specific period of time, or which 
focuses on a specific job and e nds by the completion thereof.  
d. Flexible work:  Work of which hours or working days change according to the volume 
of work and the economic and operational variables of the Employer. The Employee or Worker may work for the Employer for times that change according to work 
conditions and requirements.  
e. Any other types specified by the Law.  
2. The Law shall regulate the cases in which it is permissible to combine more than one type of work with more than one Employer.  
  
  
  
Federal Law by Decree No. (47) of 2021  Concerning the Unified General Rules of Employment in the United Arab 
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Article (7) 
Working Hours  
1. The maximum normal working hours shall be (8) hours per day or (48) hours per week. 
The Law shall determine the controls for working and rest times, the hours in which work 
is prohibited, the overtime that may be worked and their controls, and the payment that 
the Employee or Worker shall receive for working overtime.  
2. The Employee shall be granted a paid weekly rest not less than one day, which may be 
increased in accordance with the Law.

Article (8) 
Wage  
1. The Employee and Worker have the right to receive the wage agreed upon in the 
employment contract in accordance with the controls and standards specified by the 
Law.  
2. The wage shall be paid in AED, and it can be paid in another currency if it is agreed upon 
in the employment contract.

Article (9) 
Leaves  
1. Leaves in the public and private sectors for those who work full- time shall be according 
to the following:  
a. Annual leave:  A period not less than thirty (30) days per year, and two (2) days per 
month  if the service period is more than six months and less than a year. Such leave 
shall be with pay.  
b. Maternity leave:  A period not less than sixty (60) days, according to the following:  
1. The first forty -five (45) days with full pay.  
2. The following fif teen (15) days with half pay.  
The female employee or worker may combine maternity leave with any other approved 
leave.   
Federal Law by Decree No. (47) of 2021  Concerning the Unified General Rules of Employment in the United Arab 
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 The female employee or worker may not be dismissed or warned of dis missal for obtaining 
maternity leave or for being absent from work for the same reason, whenever the Employer 
has been notified thereof this in accordance with the Law.  
After returning from the maternity leave, the female employee or worker shall be entitled to 
an hour's rest to breastfeed the baby, for a period of no less than (6) six months as of the 
date of delivery. The female employee or worker may divide the hour's rest into two periods.  
c. Parental leave:  A period of (5) five working days, for the Em ployee or Worker (whether 
the father or the mother) who has a child, to care for his/her child, continuously or 
intermittently, within a period of six (6) months as of the date of the child's birth.  
d. Sick leave:  A period not less than ninety (90) days, as follows:  
1. The first fifteen (15) days with full pay.  
2. The following thirty (30) days with half pay.  
3. The following period shall be unpaid.  
e. Mourning leave : A period not less than five (5) days, in the event of the death of the 
spouse; and three ( 3) days in the event of the death of the mother, father, son, brother, 
sister, grandson, grandfather or grandmother, starting as of the date of death. Such leave 
shall be with pay.  
f. Study leave:  A period of ten (10) business days per year, continuously o r intermittently, 
for the Employee or Worker who is enrolled - by affiliation or regularly - in one of the 
educational institutions accredited by the Ministry of Education, whether the 
educational institution is in or outside the State, in order to perform  the tests. Such leave 
shall with pay.  
g. The national Employee or Worker is entitled to a full- time leave to perform the national 
and reserve service, in accordance with the legislation in force in the State.  
2. Official holidays:  Its period shall be the same as the official holidays determined by a 
Cabinet resolution.  
3. The Law shall determine the rules and procedures for granting the aforementioned 
leaves, the possibility of working during them, the cases and conditions for carr ying 
forward the annual leave, and obtaining compensation therefor, as well as the rules and 
procedures for granting any other leaves, whether with or without pay.   
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 4. The Employee or Worker with other types of work is entitled to an annual leave that is 
calculated on the basis of proportionality with the hours or days of work; and the 
conditions for its entitlement and duration shall be determined in the employment contract, and as determined by the Law.  
5. The Employee or Worker may be granted a leave with out pay as determined by the Law 
or the employment contract.

Article (10)  
End of Service  
The service of the Employee or Worker shall end upon the expiry of the employment contract, or according to the reasons specified by the Law.

Article (11)  
End -of-Service Gratuity  
1. The end- of-service gratuity for the national Employee or Worker shall be in accordance 
with the legislation regulating pensions and social security in force in the State.  
2. The foreign full- time Employee or Worker, who has completed one year of continuous 
service, is entitled to a gratuity upon the end of his service, calculated according to the 
basic wage, of which minimum shall be as follows:  
a. The wage of (21) days for each year of the first five years of service.  
b. The wage  of (30) days for each year in excess of that.  
3. The end- of-service gratuity shall be for those who have work types other than 
full- time, as determined by the Law.  
4. Other systems may be adopted as alternatives to the  end- of-service gratuity as 
specified by the Law.

Article (12)  
General Provisions  
1. Without prejudice to the provisions contained in this Law by Decree, the rules established  
Federal Law by Decree No. (47) of 2021  Concerning the Unified General Rules of Employment in the United Arab 
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 in this Law by Decree shall represent the minimum rights for workers in the pr ivate 
sector.  
2. The provisions of this Law by Decree shall not prejudice any of the rights determined for 
the Employee or Worker under any other legislation, agreement, acknowledgment, system, programme or employment contract that grants the Employee or W orker rights 
that are more beneficial than the rights established under the provisions of this Law by Decree.  
3. The periods and dates stipulated in this Law by Decree shall be calculated according to 
the Gregorian calendar. In application of the provisions of this Decree -Law, the Gregorian 
year is 365 days and the month 30 days.

Article (13)  
Publication & Enforcement of this Law by Decree  
This Law by Decree shall by published in the Official Gazette and shall enter into force as of 
02 February 2022.  
  
 Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan  
President of the United Arab Emirates  
 
 
Issued by us at the Palace of the Presidency in Abu Dhabi:  
On: 13/Safar/1443H  
Corresponding to: 20 September 2021 AD