The UAE is the region’s hub for international trade and commerce, attracting a range of multinational companies seeking to establish operations in the centre of this dynamic region.
One of the key challenges for any company seeking to operate in the UAE is complying with the UAE’s labour laws which are strictly applied.
Drafted with the goal of assembling a multinational workforce and building a sustainable work environment, the UAE labour laws are unique in their requirements and regulations and in order for one to effectively navigate through them, access to local knowledge and expertise is vital.
BSA LLP’s employment legal professionals have experience in all relevant areas, from compliance to litigation.
Guidance is provided to multinational, regional and local employers in both the UAE and the DIFC, helping organisations adapt their internal policies and procedures in accordance with the requirements of local regulations and applicable standards.
Some of BSA LLP’s recent UAE employment law related experience includes:
Devising employee saving schemes, tax deductions, and housing allowances for a multinational oil service provider to ensure compliance with UAE Labour Law and avoid repayment of consensual deductions and double dipping upon termination of employment.
Assisting the local subsidiary of a FTSE 500 company transfer over 250 of its employees to a new entity following the merger of the parent company in the UK while ensuring the continuity of their end of service entitlements.
Advising a US multinational insurance company adapt its rigid bonus arrangement scheme and its international benefit and remuneration policies to comply with UAE labour laws and regulations;
Advising various international corporations on the implications of ‘emiratisation’ in the UAE whereby employers of a specific size and in specific industries are obliged to employ UAE nationals according to UAE regulations;
Advising various international and local companies on a range of employment matters in the UAE and DIFC, including the drafting of employment offers and contracts; the UAE Wage Protection System; mandatory medical insurance and other specific employee rights that are protected by law such as sick pay and maternity leave, and on appraisal schemes and procedures for the termination of contracts of employment in order to limit employer liability;
Advising on the UAE Labour Law’s compulsory severance pay requirements and assisting employers with severance claims, especially in consideration of employer pension and retirements schemes; and
Advising on a full range of DIFC employment law matters and contributing to current efforts to reform the law.
BSA LLP clients benefit from specialised, responsive and cost-effective legal services. Whilst BSA LLP places a priority on mitigating the risk of costly employment disputes, it avails at the same time its clients of a team of employment lawyers highly experienced in proficiently conducting dispute resolution proceedings before all labour courts and government authorities in the UAE, including the DIFC Courts.
