Home / Notice Period Pay
The 30-90 day rule, and what you're owed if your employer skips it.
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, both you and your employer must give notice before ending an employment contract. The notice period is between 30 and 90 days, and the exact number should be written into your employment contract. If your contract is silent on the point, the statutory default is 30 days.
If your employer terminates you and does not give you the full notice period stated in your contract, they must instead pay you compensation equal to your gross salary for the unworked portion of that notice period. This is separate from — and in addition to — your gratuity, leave encashment and any pending salary.
For example, if your contract requires 60 days' notice and your employer ends your contract with immediate effect, you are owed 60 days of gross salary as notice-period pay, on top of everything else in your final settlement.
Add my notice pay to my settlement →This is one of the most commonly confused points in a UAE settlement. Gratuity is calculated on your basic salary only. Notice-period pay, along with pending/unpaid salary, is calculated on your gross salary — your basic pay plus allowances such as housing and transport. If your contract clearly separates basic from gross salary, always use gross for the notice-pay figure; using basic salary by mistake will understate what you're owed.
Generally, yes — unless your employer agrees in writing to release you earlier, or agrees to accept payment in lieu of notice instead of you working it. If you simply stop showing up before your notice period ends without your employer's agreement, they may be entitled to deduct a compensation amount from your final settlement, so it's always worth getting any early-release agreement in writing.
UAE law requires a notice period of between 30 and 90 days, with the exact number set out in your employment contract. If your contract doesn't specify a period, the default under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 is 30 days.
Your employer owes you compensation equal to your gross salary (basic plus allowances) for the notice period you should have received, even though you are not required to keep working it.
Gross salary — unlike gratuity, which uses basic salary only, notice-period pay is based on your full gross monthly salary including allowances.
Generally yes, unless your employer agrees to release you early or pay you in lieu of notice. If you leave before completing your notice period without your employer's agreement, they may be entitled to deduct compensation from your final settlement.