UAE Labour Law: What to Do If Your Work Contract Differs from Offer Letter [2024 Guide]

Last Updated on July 9, 2024 by Vadim

Learn your rights and actions to take if your UAE employment contract doesn’t match your original job offer. Expert legal advice on navigating discrepancies.

Key Points:

Contracts must legally match offer letter terms
Employees can request amendments if discrepancies found
Starting work without a contract can complicate matters
Some legal changes to contracts are possible

Legal Basis

Ayesha Zia, Dr. Mahmood Hussain Advocates and Legal Consultancy LLC: “Ministerial Decree No. 46 of 2022 and Ministerial Decision No. 764 of 2015 require employment contracts to conform with job offers.”

What to Do If Contracts Differ

Raise the issue with your employer
Request amendments to match the offer letter
Keep records of all communications
Contact MOHRE if employer refuses to rectify

Working Without a Contract

Sunil Ambalavelil, Corporate Lawyer: “If you’ve started work based on an offer letter, this can be grounds to request contract amendments.”

Legal Contract Changes

Allowed changes:

Additional benefits for employees
Mutually agreed terms
Changes approved by MOHRE

Illegal changes:

Making employee pay for visa
Waiving end-of-service benefits
Removing statutory leave entitlements

Understanding these rights helps UAE employees ensure fair treatment and compliance with labour laws.

Further Reading:

In our latest blog article, we cover several key topics related to employment in the UAE. For those looking to stay updated on the latest employment trends and practices, here are some essential reads: