Legally Speaking: Assigned tasks during notice period

Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar answers the most common questions regarding your legal options in various cases related to living and working in the UAE.

A reader asks: I’m a Filipino worker in Dubai who resigned and submitted my 30-day notice. Three days later, my company issued a warning claiming I wasn’t performing my duties. I thought I only needed to attend work and complete handover. Can my employer still require me to do regular tasks during the notice period?

Atty. Barney says: Under the UAE Labour Law, when you submit your resignation, you remain an active employee during the notice period and are required to perform assigned work duties unless your employer explicitly agrees to waive or shorten the period. The notice period must be at least 30 days (or as specified in your contract), and the terms and conditions of your employment contract remain in full effect throughout the notice period.

You are entitled to full pay during the notice period, calculated based on your last wage. The employer may issue warnings or take disciplinary action if you fail to perform your duties during this period.

Therefore, submitting a resignation does not immediately release you from your work obligations, and you must continue performing the assigned tasks to you (not just completing the handover) until the end of your notice period.

Key notice periods
– Standard notice period: 30 days
– Extended notice period: Up to 90 days (as per employment contract)
– Maximum enforceable notice: 90 days

Any clause requiring more than 90 days as notice period cannot be legally enforced under the UAE labour law.

This column also appears in the Expat Media Special Edition magazine. Do you have a question for Attorney Barney? Contact him at barney@gulflaw.info or know more about him here. Barney Almazar is a director at Gulf Law in the UAE, Philippines, UK and Portugal. He is a member of the Philippine Bar and holds a UAE legal consultancy license. He is listed by Thomsom Reuters as one of the Super 50 lawyers in the Middle East and North Africa. Asian Legal Business has ranked him as top lawyer in the Philippines, Southeast Asia and Middle East.