July 30, 2026
UAE Labour Law Protects Employees Who Quit Without Notice After Workplace Harassment
Workers subjected to harassment may resign immediately without losing benefits, but timely reporting and evidence remain crucial.
Employees in the UAE who experience workplace harassment are protected under the country's Labour Law and, in certain situations, may resign immediately without serving the contractual notice period while retaining their statutory end-of-service benefits. The law, however, lays down clear conditions that must be satisfied before these protections apply.
Article 45 of the Federal Decree-Law governing labour relations permits an employee to terminate employment without notice if it is established that the employer or the employer's legal representative assaulted the employee or committed violence or harassment at the workplace. This provision is designed to protect workers from remaining in an unsafe or abusive working environment simply to preserve their employment rights.
To benefit from this protection, the employee must notify both the competent authorities and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation within five working days from the date on which reporting the incident became possible. Meeting this reporting requirement is an essential condition for preserving the legal entitlement to end-of-service benefits after an immediate resignation.
Although the law allows employees to leave without notice in such circumstances, workplace harassment alone does not constitute arbitrary dismissal under the UAE Labour Law. Article 47 confines arbitrary dismissal claims to cases where an employer terminates an employee because the employee filed a serious complaint with the Ministry or initiated legal proceedings against the employer, provided the complaint or legal action is ultimately found to be valid.
Employees who have suffered harassment may nevertheless seek compensation through the courts. They must prove that the alleged harassment occurred and that it was committed by the employer or the employer's authorised representative during the course of employment. The court will examine the evidence and determine, based on the facts of the case, whether compensation should be awarded.