Dubai Chamber Workshop Examines Practical Aspects Of Employment Relationships

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently hosted a workshop which highlighted practical aspects and considerations related to recruiting and employing staff, in addition to key issues which often arise during a typical employment cycle.

The workshop, led by UAE-based law firm Afridi & Angell, was held at Dubai Chamber’s premises and attended by Dubai Chamber members, lawyers and legal professionals, general managers, business owners, corporate counsel, human resources managers and contract administrators.

Afridi & Angell Partners Charles S. Laubach and Stuart J. Walker provided participations with a general overview of UAE Labour Law and discussed practical applications and implications of the law, in addition to common areas of ambiguity and challenges faced by professionals and companies.

The speakers covered a wide range of topics and issues related to recruitment and employment relationships, including probationary periods, key differences between full-time and contract employees, termination circumstances and procedures, end-of-service gratuity, voluntary resignation, redundancies, visas extensions and notice periods.

During the workshop, Charles Laubach elaborated on the unique nature of the UAE labour market which is largely represented by expatriates. He pointed out that employers assume several obligations under both the UAE Labour Law and the Immigration Law, including the sponsorship of employees and applying for residency visas.

“It is imperative to understand in detail what is permissible, what is not, what falls into the grey areas, and what the differences are in the many free zones of the UAE. A well-managed workforce can help a company succeed, while a poorly managed workforce can impose numerous undesirable costs and inefficiencies,” said Laubach.