How to file a labour complaint in the UAE, step by step

Any dispute with your employer — unpaid salary, dues at the end of a contract, a dismissal — starts with a complaint to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The Ministry tries to settle it; if it cannot within 14 days, it refers the case to court.

The steps

1. Complain to the Ministry. Either side, worker or employer, can file. The Ministry examines the request and tries to settle it amicably (Article 54 of the Labour Law).
2. If there is no settlement within 14 days, the Ministry refers the dispute to the competent court with a memorandum summarising the dispute, both sides’ arguments and its own recommendation.
3. Register the case in court within 14 days of the referral being approved (Ministerial Resolution No. 47 of 2022).

While the case is in court

A worker who keeps working for the employer while the referred dispute is before the court has the right to claim two months’ wages (Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 31).

Unpaid salary

For late salaries the Ministry acts on a set timetable, and from the 16th day it registers a dispute automatically in larger establishments: see salary not paid on time.

Before you complain, work out what you are owed with the final settlement calculator.

Checked against the UAE government portal (u.ae), content sourced to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, on 25 September 2026. General information, not legal advice. See our editorial policy.