An employee who worked at a company in Abu Dhabi for over a decade without taking his annual leave has won a legal battle for full compensation, after the Court of Cassation ruled in his favor.
According to a Khaleej Times report, the court ordered the employer to pay Dh59,290 to the former staff member, covering 13 years’ worth of unused leave—from 2009 until his termination in June 2022. The ruling, made in December 2024, came after the employer failed to submit any evidence showing the employee had availed his annual leave.
Initially, a lower court had capped the compensation at two years, citing limitations under case number 2024/73. But the Court of Cassation reversed the decision, granting full reimbursement for the entire period the employee claimed he had not taken leave.
“This ruling sets a significant precedent in labour disputes related to unused leave in the UAE,” said Dr. Habib Al Mulla, founder of Habib Al Mulla and Partners, in a statement posted on X. He added that the verdict reinforces the importance of keeping accurate leave records and may prompt employers to revisit their internal policies.