An Abu Dhabi Labour Court has ruled in favor of a worker who never got the chance to begin his job, ordering the employer to pay him Dh110,400 in unpaid wages for four months and 18 days.
According to a report by Emarat Al Youm, the employee had signed a fixed-term employment contract that offered a basic monthly salary of Dh7,200 and a total compensation package worth Dh24,000. However, despite being hired, he claimed he was repeatedly told to wait and was never officially onboarded by the company.
The employee filed a legal complaint covering unpaid wages from November 11, 2024, to April 7, 2025. In response, the company’s representative appeared in court, submitted documents, and sought to have the matter transferred to the relevant division.
The court rejected the employer’s claim that the employee failed to report for duty and instead confirmed—based on the wage report and submitted contract—that it was the company’s delay that caused the issue. It also pointed out that there was no formal investigation into the alleged absence.
As cited by Emarat Al Youm, the court emphasized that “it was clear from the wage report, the employment contract, and the supporting documents… that the delay in starting work was due to the employer.”
The judgment was grounded in Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, which mandates timely wage payments as per Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation guidelines. The court also cited Article 912 of the Civil Transactions Law, underscoring that workers’ wages cannot be withheld without a legal waiver or valid reason.
Though the employee admitted to taking eight days of leave, which were deducted, the court ultimately granted compensation equivalent to four months and 18 days of salary.