Dubai International Financial Centre Issues Amendments To The Employment Law And Regulation

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading international financial hub in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, announced today that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in his capacity as the Ruler of Dubai, has enacted the Employment Law Amendment Law No. 4 of 2021, which makes amendments to the Employment Law. The Board of Directors of the DIFC Authority also issued new Employment Regulations, which brings the Qualifying Scheme regime under the Employment law in line with DFSA’s Employee Money Purchase Scheme, so that only a single layer of regulation is applied to these schemes.

The amendments to the Employment Law clarify the application of limitation periods to claims made under the Employment Law, the accrual of vacation leave, the duration of the probationary period for short term fixed-term contracts, and certain defined terms used in the law. The Amendment Law also modifies the basic workplace health and safety requirements under the Employment Law, to account for working from home arrangements.

The amendments to the Employment Law and Regulations reflect the Centre’s continuing commitment to maintaining a transparent and robust legal and regulatory framework aligned with global best practice.