One of the most common mistakes UAE employees make when leaving a job is overlooking the legal notice period. Under UAE labour law, this period must be between 30 and 90 days unless the contract states otherwise. Whichever party fails to honour the notice period must compensate the other with wages equivalent to the unserved portion.

For end-of-service gratuity, foreign workers must have completed at least one year of continuous full-time service to qualify. The calculation works as follows: 21 days' wages per year of service for the first five years, rising to 30 days' wages per year for every year after that, with gratuity capped at a maximum of two years' total wages regardless of tenure.

Employers are legally required to settle all outstanding wages and entitlements within 14 days of the end of employment. Workers with salary disputes should first approach the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), which can rule on claims of up to Dh50,000. If an employee disagrees with MoHRE's decision, they have 15 working days to appeal to the courts, and the overall statute of limitations for wage claims is two years from the date employment ended.

Legal experts advise employees to always submit resignations in writing and keep documented proof of submission and acceptance, to hand over company property against a formal receipt, and to avoid deleting or destroying any company data or files before departure — steps that can prove decisive if a dispute later arises.