Statutory Floor
Documentation that never falls below statutory entitlements, since terms that do are unenforceable anyway.
Onshore employment in the UAE runs on a standard contract registered with the labour authority. Anything the employer and employee agree beyond that sits in a supplementary agreement, and it cannot reduce the statutory entitlements the law provides.
Dubai Legal Expert prepares employment documentation for employers and senior employees across the UAE, covering registered contracts, supplementary agreements, probation, notice and post termination restrictions.
The registered contract establishes the core relationship. Supplementary agreements are then used for confidentiality, intellectual property, restrictive covenants, bonus and incentive terms and any additional benefits, provided they do not reduce statutory minimums.
UAE labour law sets specific parameters that documentation must respect, including limits on probation length and the notice applicable during it, rules on fixed term contracts and renewal, and requirements around end of service entitlements.
Contact UsRegistered contracts and the supplementary agreements that sit alongside them.
Probation periods and notice provisions drafted within the parameters the law allows.
Non compete and non solicitation terms drafted to be reasonable in scope, duration and geography.
Confidentiality obligations and assignment of intellectual property created during employment.
Termination letters, settlement and release agreements and end of service calculations.
Documentation that never falls below statutory entitlements, since terms that do are unenforceable anyway.
Probation length and the notice applicable during it drafted within the parameters the law sets.
Restrictive covenants drafted with reasonable scope, duration and geography rather than as broad as possible.
Clear assignment of work created during employment, which many contracts omit entirely.
Attention to DIFC, ADGM and other free zone employment frameworks, which differ from the onshore position.
Termination, settlement and release documentation prepared so the departure closes properly.
A non compete preventing an employee from working anywhere in any capacity for several years is not a strong clause. It is an unenforceable one, and the employer discovers that at the moment it is needed.
Restrictions are enforced where they protect a legitimate interest and are reasonable in scope, duration and geography. A narrow, well defined covenant that will actually be applied is worth considerably more than a broad one that will not.
Establish the framework, document within it, then close exits cleanly.
We confirm whether the onshore regime or a free zone framework applies to the role and entity.
The seniority, access to information and client relationships are assessed to scope the protections needed.
The registered contract and supplementary agreements are prepared and aligned with each other.
Restrictive covenants and confidentiality terms are drafted to be reasonable and enforceable.
Documentation is issued and executed with the registration requirements satisfied.
Termination, settlement and release documentation is prepared when the relationship ends.
Our non compete covered every country and every activity. It would never have been enforced. The revised version actually holds.
The IP assignment was missing entirely from our contracts. Fixing it took one clause.
Supplementary agreements can add terms, but they cannot reduce the statutory entitlements provided under UAE labour law.
UAE labour law sets a maximum probation period and specific notice requirements during probation, which the documentation must respect.
They can be, where they protect a legitimate interest and are reasonable in scope, duration and geography. Over broad restrictions are unlikely to be applied.
This should be addressed expressly through an assignment of intellectual property, as many contracts omit it entirely.
DIFC, ADGM and other free zones operate their own employment frameworks which differ from the onshore position.
A termination letter, end of service calculation and, where appropriate, a settlement and release agreement to close the relationship cleanly.
Contracts, covenants and exit documents that hold up. The first consultation is free.
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