Your last working day has passed, two weeks have gone by, and the settlement hasn’t landed. Under Article 53 of the UAE labour law, all end of service entitlements are due within 14 days of the contract end date – so from day 15, your employer is in breach. Here is exactly what to do, in order.
Step 1: Know your number before you argue
Disputes go better with arithmetic. Work out your exact entitlement – gratuity via the gratuity calculator, then the full picture including leave encashment and pending salary via the final settlement calculator. Gather your contract, final salary certificate or payslips, cancellation paper and any settlement offer in writing.
Step 2: One formal chase, in writing
Email HR with your calculation, cite Article 53’s 14-day deadline, and give a short deadline (3-5 working days). Many delays end here – the email also becomes evidence that you demanded payment and were refused or ignored.
Step 3: File the MOHRE complaint
Call 80060, use the MOHRE app, or file at a Tawseel/service centre. It is free. MOHRE opens a mediation case and summons the employer; most cases settle at this stage because employers face fines and work permit blocks for non-compliance. Free zone employees follow their zone’s process first (DIFC and ADGM have their own courts entirely – see the DEWS and ADGM pages), while most other free zones route employment disputes through MOHRE.
Step 4: Labour court, if mediation fails
Unresolved cases get referred to the labour court within 14 days of the mediation deadline. Claims under AED 100,000 are exempt from court fees, and straightforward gratuity cases rarely need a lawyer – the calculation is formulaic and the law is on the side of documented service. Interest and compensation for delayed payment can be awarded on top.
Three mistakes that weaken your case
Signing a full and final settlement receipt for a lower amount (it is hard to reopen), leaving the UAE before filing (you can file from abroad through a representative, but it is slower), and waiting too long – labour claims face a one-year limitation from the due date. If the amount is meaningful, act inside the first month.
Information only, not legal advice. Process details verified 6 July 2026.