An Abu Dhabi labor court has ordered a company to pay Dh186,801 to a long-serving employee after finding that it failed to pay his salaries and end-of-service benefits, prompting him to stop working.
In its ruling, the Court of First Instance said the company did not pay the employee’s monthly wages for several consecutive months and later refused to release his remaining entitlements, including accrued leave and end-of-service gratuity.
Court records showed the employee filed the case after first bringing his complaint to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dispute resolution committee.
The employee sought payment of five months’ unpaid salaries, end-of-service gratuity, annual leave allowances for his final two years of service, and commissions covering two years, along with legal interest and court costs.
He told the court that he had worked for the company for nearly 18 years, earning a basic salary of Dh7,000 and a total monthly package of Dh12,000. He said he stopped reporting to work only after repeated salary delays and that his outstanding labor dues were never settled.
The court ruled that an employer remains obligated to pay wages unless there is written proof, an admission, or sworn testimony confirming payment. Finding no evidence that the company paid the disputed five months of salaries, the court awarded the employee Dh59,200 in unpaid wages.
On the issue of end-of-service benefits, the court said the company failed to prove that the employee had abandoned his job. It upheld his entitlement to gratuity and other benefits, bringing the total amount awarded to Dh186,801.
