Two people can work in the same Dubai neighbourhood for the same number of years and leave with very different end-of-service entitlements β because domestic workers and office staff are covered by different UAE laws. That distinction surprises many families and employers. Office staff in the private sector generally fall under the UAE Labour Law overseen by MOHRE, while domestic workers are covered by a separate domestic workers law with its own contracts, leave and settlement rules. Here is how to keep the two systems straight.
Who falls under which law
Office staff means most private-sector employees: administrators, drivers employed by a company, retail and hospitality staff, professionals and others on a company contract and work permit. Domestic workers are people employed in a household in roles typically listed in the domestic workers law, such as housemaids, nannies, household drivers, cooks, gardeners and similar home-based roles, usually sponsored through official channels including Tadbeer centres.
Why it matters is simple: the formula, notice rules and dispute route are not interchangeable. Do not copy a gratuity calculation from an office colleague and apply it to a household employee, or vice versa. If unsure which category a role falls into, check the contract and permit, and confirm on u.ae or mohre.gov.ae. Government, DIFC and ADGM staff can be under different frameworks again.
End-of-service for office staff
For eligible private-sector office staff, end-of-service gratuity is typically based on basic salary and length of service, with different accrual for the first five years and thereafter, and with the outcome affected by whether the contract simply ended, the employee resigned, or the employer terminated the contract. The details changed under the newer Labour Law, and an optional savings or investment scheme may apply for some employers in place of the traditional lump sum.
- Service length, final basic salary and reason for leaving drive the calculation.
- Unpaid absences and certain dismissal cases can affect entitlement.
- Unused annual leave and other dues are usually settled separately from gratuity itself.
- Settlement is typically expected promptly after the contract ends; keep the final payslip.
Use the official calculators and guidance on mohre.gov.ae as a cross-check, and remember that allowances usually do not count unless your contract or the applicable rule says they do β basic salary is the key figure for most estimates.
End-of-service for domestic workers
Domestic workers have their own entitlement structure, typically linked to completing a year or more of service and calculated by reference to basic salary under the domestic workers framework, often described as around a month’s basic pay for each year in broad terms, but the exact basis and conditions differ from the office formula. Treat any single figure you see shared online as approximate. The contract registered through official channels, actual service completed and the reason the contract ended all matter.
Domestic workers also have specific protections around weekly rest, annual leave, medical care and a return ticket in defined circumstances, which sit alongside β not inside β the end-of-service payment. When a household contract ends, families should settle wages, any leave balance, the end-of-service amount and ticket obligations as separate lines, in writing, so nothing is double-counted or missed. Tadbeer centres and MOHRE channels can help explain the correct process for household employment.
Notice, tickets and settling up fairly
Notice periods differ between the two systems and can also vary by contract. Office contracts commonly include a notice period of around 30 days or more within legal limits, while domestic worker arrangements follow the notice and early-termination rules in their own law and standard contract. Breaking a contract early without following the process can create compensation or affect entitlements in either system, so do not rely on habit or verbal agreement.
Repatriation is another area of confusion. An office worker’s final ticket depends on contract terms and the circumstances of leaving, while a domestic worker’s return ticket is addressed more specifically in their framework. Agree who is booking, to which destination, and by when, and record it.
Whatever the role, finish with a signed settlement statement listing service dates, final basic salary, leave, gratuity or end-of-service amount, deductions and ticket arrangements. Clear, separate maths under the correct law protects the worker, the family and the company alike β and it is the kindest way to end a working relationship well.