‘My employer terminated my contract during my maternity leave. Is that legal?’ – The National

‘My employer terminated my contract during my maternity leave. Is that legal?’ – The National

The Abu Dhabi resident says the dismissal is not based on her performance or the pandemic

















According to the UAE Labour Law, an employer is not permitted to make an employee redundant for being pregnant or while on maternity leave. Getty Images







I have an issue with my employer as I have been laid off during my maternity leave. This has nothing to do with the coronavirus situation. I work in an office and my role is still required. The termination is not related to my performance either. What are my rights and what can I do? EC, Abu Dhabi





The UAE Labour Law makes no specific reference to termination during pregnancy or maternity leave but an employer is not permitted to make an employee redundant for being pregnant or when on maternity leave.



Even if someone is on an unlimited contract of employment, which means they can generally be terminated at any time, there still has to be a valid reason. In many cases, this will be for financial reasons or performance issues.



As this is not the case, EC has grounds to register a complaint for arbitrary dismissal