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The legal guidance published by Khaleej Times on October 18, 2026, explains that documented positive performance appraisals from an employer can prove relevant when an employee seeks to contest a termination claimed to stem from poor performance. Such records gain evidential weight based on their specific content and how consistently they match the broader set of employment documents. They must be weighed together with the official termination letter, internal correspondence and any complaints or court filings related to the case. The advice applies to workers employed by companies based in mainland Dubai.
Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 stipulates that a dismissal counts as arbitrary if it occurs because an employee submitted a serious complaint to the ministry or pursued a court action later proven valid. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, commonly known as MOHRE, serves as the mandatory first step for any claim of arbitrary termination and associated end-of-service payments. Ministry officials work to broker an amicable settlement between the terminated employee and the former employer.
Failure to reach agreement at the ministry level leads to referral of the dispute to the competent labour court in Dubai, usually within 14 days. Courts that rule the termination arbitrary can order the employer to pay compensation capped at three months of the worker’s final salary. Judges determine the precise sum after considering the employee’s job type, the harm caused by the dismissal and the overall length of service.
Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation figures show that workers filed more than 17,000 confidential complaints in 2025 to safeguard their rights.[[1]](https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/01/24/workers-in-uae-filed-17000-confidential-complaints-in-2025-to-safeguard-their-rights-ministry) In the first nine months of that year authorities handled over 12,000 worker complaints while resolving 98 percent of labour disputes amicably.[[2]](https://gulfnews.com/uae/uae-handles-12000-worker-complaints-resolves-98-of-disputes-1.500369841) The high settlement rate follows from regulations that empower MOHRE to issue binding decisions on claims valued below Dh50,000.
The official UAE government platform confirms that MOHRE must investigate claims of arbitrary dismissal and pursue friendly resolution before any court referral. Performance records increasingly form part of the evidence bundle that adjudicators review to decide whether the employer presented a work-related justification for ending the contract. Legal columns have repeatedly stressed the importance of retaining complete files of appraisals, recognitions and all written exchanges with management.
Employees initiate the process by contacting MOHRE via its toll-free helpline at 800 84, mobile application or designated online portal. The ministry logged millions of interactions for consultations and complaints throughout 2025, signalling wider awareness of statutory protections among the private-sector workforce. This pathway ensures that any contested termination receives structured scrutiny under the provisions of UAE labour law.
