ع
Ashish Mehta explained in Khaleej Times on Sunday that employers hold an obligation to provide a safe and appropriate working environment, as required under Article 13(13) of Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relations. Article 14(2) of the law prohibits sexual harassment, bullying or any verbal, physical or mental violence against an employee by the employer, manager or colleagues, Mehta noted in the column that addressed a reader’s experience with a superior who used phrases such as ‘I don’t trust you’ despite strong performance appraisals. Workers should first submit a formal complaint to the company’s human resources department in line with any internal handbook or policies. Evidence including emails, performance records and messages can support the case if the matter proceeds further.
Companies with more than 50 employees must maintain internal work regulations covering rules, sanctions and benefits under Article 13(3) of the Employment Law, according to Mehta, the managing partner of Ashish Mehta and Associates. If an internal review fails to halt the conduct or leaves the employee unsatisfied, the issue can be escalated to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation following established procedures. The framework applies to mainland firms where federal law governs employment relations. Mehta stressed that the guidance remains general and urged those affected to obtain tailored legal advice.
Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation figures show more than 17,000 confidential complaints were lodged by workers in 2025 while community members submitted over 4,000 reports of labour violations. The ministry settled 98.6 per cent of labour disputes amicably that year, referring just 1.4 per cent to the judiciary, according to official announcements. These outcomes reflect the system’s capacity to address complaints involving workplace bullying and harassment while minimising court involvement. Gulf News reported the statistics as evidence of rising worker trust in official channels that limit exposure to retaliation.
Related Khaleej Times columns have referenced Article 45(2) of the Employment Law, which permits an employee to resign without notice and retain end-of-service entitlements after reporting harassment to authorities and the ministry within five working days. The provision covers situations where verbal or mental abuse creates an unsafe environment. Protections also exist against arbitrary termination when a complaint filed with competent bodies proves valid. Such measures reinforce the legal pathway for addressing toxic managerial behaviour across private sector workplaces.
MoHRE processed approximately 9.43 million communication engagements tied to labour consultations and complaints throughout 2025, the ministry reported. Awareness initiatives reached workers through multilingual call centres, mobile applications and websites that streamline the submission process. In the first half of 2026 the ministry maintained a comparable dispute resolution rate above 98 per cent, according to subsequent MoHRE updates. These operational statistics illustrate the scale of support available to employees who choose to challenge inappropriate conduct from superiors.
Mehta, who is qualified to practise in Dubai, the United Kingdom and India, framed the response as non-binding general information rather than formal counsel for any specific situation. Readers with similar concerns can submit questions to the newspaper for consideration in future legal columns, the article indicated. The law firm he leads continues to highlight UAE employment regulations that balance employer responsibilities with worker safeguards in an expatriate-dominated labour market.
