UAE Notice Period Calculator
How much notice do you owe — or are owed — under Federal Decree-Law 33/2021? Covers probation and post-probation, plus the pay-in-lieu amount if the notice is not served.
Calculator
Must be between 30 and 90 days (Article 43). Default in most contracts: 30 days.
Use total contractual wage — pay-in-lieu is calculated on the full wage, not just basic.
Leave at 0 if nothing was served — pay-in-lieu covers the whole period.
Result
Required notice
30 days
Pay-in-lieu (if not served)
AED 10,000
(30 unserved days × AED 333 / day)
Legal basis
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021, Article 43 — notice must be between 30 and 90 days, either side.
How notice periods work under Article 43
The current UAE labor law removed the old "limited vs unlimited contract" split — all private-sector contracts are now fixed-term (up to 3 years, renewable). Notice periods under Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 Article 43 work the same way regardless of who terminates:
- The contract fixes a notice period of 30 to 90 days.
- The same period binds both the employer and the employee.
- If the required notice is not served, the party in default pays pay-in-lieu = daily wage × unserved days, calculated on the full wage (not just basic).
- The employee remains entitled to gratuity (Article 51) and cash for any unused annual leave (Article 29(9)) — the notice rule is independent.
Probation notice is different (Article 9)
During the six-month probation the notice rules split by who is leaving and why:
- Employer terminates the probationer — 14 days.
- Worker leaves the UAE altogether — 14 days.
- Worker moves to another UAE employer — 1 month.
See the probation period guide for the full mechanics, including the little-known rule that the new employer must reimburse the previous employer for recruitment costs when a probationer switches jobs early.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the notice period in the UAE?+
Post-probation the notice period is set by the contract, but Article 43 of Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 requires it to be between 30 and 90 days. Most contracts default to 30 days. On probation, the employer's notice to terminate is 14 days; a worker leaving the UAE gives 14 days; a worker moving to another UAE employer must give 1 month.
Does the employer or employee choose the notice period?+
The contract does. Article 43 caps it at 30 to 90 days and applies the same period to either side — the employer and employee owe each other the same amount of notice.
What is pay-in-lieu of notice?+
If either party ends the contract without serving the required notice, they must pay the other party a compensation equal to the wage for the un-served notice days — calculated on the full wage, not just basic pay.
Can I take garden leave instead of working the notice?+
Yes, if the employer agrees. Garden leave means the employee is still on payroll and technically employed during the notice period but is not required to work. The pay continues normally; no separate pay-in-lieu is triggered.
How does notice interact with end-of-service gratuity?+
They are independent. Gratuity is calculated based on the years of continuous service under Article 51, whether notice was worked or paid in lieu. See the End-of-Service Gratuity guide for the formula.
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