MOHRE Complaint: The UAE Worker's Practical Guide

If you're sitting on unpaid wages, an unfair termination, or a boss who won't release your end-of-service gratuity, a MOHRE complaint is usually your first move. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) runs the mandatory mediation step before any private-sector labour dispute reaches court. Get it right and you can resolve things in weeks. Get it wrong and you'll lose leverage you can't get back.

Quick answer

File your MOHRE complaint within one year of the dispute arising — that's the statutory limit under Article 54 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. You can submit it through the MOHRE app, the call centre on 600 590 000, or any Tas'heel centre. A legal researcher reviews it, calls both sides, and tries to settle within roughly 14 working days. If mediation fails on claims up to AED 50,000, MOHRE issues a binding decision. Above that, or if either party objects, you get a referral letter to the Labour Court.

When a MOHRE complaint is the right tool

MOHRE handles disputes between employees and employers in the mainland private sector. That covers most of the UAE — but not everyone.

If you work in a free zone, your first stop is usually the free zone authority itself. DIFC and ADGM run their own employment tribunals under separate statutes (DIFC Employment Law No. 2 of 2019, ADGM Employment Regulations 2024). JAFZA, DMCC, DAFZA and the rest each have their own labour desks, though many still channel disputes back to MOHRE for mediation. Domestic workers fall under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 and have a parallel MOHRE track.

Typical complaints I see settle at this stage:

• Unpaid salary, overtime, or commission
• Arbitrary or early termination
• End-of-service gratuity disputes
• Refusal to issue a final settlement or cancel the visa
• Non-payment through the Wage Protection System (WPS), the federal salary-transfer monitoring scheme

Frankly, MOHRE is more useful than people think. Many employers fold the moment a complaint lands, because an open file blocks them from issuing new work permits.

How to file the MOHRE complaint

You've got three real channels:

MOHRE smart app or website. Log in with UAE Pass, pick "Labour Complaints," enter your employer's establishment number, and write your statement. Upload your contract, payslips, WPS records, termination letter, and any WhatsApp threads. Honestly, screenshots win cases — keep them.

Call centre — 600 590 000. Useful if your Arabic is stronger than your English-language paperwork. They'll log the complaint and send you a reference number.

Tas'heel service centre. Walk-in service. Slower, but staff will translate and type the complaint with you. Bring originals plus copies.

Filing is free for employees. Employers filing against staff pay a fee, which is one reason most cases get pushed onto the worker side first.

Watch out: Once you file, MOHRE may freeze your employer's ability to apply for new permits. That creates pressure — but it also makes some employers retaliate by cancelling your visa. Know your grace period (usually 60 days post-cancellation under the 2022 rules) before you push the button.

What happens after you file

A MOHRE legal researcher gets assigned within a day or two. They'll call both parties, request documents, and try to broker a settlement. Most cases I handle close here, because the researcher will tell a clearly wrong employer exactly what a court will award.

Three outcomes are possible:

1. Amicable settlement. Both sides sign a settlement memo. Payment usually hits your account within two weeks. This is final and enforceable.

1. MOHRE binding decision (claims ≤ AED 50,000). Under the 2023 amendments to the Labour Law, MOHRE itself decides small claims. Either party can object within 15 working days by filing at the Court of First Instance — and the objection automatically suspends enforcement.

1. Referral to Labour Court. For claims above AED 50,000, complex matters, or where mediation collapses, MOHRE issues a referral letter. You then have 14 days to file at court. Miss that window and you start over.

The whole MOHRE stage typically runs 14 to 30 working days. In my experience, anything dragging past six weeks usually means the employer is stalling on document production — push the researcher to close mediation and refer it up.

Building a complaint that actually wins

Most complaints I see are weak because the worker didn't gather paperwork before they walked out. Do this before you file:

Download your WPS history. Your bank can give you 12 months of salary credits, or you can pull MOHRE's own salary data. This single document settles most unpaid-wage disputes.

Pin down your contract type and end-of-service math. Under Article 51 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, you get 21 days' basic salary per year for the first five years and 30 days' basic salary per year after that, capped at two years' total wages. "Basic salary" excludes housing, transport, and other allowances — most clients get this wrong and overclaim.

Document the termination. Resignation letter, dismissal notice, or — if they verbally fired you — your WhatsApp "what's going on?" message and their reply. Article 47 protects you from arbitrary dismissal; the remedy is up to three months' total wages on top of your other entitlements.

Calculate notice period. Standard is 30 to 90 days under the unlimited-contract-replacement model. If they didn't give notice, claim payment in lieu.

Costs: Filing the MOHRE complaint is free. Court filing fees (if it escalates) are waived for employee claims up to AED 100,000 under Article 54 of the Labour Law. Above that, fees scale at roughly 5% of the claim, capped at AED 20,000. Lawyer fees are separate — budget AED 5,000–25,000 depending on complexity.

Common traps that kill MOHRE complaints

The one-year clock. It runs from the date the dispute arose — usually your last day of work or the date a specific entitlement became due. File late and the employer will plead Article 54 limitation, and they'll win.

Settling without reading the memo. MOHRE settlement memos are final. I've seen workers sign away gratuity rights worth AED 80,000 for a quick AED 15,000 payout because they didn't realise "full and final settlement" closes everything. Read every line. Strike through what you don't accept.

Absconding reports. If you walk off the job and don't file first, your employer can file an absconding report. That blocks new visas and can get you a labour ban. File your complaint before you stop reporting to work, or at least on the same day.

Free zone confusion. I get calls weekly from workers who filed at MOHRE when they should've gone to DMCC or DIFC. MOHRE will reject jurisdiction and you lose weeks. Check your visa-issuing authority on your Emirates ID file before filing.

Verbal promises. "The boss said he'd pay me the bonus" — without a written record, you'll lose that claim. Email everything, even after the fact: "Just confirming our conversation today where you agreed to…"

If you need broader context on workplace disputes, the employment law category on this site collects the related guides.

After the decision — getting paid

Winning is half the fight. Enforcement is the rest.

A MOHRE settlement or unopposed decision becomes an executory deed. You take it to the Execution Court, which can freeze the employer's bank accounts, garnish receivables, and — under Cabinet Decision No. 57 of 2018 — impose a travel ban on the owner. For court judgments, the same applies but you'll wait 30 to 60 days for execution to bite.

If the employer is genuinely insolvent, you may need to file in the bankruptcy register or claim against the bank guarantee that all sponsors post. The guarantee is small (AED 3,000 per worker for most categories), but it's something.

One more thing: a successful MOHRE complaint does not automatically give you a labour ban against your employer, and it does not automatically ban you either. Bans are a separate administrative decision under Ministerial Resolution No. 47 of 2022 and require specific grounds.

---

A MOHRE complaint is a blunt instrument that works. Use it early, document obsessively, and don't sign anything you haven't read twice.

Need this checked for your situation? Talk to a UAE-licensed lawyer →

Citations

[1] Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations, Articles 47, 51, 54. https://mohre.gov.ae [2] Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers. https://mohre.gov.ae [3] MOHRE Labour Claims and Complaints service. https://www.mohre.gov.ae/en/services/labour-claims-and-complaints.aspx [4] Cabinet Decision No. 1 of 2022 on Implementing Regulation of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. [5] Ministerial Resolution No. 47 of 2022 on Work Permit Bans. [6] DIFC Employment Law, DIFC Law No. 2 of 2019. [7] ADGM Employment Regulations 2024.