# Abu Dhabi Court Orders Company to Pay Employee 316,333 Dirhams A labor court ruling mandates payment for unpaid wages, gratuity, and leave benefits. - **Source:** [Emarat Al Youm](https://www.emaratalyoum.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-10 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/9db16178-e7d2-49ed-b413-a1603d522c89 ## Court Mandates Financial Settlement The Abu Dhabi Labor Court of First Instance issued a ruling requiring a company to pay 316,333 dirhams to a former employee. This total covers unpaid wages, end-of-service gratuity, and leave allowances. The company failed to appear in court despite being legally notified, leading to a default judgment against them. ## Scope of Unpaid Claims The employee initiated the lawsuit seeking compensation for 33 months of unpaid wages totaling 232,500 dirhams. Additionally, the claim included 75,164 dirhams for end-of-service benefits and 9,000 dirhams for unused leave. The court reviewed the employment history spanning from September 2012 until the termination of the contract in August 2026. ## Employment Contract Details Records indicate the employee maintained a monthly gross salary of 15,500 dirhams, with a basic salary component of 6,000 dirhams. The unpaid wage claim specifically covered the period from December 2023 through August 2026. The court verified these figures against the original employment contract provided by the plaintiff during the legal proceedings. ## Burden of Proof Failure Under UAE labor regulations, the employer bears the legal burden of proving that wages were paid according to ministry standards. Because the company did not present evidence of payment or refute the employee's claims, the court accepted the plaintiff's figures. The lack of defense left the court with no contradictory evidence. ## Leave Allowance Entitlement Regarding the leave allowance, the court determined the employee was entitled to compensation for the final two years of service. Since the defendant failed to provide documentation proving that these leave benefits had been settled, the court awarded the requested 9,000 dirhams, adhering to established judicial precedents for such labor disputes. ## End-of-Service Gratuity Calculation The court calculated the end-of-service gratuity based on a total tenure of 13 years, 11 months, and 20 days. This resulted in a specific award of 74,833 dirhams for the employee. This component represents a significant portion of the total judgment, reflecting the long-term nature of the professional relationship between the parties. ## Legal Costs and Expenses Beyond the primary compensation of 316,333 dirhams, the court also ordered the defendant to cover all associated legal fees and court expenses. This ruling serves as a final judgment on the matter, emphasizing the employer's obligation to maintain accurate financial records and fulfill payment schedules as mandated by national labor laws. ## Implications for Labor Compliance This case highlights the risks companies face when ignoring legal summons in labor disputes. By failing to appear, the employer lost the opportunity to contest the claims, resulting in a full judgment against them. It reinforces the necessity for businesses to maintain transparent payroll documentation to avoid significant financial liabilities in court. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.emaratalyoum.com/local-section/accidents/courts/2026-11-10-1.2101126 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._