Your rights and options as an employee in the UAE — leave entitlement, gratuity, salary benchmarking, and how to present yourself for the next role — are all governed by rules that changed meaningfully with the 2021 labour law reform, yet outdated advice still circulates widely. This guide covers the full employee lifecycle, from understanding your current entitlements to building the documents for your next move.
Every Career & Salary Tool in One Place
Below are all 5 career & salary tools on the site, each solving one specific part of the bigger decision. Click through to any of them directly, or read on for guidance on which one to start with.
- UAE Labour Law Calculator — Annual leave, sick pay, overtime and notice — worked out from the law, not from what you are told.
- UAE Salary Checker — Compare your salary to market ranges by role and see if it's time to negotiate.
- Salary & Gratuity Calculator — Estimate your end-of-service gratuity under current 2021 labour law — no outdated resignation penalty.
- UAE Resume / CV Builder — Build a clean, UAE-ready CV with live preview and download it as a PDF.
- Cover Letter Generator — Generate a tailored cover letter that matches the job you are applying for.
How to Use This Guide
If you're just starting out, work through the list roughly top to bottom — each tool builds on the last, from the first big decision down to the specific number you'll need before signing anything. If you already know exactly which question you need answered, jump straight to that calculator; each one takes under a minute and needs no sign-up.
How to Choose the Right Tool for Your Situation
Not everyone needs every tool on this list. If you're early in the process and still weighing broad options, start with whichever tool frames the big decision rather than a specific number — that's usually the first one or two listed above. If you already know your general direction and just need a hard figure to plan around or take into a conversation with an agent, bank or authority, go straight to the calculator that matches that specific cost or eligibility question.
Why These Numbers Are Worth Checking Yourself
Formation agents, brokers and banks all have an interest in the number they quote you, which is exactly why it helps to have your own independent estimate first. None of these tools replace professional advice for anything with legal or financial consequences, but they do mean you walk into that conversation already knowing what a reasonable figure looks like — and able to spot a quote that's out of line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the gratuity or leave figure legally guaranteed?
The calculation follows current UAE labour law formulas, but your actual entitlement can depend on your specific contract terms, so treat it as a strong estimate to check against your HR department.
Does it apply to free zone employees too?
Most free zones follow UAE federal labour law for these calculations, though a few maintain their own regulations — worth a quick check with your specific free zone authority if you're unsure.
Does it use basic salary or gross salary?
Labour law calculations are based on basic salary, not the full gross package with allowances, and the tool follows that same standard.
Is this useful for unlimited and limited contracts?
Yes — the current labour law framework applies broadly across contract types since the 2021 reforms standardised most of these calculations.
Does it cost anything to use?
No, it's completely free with no account needed.
Whether you're negotiating a new offer, planning your notice period, or refreshing your CV for the next move, knowing your actual entitlements and market position under current UAE labour law puts you in a stronger position at every stage.