If you work in the UAE and wish to switch jobs or quit your job, or if your employer terminates you for a legitimate reason, it is mandatory that both parties notify each other before the notice period stipulated in the contract.

However, it is important to know when the notice period begins. For the notice period to begin, do employers in the UAE have to 'accept'/acknowledge resignation emails? Or does it start automatically when the mail is sent?

In this article, we will discuss how it is calculated based on UAE labour law. 

In cases where an employee plans to resign soon from a company based in the UAE. When the notice period begins. 

The Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relations (the 'Employment Law') requires you to complete your probation period. 

Employment contracts in the UAE can be terminated by either the employer or employee by serving the stipulated notice period. According to Article 43(1) of the Employment Law: “Either party to the employment contract may terminate the contract for any legitimate reason, provided that the other party is notified in writing and work shall be performed during the notice period agreed upon in the contract, provided that such period is not less than (30) thirty days and not more than (90) ninety days.”

A resignation could be sent from either your personal or official email address according to the aforementioned provision of law. It is expected that your notice period will begin when you have sent the resignation email to your employer or as soon as the resignation date is specifically stated in the subject line of the resignation email, regardless of whether your employer acknowledges it.

As an alternative, you may submit a written resignation letter to terminate your employment. The resignation should be in writing in the form of a letter, and you should obtain an acknowledgment.