The Registration Authority of Abu Dhabi’s Global Market has announced it has issued new Employment Regulations 2019 and Compensation Awards and Limits Rules 2019. The Regulations will come into force on 1 January 2020.

It follows a public consultation earlier this year on proposed amendments to the 2015 Regulations and have been drafted taking into account international standards.

The key changes introduced by the Regulations and Rules include new overtime provisions for employees, aligning certain employees’ entitlements with those onshore, including repatriation flight tickets and sick leave, changes allowing employers and employees more flexibility in negotiating notice periods, introducing protective provisions for those aged between 15 and 18 and introducing a discretionary power to the Market Courts to impose penalties on employers for failing to pay employees’ entitlements due on termination.