Woman lodges case against employer in UAE over end-of-service benefits

Abu Dhabi - The woman said in her lawsuit that she worked for the employer as an executive librarian from February 1991 to December 2018.

A woman, who worked as a librarian and filed a lawsuit against her employer challenging her end-of-service benefits, will have her case heard again by the appellate court.
Official court documents stated that the woman worked for a library, located in a northern emirate, for a period of 28 years. In her lawsuit, she said she wasn't satisfied with the final settlement and requested that an expert be appointed to calculate her dues, including the end-of-service gratuity and other benefits.
The woman said in her lawsuit that she worked for the employer as an executive librarian from February 1991 to December 2018 while drawing a monthly salary of Dh10, 335.
The Court of First Instance had dismissed the case and the woman contested the verdict at the Federal Court of Appeal which cancelled the first ruling and ordered the employer to pay the plaintiff's dues and gratuity according to calculations by the court expert.
The employer appealed the ruling at the Federal Supreme Court stressing that the verdict by the appellate court violated the law and erred in its application. The employer said the librarian was not a special employee holding a big position in the government department and that the decision of regular employees was applied to her while calculating her gratuity, which exempts her from benefiting from the requirements of Article 114 of the law on human resources.
The employer said the ruling by the appellate court was in violation of her contract of employment.
After looking into the case, the Supreme Court judge referred back the trial to the appellate court and ordered for a fresh hearing.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi