An employee cannot be sacked during his sick leave or annual leave and any notice of termination during this period will be considered null and void, said a source at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

The source said there were complaints from expatriates that their labour contracts were terminated without prior notice. The ministry said any employer is entitled to terminate the contract if the employee has exhausted his full sick leave and is not fit to return to work.

In such an event, the employee will be entitled to full gratuity and end of service entitlement in accordance with the labour law.

However, the employee will not be entitled to wages for the days that he did not report to work after the end of his leave (whether sick leave or annual leave).

An employee will be banned from working in the UAE for one year if he leaves his work without justification before his contract expires, or if he leaves before his one-month notice expires. The employee will receive a one-year ban if he works with another employer full or part-time at the same time.

These restrictions will only be applied upon the request of the employer.

According to Article 120 of the law, an employer may dismiss an employee without prior notice if the employee's documents or certificates are proven false; if the employee is still under probation; or if the employee violates instructions relating to safety in the workplace.

The ministry has started implementing Cabinet Decision No.30, allowing expatriates in certain job categories to transfer sponsorship without facing a ban, said a senior ministry official.

"Under this rule, people in some professions will be allowed to transfer their visas from one company to another. The only condition is that if the ministry approves the sponsorship transfer, the new sponsor will have to pay the Dh3,000 bank guarantee," he said.

The new sponsor must apply to the ministry for a labour card for the new worker, which requires submission of a medical certificate and the original passport of the worker, together with the old labour card.

He should pay the fee using the electronic payment system or the e-dirham.