Table of Contents
- What Is an Absconding Report in the UAE?
- When May an Absconding Report Be Considered False?
- Why a False Absconding Report Must Be Challenged Quickly
- Step 1: Confirm Whether an Absconding Report Exists
- Step 2: Preserve Evidence Supporting the Challenge
- Step 3: Request Cancellation of the Absconding Report
- Step 4: File a Related Labour Complaint Where Necessary
- What If the Report Was Filed After the Employee Resigned?
- What If the Employee Was on Leave or Receiving Medical Treatment?
- What If the Employer Prevented the Employee from Working?
- Can a Labour Restriction Be Removed After Cancellation?
- What If MoHRE Rejects the Cancellation Request?
- How HHS Lawyers Can Assist
- Challenge the Report with Evidence
- Frequently Asked Questions
An employee may discover that an absconding report has been filed when attempting to change jobs, cancel a work permit, renew residency status or access a Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation service.
Sometimes an employee genuinely stops attending work without informing the company. In other situations, the employer may file the report even though the employee was on approved leave, remained in contact, continued performing duties, had already resigned or was pursuing a labour complaint.
A false absconding report should not be ignored. It may affect the employee’s work-permit status, ability to join another company and related immigration procedures. The employee should confirm the report, preserve relevant evidence and submit the appropriate cancellation request or labour complaint without unnecessary delay.
What Is an Absconding Report in the UAE?
“Absconding report” is the commonly used term for an absence-from-work or work-abandonment complaint filed by an employer against a private-sector employee.
The complaint is generally intended for situations where an employee:
- Has been absent for more than seven consecutive days
- Has not provided an accepted reason for the absence
- Remains inside the UAE
- Cannot be contacted by the employer
- Has not informed the employer of their location
An absence-from-work complaint should not be used merely because:
- The employee resigned
- A salary or termination dispute exists
- The employee filed a complaint against the company
- The employer wants to prevent the employee from joining another company
- The employee is on approved or legally permitted leave
- The employer prevented the employee from entering the workplace
An employment disagreement does not automatically mean that the employee has abandoned work. The facts, dates and communications between the parties must be reviewed carefully.
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When May an Absconding Report Be Considered False?
An employee may have grounds to challenge the report when the legal or procedural conditions for filing it were not satisfied.
Common examples include:
- Seven consecutive days of absence had not passed
- The employee was attending the workplace
- The employee was working remotely with the employer’s knowledge
- The employee was on annual, sick, maternity or another lawful leave
- The employee informed the company about a medical or family emergency
- The employer knew the employee’s location and remained in contact
- The parties agreed to terminate the employment relationship
- The employer allowed the employee to stop working or seek another position
- The employee had already been dismissed
- The employer prevented the employee from entering the workplace
- The report was filed after the employee submitted a salary or termination complaint
MoHRE may also cancel a complaint where a legitimate reason explains the absence or where the information submitted by the employer is proven to be incorrect.
Why a False Absconding Report Must Be Challenged Quickly
An approved absence-from-work complaint may result in cancellation of the employee’s existing work permit.
Where the work-abandonment allegation is ultimately proven valid, the employee may also face restrictions on obtaining another UAE work permit, depending on the applicable rules and circumstances.
The report may further complicate:
- Joining another employer
- Cancelling or transferring the work permit
- Updating residency records
- Recovering unpaid salaries
- Claiming end-of-service benefits
- Filing or continuing a labour-court case
- Completing immigration procedures
Employees should not rely only on a verbal promise from the employer that the complaint will be withdrawn. The official status should be checked through the appropriate MoHRE channel.
Step 1: Confirm Whether an Absconding Report Exists
Before preparing a challenge, confirm:
- Whether an absence-from-work complaint has been filed
- The date on which the employer submitted it
- The date from which the employer alleges the employee was absent
- The establishment named in the complaint
- The employee’s current work-permit status
- Whether another labour complaint is already pending
The employee may enquire through official MoHRE channels using their passport, Emirates ID, work-permit or other identifying information.
Do not assume that every visa or employment-status problem is caused by an absconding complaint. A separate immigration, overstay, administrative or work-permit issue may exist.
Step 2: Preserve Evidence Supporting the Challenge
A successful challenge normally depends on evidence showing that the employee did not abandon work or had a legitimate reason for the absence.
Relevant evidence may include:
- Attendance or biometric records
- Office-access or security records
- Work emails sent during the alleged absence
- WhatsApp messages and call records with managers or HR
- Approved leave applications
- Medical certificates or hospital records
- Resignation or termination correspondence
- Evidence that the employer refused workplace access
- Salary payments or WPS records
- Work completed remotely
- MoHRE complaint reference numbers
- Police, detention or emergency documents where relevant
- Messages confirming an agreed final working date
Employees should preserve original electronic records where possible. A cropped screenshot may carry less evidential value if it does not clearly show the sender, date and full conversation.
Step 3: Request Cancellation of the Absconding Report
MoHRE provides a formal procedure for requesting cancellation of an absence-from-work complaint.
A cancellation application may be submitted by either party to the employment relationship, provided that the employee is registered in the Ministry’s system and an active complaint exists.
The request should explain why the report is incorrect and include supporting documents. Possible grounds may include:
- The required absence period was not completed
- The employee was present or performing assigned duties
- The employee was on lawful leave
- The employer agreed to end the employment relationship
- The employee was authorised to stop working
- A medical, family or other legitimate emergency prevented attendance
- The employer knew the employee’s location
- The complaint contained inaccurate or misleading information
The employer’s cooperation may simplify the cancellation process. However, employer consent is not always the only possible basis for challenging an invalid complaint.
Step 4: File a Related Labour Complaint Where Necessary
Cancelling the absconding report may not resolve the wider employment dispute.
A separate labour complaint may be required where the matter also involves:
- Unpaid salaries
- Wrongful or retaliatory termination
- Unpaid end-of-service benefits
- Forced resignation
- Passport withholding
- Failure to cancel the work permit
- Denial of workplace access
- Breach of the employment contract
- Unlawful salary deductions
MoHRE generally attempts to resolve registered employment disputes amicably. If the dispute cannot be resolved, it may be referred to the competent labour court.
Employees facing broader employment claims can review how to file a case against an employer in the UAE Labour Court.
What If the Report Was Filed After the Employee Resigned?
Submitting a resignation does not always allow an employee to stop attending work immediately.
Unless the notice period is waived or the employer agrees to an earlier final working date, the employee may still be required to continue performing their duties.
However, an absconding report may be challenged where:
- The resignation was accepted
- The employer waived the notice period
- The parties agreed on the final working day
- The employee continued working during the notice period
- The employer instructed the employee not to attend
- The employer prevented access to the workplace
- A lawful reason allowed the employee to stop working
The employee should submit the resignation letter together with the employer’s response, notice-period communications and evidence of the agreed final working day.
What If the Employee Was on Leave or Receiving Medical Treatment?
An employee on approved or legally permitted leave should not ordinarily be treated as having abandoned work.
Relevant evidence may include:
- The original leave request
- Approval or acknowledgement from the employer
- Medical certificates
- Hospital admission or treatment documents
- Messages informing the manager or HR department
- Evidence of the expected return date
Where the employer disputes the authenticity or timing of the documents, MoHRE or the relevant authority may require further verification.
What If the Employer Prevented the Employee from Working?
An employer should not ordinarily accuse an employee of abandoning work after preventing that employee from entering the workplace or carrying out their duties.
Useful evidence may include:
- Access-card deactivation records
- Security messages
- Emails instructing the employee not to attend
- Messages asking HR why access was refused
- Witness statements
- Photographs or recordings of attempted attendance
- Call records with management
The employee should continue documenting attempts to communicate and should avoid disappearing without further written follow-up.
Can a Labour Restriction Be Removed After Cancellation?
Where a labour restriction arose directly from the absence-from-work complaint, cancelling the underlying report may allow the employee’s work-permit record to be corrected.
The employee should still confirm whether:
- The report has been officially cancelled
- The work-permit record has been updated
- A separate immigration restriction exists
- Another employer complaint remains active
- An unrelated legal case affects the employee’s status
Further guidance is available in our article on labour ban removal in the UAE.
The employee should not assume that cancelling the labour complaint automatically removes every immigration or administrative issue.
What If MoHRE Rejects the Cancellation Request?
The employee should obtain and review the reason for rejection.
A cancellation request may be refused because:
- The evidence was incomplete
- The dates or documents were inconsistent
- The employer submitted contrary evidence
- Another legal proceeding already exists
- The application followed the wrong procedure
Depending on the circumstances, the next steps may include:
- Submitting additional evidence
- Filing a related labour complaint
- Responding to the employer’s documents
- Challenging the relevant administrative decision
- Proceeding before the competent labour court
Employees should act promptly because legal or administrative time limits may apply.
How HHS Lawyers Can Assist
A false absconding report may affect labour, work-permit and immigration records. Legal assistance can help determine which issue and authority should be addressed first.
HHS Lawyers can assist with:
- Checking the nature and status of the complaint
- Reviewing attendance and communication records
- Assessing resignation, leave and termination documents
- Preparing the cancellation request
- Responding to the employer’s allegations
- Filing related salary or contractual claims
- Following up with MoHRE and other authorities
- Preparing a labour-court claim where required
- Reviewing associated work-permit or immigration restrictions
Our UAE labour and employment lawyers advise employees and businesses on MoHRE complaints, work-abandonment allegations, labour restrictions, unpaid salaries, employment termination and court proceedings.
Challenge the Report with Evidence
A false absconding report can be challenged, but the employee must show why the allegation does not reflect the actual employment situation.
Confirm the report, preserve original evidence, use the official cancellation procedure and file any related employment claim without delay.
Do not assume that the issue has been resolved merely because the employer verbally agreed to withdraw the complaint.
HHS Lawyers and Legal Consultants can review the report, assess the available evidence and assist with the appropriate MoHRE, labour-court and employment-status procedures.
Need Labour Law Help?
Dubai's Expert Advice at Your Fingertips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an employee cancel a false absconding report?
Yes. An employee may request cancellation through MoHRE and provide evidence showing that the complaint conditions were not met or that a lawful reason existed for the absence.
How many days must an employee be absent before a report can be filed?
An absence-from-work complaint is generally intended for an employee who has been absent for more than seven consecutive days while inside the UAE, where the employer does not know the employee’s location or cannot contact them.
Can an employer file an absconding report during approved leave?
The employee may challenge the report where the absence occurred during legally permitted or approved leave. Leave requests, approvals, medical documents and employer communications should be submitted.
Can the report be cancelled without the employer’s consent?
Employer cooperation can help, but it may not always be essential. The complaint may be cancelled where the employee proves that it was invalid, the required conditions were not met or a legitimate reason existed for the absence.
How long does cancellation take?
MoHRE currently lists a service-completion period of 14 working days. The actual time may vary depending on the evidence, responses from the parties and any connected labour dispute.
Is there a government fee for requesting cancellation?
MoHRE currently lists no government fee for the cancellation service. Professional fees or service-centre charges may apply where external assistance is used.
Does an absconding report automatically create a travel ban?
Not necessarily. An absence-from-work report primarily affects employment and work-permit records. Any immigration or travel restriction should be checked separately.
What evidence is useful when challenging the report?
Attendance records, approved leave, workplace communications, medical documents, resignation or termination correspondence, salary records and evidence that the employer knew the employee’s location may all support the challenge.
Mohammed Farahat
Judicial Expert, ACPA
Senior Payroll & Labor disputes Consultant
Studies & research center
Farahat&Co – UAE
Phone/ WhatsApp
+971526922588
