UAE Publishes 5 Cases Where Workers Cannot Claim Work Injury Compensation
- The UAE has outlined specific conditions under which a worker loses the right to claim compensation for a work injury
- The rules cover situations involving harming self, substance use, and deliberate disregard for workplace safety instructions
- Workers who refuse medical examination or treatment without good reason also fall under the exclusions
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The United Arab Emirates has set out five situations in which a worker will not qualify for compensation after sustaining a work injury, with eligibility depending on findings by the relevant competent authorities.
Under UAE labour law, any worker found to have deliberately harmed himself, for whatever reason, forfeits the right to claim injury compensation.
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The same applies where investigations show the injury took place while the worker was under the influence of alcohol, narcotics, or any other psychotropic substance.
When workplace violations cost workers their claims
A worker also loses entitlement to compensation if the injury happened because the worker intentionally ignored preventive safety instructions that were clearly displayed in the workplace, as outlined in the Executive Regulation of the relevant decree.
Injuries that result from wilful misconduct on the part of the worker are similarly excluded from coverage.
The fifth exclusion applies to workers who, without a valid reason, refuse to undergo a medical examination or decline to follow the course of treatment recommended by the Medical Authority. In such cases, the worker's refusal itself becomes grounds for denying the compensation claim.
How the process works
The law places the burden of proof on the competent authorities, who must conduct investigations to confirm whether any of the five conditions actually apply before a claim can be rejected. A worker's claim cannot be dismissed on assumption alone; a formal finding is required.
Workers in the UAE are advised to familiarise themselves with the safety guidelines posted at their place of work, avoid substances that could impair judgement on the job, and comply with any medical directives issued after an injury occurs, as failure to do so could leave them without financial recourse following a workplace incident.
UAE publishes right of foreign workers
Legit.ng earlier reported that the United Arab Emirates Labour Law, under Article 28, gives every worker the right to paid leave on all official public holidays, with those holidays set by Cabinet resolution.
Source: Legit.ng
