Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, co-organised a webinar with Clyde& Co on “The Legal Impact of COVID -19 on employment in the UAE”, which was attended by 278 participants from various sectors of the business community.

The webinar aimed at helping employers and employees deal with the impact of COVID-19 on their business. It focused on the nature of this working relationship, provided guidance to the concerned parties and updated them on the latest policy developments governing the relationship between employers and employees.

It also shed light on the current ministerial guidelines in relation to the workplace and their impact on the employees. Topics such as practical issues to be considered when the employees start working remotely, how to apply and approve paid and unpaid leave, and legal procedures for reducing salaries and wages were also covered.

The session was moderated by Rebecca Ford, Partner- Employment, Clyde & Co., and Samantha Ellaby, Senior Associate- Employment, Clyde & Co. The webinar was attended by members of Dubai Chamber, legal professionals, business owners, human resource managers and contract experts, as well as members of business groups and councils, and economic and professional bodies.

Jehad Kazim, Director, Legal Services, Dubai Chamber, stressed on the importance of organizing the relationship between employers and workers, especially in uncertain times, like we are facing now, noting that the contractual relationship between the parties should be clearly understood by everyone.

Kazim pointed out that the introductory webinar covers an important topic in the labor market today.  It particularly answers the inquiries of the private sector about the contractual relationship and how to align them with current developments in a transparent manner that guarantees the rights and duties of all parties. The webinar is consistent with the Chamber’s commitment to enhance the awareness of the business community in all topics which impact on their business and activities, Kazim remarked.

Rebecca Ford, during her presentation, covered the latest policy developments and advised the participants on topics such as how to manage remote working and to implement emergency measures during such uncertain times. “Webinar, such as these, are a platform for various stakeholders to come together and discuss the impact and solutions that situations like these require. We hope we were able to answer the concerns of the businesses in relation to the best way to proceed forward and the various issues they need to keep in mind while dealing with a fundamentally changed employee-employer relationship,” Ford remarked.

Dubai Chamber regularly organizes workshops that are of interest to the business sector in the emirate, and that contribute to enhancing their awareness of the latest legal and policy developments that regulate the business environment and contribute to making it dynamic.