If you work in the UAE private sector, the date your salary is due changed on 1 June 2026 — and most workers still plan around the old rhythm. Under MOHRE Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, your salary for a month is now due on the 1st day of the following Gregorian month, paid through the Wage Protection System (WPS). A transfer after the 1st counts as late. There is no grace period any more.
What changed, in plain terms:
- One payday for everyone. October’s salary is due 1 November, November’s on 1 December, and so on. The old system gave employers roughly until the 15th before enforcement began. That cushion is gone.
- The 85% test. Your employer counts as WPS-compliant if at least 85% of the total wages due are transferred by the deadline. The old threshold was 80%. But — and this matters — the 85% is your employer’s compliance test, not your pay. You are still owed 100% of your salary. A shortfall only counts as “paid” where it comes from a deduction the Labour Law allows.
- No stated weekend extension. The resolution sets the 1st as the due date with no stated extension for weekends or public holidays, so plan around the 1st itself, not the next working day.
Who this covers: private-sector employees registered with MOHRE, paid through WPS (banks, exchange houses or financial institutions authorised by the Central Bank). DIFC and ADGM follow their own rules, and domestic workers and government employees sit outside the MOHRE framework.
What happens if your salary is late — MOHRE’s published escalation, counted from the due date:
- Day 2: MOHRE starts alerting your employer.
- Day 5: new work permits for the company can be suspended.
- Day 11: administrative fines for repeat violations.
- Day 16: a labour dispute can be registered.
- Day 21: executive attachment, travel bans and referral to the Public Prosecution.
One honest caveat: the escalation steps above are MOHRE’s published process as reported on the official u.ae page; exact fine amounts are updated from time to time, so confirm current figures through MOHRE rather than relying on a number circulating online.
What to do if your salary is late:
- Keep the proof. Your bank statement showing the date the salary landed is the key evidence — the due date is the 1st, so a transfer on the 5th is late even if the full amount arrived.
- Raise it in writing first. A short written message to your employer or HR, dated, asking when the WPS transfer will be made, creates a record.
- Then use MOHRE. If it is not resolved, you can file a complaint through the MOHRE app, the MOHRE website, or the MOHRE call centre (80060). You do not need to wait for the 15th any more — the 1st is the deadline.
- Do not resign in a rush over one late payment. A late salary is a complaint matter; resigning without advice can affect your gratuity and your visa position. Get the facts first.
The bottom line: the 1st of the month is now the date that matters. If your salary regularly lands mid-month, your employer is already late under the current rules — and MOHRE’s clock starts ticking on day 2.
Sources (plain text only — no links in this post): MOHRE Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026 Concerning the Wage Protection System, in force 1 June 2026, replacing Ministerial Resolution No. 598 of 2022; u.ae Wage Protection System page (updated 5 June 2026); summaries by Baker McKenzie and Clyde & Co as reported by RemotePass; QLegal; Farahat & Co; payslip.ae. MOHRE is the official government authority (mohre.gov.ae — named, not linked, per site rule; u.ae is the official UAE government portal — named, not linked).