Answer: Yes, it can.
According to Article 54(3) of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labor Relations, the deadline for filing an individual labor dispute claim is 15 working days from the date the decision of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) is received or notified.
This means that:
- if MoHRE issued a decision, for example, on a Monday,
- and the employee filed the claim in court on a Friday 18 calendar days later,
- but within 15 working days,
then the court does not have the right to reject the claim on the grounds of a missed deadline.
If the court still refuses to accept the claim, its decision may be appealed, including through a cassation appeal in the interest of the law.
Relevant case law:
Case No. 390 of 2025 / Federal Supreme Court / Civil Law