UAE Gratuity for Part-Time Workers: How the Hours Ratio Works
October 23, 2026
For part-time and other non-standard work models, UAE gratuity entitlement is scaled by the ratio of the employee's contracted annual working hours to full-time annual working hours, according to the official u.ae guidance — rather than applying the standard 21/30-day formula at full value.
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Compare contracted weekly hours to a standard full-time week. An employee contracted for 24 hours per week against a 48-hour full-time standard works at a 0.5 ratio — their gratuity entitlement for a given tenure and basic pay rate is scaled to half of what an equivalent full-time employee would accrue.
Temporary Contracts Under One Year
The same official guidance notes that temporary employment under one year is excluded from gratuity entitlement entirely — the same one-year minimum service rule that applies to full-time employment applies here too, on top of the hours-ratio scaling for anyone who does qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is part-time UAE gratuity different from full-time?
It's scaled by the ratio of the employee's contracted annual hours to full-time annual hours, rather than paid at the full standard formula.
What counts as the full-time baseline for comparison?
The standard full-time working hours set by UAE labour regulations, which part-time contracted hours are compared against to find the ratio.
Does the one-year minimum service rule still apply to part-time work?
Yes — temporary employment under one year is excluded from gratuity regardless of whether it's part-time or full-time.
Is the hours ratio applied before or after the standard 21/30-day formula?
The scaling applies to the overall entitlement for an equivalent full-time employee at the same tenure and basic rate — effectively a final adjustment on top of the standard formula.