Is it legal for employers to make employees pay for upskilling?

In the UAE, an employer may not assign different roles to an employee other than those mentioned in the contract without the written consent of the worker

- Ashish Mehta

An employer may not force or threaten an employee to undertake any work against the employee's will.

Question: If my company changes my profile and job duties, who is responsible for upskilling me? I am going through this problem now at my Dubai-based company. While I am happy to upskill myself, the company is demanding that I pay for it. Please advise.

Answer: In the UAE, an employer may not assign different roles to an employee other than those mentioned in the employment contract without the written consent of the employee.

This is in accordance with Article 12(1) & (2) of Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 Regarding the Regulation of Employment Relationships and its amendments, which states,

“1. An employee may not be assigned another work which is substantially different from the work agreed upon in the employment contract, unless such an assignment is necessary or aims to avoid an accident or rectify the consequences thereof, provided that the assignment is temporary as specified by the executive regulations of this Decree-Law.