In brief:

• This article considers the effect of Article 18 of DIFC Employment Amendment Law for which there is no equivalent in the wider UAE (or other free zones);

• Article 18 is very clear in its construction and leaves little room for interpretation;

• At the date of this article, Article 18 has only been considered and applied by the DIFC Small Claims Tribunal;

• Clarification is expected early next year when the DIFC Court of First Instance has its first opportunity to consider and rule on Article 18;

• Article 18 may have unintended consequences which may result in further amendments to DIFC Employment Law.