Former Petrofac employees who were part of the November 19 layoffs told Khaleej Times that they have now received their salaries for the 19 days worked in November. This has brought them initial clarity on the first portion of their settlement.

Employees said the payment had been expected, as they were informed that November 19 would be their final working day. For many, the partial salary has provided short-term relief, and they are now waiting to hear about their final settlement from the management.

The former long-term employees are now seeking clarity on the three-month notice-period salary they believe should be paid under UAE labour rules for terminated staff. They said that receiving only 19 days of pay has left them uncertain about how they will manage upcoming expenses, including rent, school fees, EMIs, and household bills.

One employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, explained that the lack of a notice-period payout has put families under pressure.“My notice period is three months. If I resign, I must serve three months. If the company terminates me, they must pay me three months' salary,” said the employee.

“Instead, they paid me only for 19 days of November because that was the day they ended our employment,” he said.“Where is the supposed payout for the remaining two months and 11 days? That amount is my right. Without it, I can't manage my children's school fees, rent, and EMIs,” said the employee.

Another long-serving staff member who previously spoke to Khaleej Times said that many of them had planned their month assuming they would receive both their final month's salary and their notice-period compensation.

“Our notice period is three months, that applies whether we resign or get terminated,” he said.“But they stopped everything on November 19 and paid only for for those 19 days. With just this partial salary, how do we pay rent, bills, and school fees? This is the most stressful part.”

Employees said Petrofac informed them that the full settlement process would take up to 14 days from the date of termination, and that a detailed statement of account, covering all dues, airfares, leave balance, and any remaining payments, would be issued before December 3.

Employees said that they are waiting for this statement before drawing any conclusions about their final entitlements.“They told us the statement will come as per the contract, and once we get it, we will know what the company is offering us,” one employee said.“Until then, it's all guesswork. We just want clarity in writing so we can plan our next steps.”

Khaleej Times attempted to reach Petrofac for comment through the company's landline number, but multiple calls went unanswered. No official statement had been issued at the time of publishing this story.

Petrofac has been facing operational and financial challenges in recent months, leading to multiple rounds of restructuring. Employees are concerned over end-of-service benefits and settlement timelines. Former staff members told the media that gratuity payouts, leave encashments, and notice-period salaries were unclear or delayed, adding to financial stress for families with long-term commitments in the UAE.

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