UAE pension authority announces more flexibility for employees switching jobs

Employees insured with the UAE’s General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) now have more flexibility when switching jobs. As per amendments made to the ‘Shourak’ programme, Emirati employees can submit ‘merge’ requests within three months of joining a new company, as opposed to one as was the case previously.

Shourak allows insured employees to merge service years so they can complete the eligible pension period.

The amendments to the Shourak programme apply to requests submitted to the GPSSA after July 1, 2023, since some applications have exceeded the one-month time span and were rejected accordingly.

“In order to ensure requests are valid … the insured must submit a request to his/her entity by the end of the service period and sign an agreement declaration to ‘not be paid’ the … gratuity. They must also join a new employer within six months from the end-of-service period. A request to merge the service within three months from joining the new entity must be submitted,” explained the GPSSA.

Shourak caters to insured individuals who wish to move from one employer to another under the GPSSA’s umbrella. Insured individuals are not entitled to an end-of-service gratuity if they have spent less than one year in an entity.

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