Health insurance. Annual leave. End of service benefits. Life insurance. These are all benefits employees understand and expect.

But there is one area of employee wellbeing that is rarely discussed: what happens to an employee’s family, finances and responsibilities if they pass away?

For employees living in the UAE, particularly expatriates, this can affect everything from bank accounts and end of service benefits to dependent visas, guardianship and the distribution of assets. This is where estate planning becomes an employee benefit worth talking about.

What Could a Family Suddenly Face?

When an employee passes away in the UAE, their family may need to navigate several legal and financial processes at once.

Bank accounts are blocked once the bank is notified of the death. End of service benefits need to be dealt with. Dependent residency will be affected. If there are young children, guardianship becomes an immediate concern. The family may also need to identify properties, investments, insurance policies and other assets before the estate can be administered.

Now imagine dealing with all of that while grieving. The real problem is often not that these matters cannot be resolved. It is that families were never prepared for them.

Where Can Employers Make a Difference?

Employers already invest heavily in the wellbeing of their people. Estate planning education can become another part of that support. It can help employees understand questions such as:

• Do I have a Will in the UAE?
• Have I nominated beneficiaries for my employee benefits and life insurance?
• Who would care for my children if something happened to me?
• Does my family know what assets I own and where to find the documents?
• Would my family have access to money while my estate is being processed?

Protecting Employees Means Thinking About Their Families Too

After more than 20 years of working with families in the UAE, Just Wills has seen what happens both before and after a death. We help families prepare through Wills, guardianship, Powers of Attorney, family protection and legacy planning, but our work does not end there. We also support families after a passing through probate and estate administration.

Bring Estate Planning into Your Employee Wellbeing Strategy

Just Wills works with organizations across the UAE to educate employees about estate planning and help families prepare for the future. Speak to our team to explore an employee estate planning session for your organization.

Uzayr Marria | Global Corporate Accounts Director