A practical resource for UAE HR professionals covering crisis communications, mental health support, legal obligations, and how to get more from your group medical insurance.
The question being asked most this week: "What does our insurance actually cover for mental health?"
If you've been fielding this question from employees or leadership, you're not alone.
It’s the most common thing HR teams are asking us right now, and the honest answer is most plans cover more than people realise - but the information is rarely communicated in a way that’s easy to use.
Here’s what to check with your insurer or broker as a matter of urgency:
- Whether outpatient mental health consultations (psychiatry and psychology) are covered, and with which in-network providers
- How many sessions are covered per year - many plans include 5 to 15 outpatient sessions
- Whether tele-psychology (online or phone consultations) is available - particularly important for employees who are hesitant to attend in person
- Whether your plan includes an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - many do, and most employees have no idea
- Whether the EAP covers family members as well as the employee
- How an employee can easily access these benefits - does it require a GP referral, or can they self-refer?
- Whether counselling at clinics and wellness centres qualifies, not just hospital-based services
Once you have these answers, produce a short plain-language summary and get it to your employees this week.
Clinical benefit language — "outpatient psychiatric consultation, subject to deductible" — means nothing to someone struggling at 11pm.
What they need to know is: who can I call, how do I book, and what will it cost me.
Always close with a clear statement that using these benefits is completely confidential and won’t affect their employment. That reassurance is often the difference between someone reaching out and suffering in silence.
If you’re unsure what your plan covers or need help translating the details into something usable, get in touch with us at hello@aesinternational.com. This is exactly what we’re here for.
Understanding the impact on your workforce
The psychological toll of conflict - even from a distance
Research consistently shows that workers with family, cultural, or national ties to conflict zones experience significantly elevated levels of anxiety, sleep disruption, and difficulty concentrating at work.
But the impact extends beyond those with direct connections.
Constant exposure to conflict news, which UAE-based psychologists have described as among the most significant sources of stress in the current environment, creates what clinicians call "vicarious trauma" and "compassion fatigue" across entire teams.
Common signs your employees may be struggling include:
- Increased absenteeism or arriving late and leaving early
- Visible distress, tearfulness, or sudden emotional reactions
- Withdrawal from colleagues or a drop in communication
- Reduced concentration and more frequent errors
- Interpersonal tension, especially between colleagues from different national backgrounds
- Complaints of headaches, fatigue, or sleep problems
This sits on top of existing health risks
The UAE workforce already carries a high burden of stress-related and chronic conditions - heart disease risk, diabetes, musculoskeletal issues, and burnout are among the leading drivers of absence and insurance claims.
Crisis periods amplify all of these. A spike in anxiety today can accelerate the deterioration of a chronic condition that was manageable last month.
We work closely with HR teams across the UAE, and we see first-hand how crisis periods ripple through a workforce - often in ways that don’t show up as an obvious mental health claim, but as a spike in ER visits, GP appointments, and specialist referrals. Behind every one of those is a person who needed support earlier.
Getting ahead of it, with the right resources in place now, is better for your people, and it means your medical costs are less likely to spiral when renewal comes around.
Your legal obligations under UAE law
Federal Mental Health Law No. 10 of 2023
The UAE's Federal Mental Health Law came into force on 30 May 2024, replacing a framework that had been in place since 1981. For employers, it’s not optional guidance - it creates clear, enforceable obligations.
There are three pillars every HR leader must understand.
Non-discrimination. You can’t restrict duties, demote, or terminate an employee because of a mental health condition without a formal report from a specialised medical committee and full compliance with UAE Labour Law. Verbal performance concerns alone aren’t sufficient grounds.
Strict confidentiality. Any mental health information an employee shares - whether with you, a manager, or HR - must be treated as strictly confidential. It can’t be discussed beyond those who genuinely need to know and must not be used in performance or disciplinary proceedings without legal basis.
Supportive workplace duty. Employers are expected to actively ensure a working environment that respects and accommodates employees with mental health conditions. This includes reasonable adjustments to workload, hours, or environment where possible.
What does this mean in practice during a period of conflict?
When an employee discloses war-related anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD symptoms, or sleep problems linked to the conflict, your legal starting position is: support and accommodate. The law significantly limits disciplinary action and termination in these circumstances.
Practical steps to stay compliant:
- Train line managers to document supportive conversations, not disciplinary ones, when mental health is raised
- Ensure any reasonable adjustments - temporary workload reduction, flexible hours, brief check-in meetings - are recorded in writing
- Never share an employee's mental health disclosure in team meetings, performance reviews, or with other employees
- If performance genuinely deteriorates, consult HR and legal before taking any formal action - the law creates significant procedural requirements
UAE labour law intersections
The Mental Health Law works alongside Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (UAE Labour Law).
Key points: employees may be entitled to sick leave for mental health conditions just as for physical illness; the prohibition on discrimination in employment applies to mental health status; and dismissal without following due process creates liability under both laws.
What to say to your employees
The communication principles that matter most
How leadership communicates during a conflict period has a measurable effect on employee well-being, trust, and team cohesion. The goal is to acknowledge without inflaming, to support without overstepping, and to point people toward help without implying weakness in seeking it.
Acknowledge. Name the situation. Employees know what is happening - silence from leadership reads as indifference, not neutrality.
Stay neutral. Focus on human impact, not political positions. Your workforce spans many nationalities and perspectives - maintain a safe space for all.
Point to help. Tell employees specifically what support is available, where to find it, and that using it’s encouraged and won’t affect their employment.
Repeat. Don’t make one announcement and consider the issue closed. Regular, brief check-ins signal that care is ongoing, not performative.
The most important thing a manager can do: pick up the phone
Beyond formal communications and policy, the single most impactful thing a line manager or business owner can do right now is reach out to their people directly and personally. A phone call - not an email, not a message - carries a weight that no company-wide communication can match.
It says: I’m thinking about you specifically.
Managers don’t need a script for this. They simply need to ask how someone is doing, listen without rushing to fix anything, and make clear that support is available and that the person won’t be judged for using it.
If that conversation surfaces real distress, the right move is to increase the frequency of contact - not to step back. Regular, brief check-ins from a trusted manager are one of the most effective forms of psychological support available, and they cost nothing.
How to handle check-in conversations well
The goal is to open the door, not to provide counselling. Managers should ask open questions about well-being, listen actively, and then direct the person toward professional support rather than trying to solve the problem themselves.
A few important things managers must not do: promise confidentiality beyond what policy allows; offer clinical advice or attempt to diagnose; minimise what the person is experiencing ("try not to think about it" or "we all have to keep going"); or share what was discussed with colleagues, including other managers, without the employee's knowledge.
If a manager is concerned about someone's immediate safety, they should contact HR straight away and, in serious situations, call 800-HOPE (800-4673) or emergency services.
A note for managers: you need support too
During a crisis, HR managers and team leaders are often the people least likely to seek help. They’re expected to hold the team together, stay calm, absorb distress from multiple directions, and present themselves as steady and capable - all while managing their own anxiety about the same situation.
This is genuinely hard.
The same resources available to your employees are available to you. The same medical cover, the same helplines, the same EAP if your organisation has one.
Using them is not a sign of weakness - it's what makes it possible to keep showing up well for your team. HR should make this clear when briefing team leaders: we’re asking a lot of you, and support is there for you too.
Setting boundaries on workplace conversations
Conflict-related discussions can escalate quickly, especially in diverse teams where colleagues hold different national identities and political views.
HR and managers need clear boundaries in place before tension arises.
Issue a brief reminder of your code of conduct and anti-harassment policy, with specific reference to conflict-related comments, stereotyping by nationality or religion, and zero tolerance for discrimination.
Brief team leaders that political debates have no place in meetings, and that no commentary should attribute collective responsibility to individuals based on their nationality.
If tensions arise between colleagues, intervene early - offer mediation or separate parties before the situation escalates into a formal complaint. Document any incidents, no matter how minor they appear.
Free UAE mental health resources to signpost
HR doesn’t need to be the primary support mechanism - you simply need to know where to point people. The UAE has a growing number of free and low-cost mental health services that your employees can access without insurance or a referral.
Include these details in email footers, intranet pages, and any wellbeing communications.
|
800-8877 (then 2,2) |
Emirates Health Services "Speak, We’re Listening" |
|
800-1717 |
SEHA "Istijaba" (Abu Dhabi) |
|
800-SAKINA (725462) |
Abu Dhabi DoH/Sakina Helpline |
|
800-HOPE (4673) |
National Mental Health Support Line |
|
999 – Police Emergency 998 – Ambulance Emergency
|
In case of emergencies |
When to escalate beyond signposting
If an employee appears to be in crisis - expressing thoughts of self-harm, appearing severely dissociated, or in acute distress – don't leave them alone. Call 800-HOPE or, in emergencies, 998 (Ambulance) or 999 (Police).
Notify HR immediately and document the incident. Don’t attempt to provide clinical assessment or intervention yourself, and follow up the next day to ensure appropriate care has been put in place.
From guidance to action: 5 practical steps for HR
Step 1: Acknowledge the situation internally
Issue an all-staff note from HR or a senior leader within 24 to 48 hours of a major conflict escalation. Acknowledge what is happening, reaffirm that mental health support is available, and make clear using it will not affect employment. Post the same message on your intranet and internal communication channels. Employees notice when leadership is quiet during a crisis - and they remember it.
Step 2: Brief your managers and ask them to reach out personally
Schedule a 30-minute briefing for all line managers, either live or recorded. Cover what managers should do (reach out personally, check in, listen, signpost), what they must not do (provide therapy, share disclosures), and how to escalate if they’re concerned about someone. Provide managers with the hotline details and the plain-language benefits summary so they can share them in one-to-one conversations.
Then ask each manager to make direct, personal contact with every member of their team this week. Not a group message - individual calls or conversations. This is the most impactful thing you can do, and it can’t be replaced by any written communication.
Step 3: Activate and communicate your medical benefits
Confirm what your plan covers using the checklist at the top of this guide. Produce the plain-language benefits summary and circulate it alongside the all-staff message. Pin it on your HR portal or intranet so it remains visible beyond the initial communication.
Step 4: Set guardrails on workplace conversation
Re-issue your anti-discrimination and code-of-conduct policy with a brief note referencing conflict-related behaviour and your expectations. Ask managers to proactively redirect political debates or potentially divisive conversations in team settings. Create a low-barrier reporting mechanism - even just a named HR contact - for employees who witness or experience inappropriate behaviour.
Step 5: Keep close and check in regularly
The most important thing you can do over the coming weeks is maintain regular personal contact. For employees who showed signs of distress, increase the frequency of check-ins. For those who seemed fine, do not assume they still are - some people take time to process. A brief, genuine "how are you doing this week?" from a manager or HR contact carries enormous weight during a sustained period of uncertainty.
Resources to support your team
We’ll keep this section updated as new resources become available. If you’d like us to add something or have a resource to recommend, get in touch at hello@aesinternational.com
2) Read: 'Staying calm in uncertain times: what UAE mental health professionals advise' - Gulf Business
3) Read: 'Crisis messaging stress in wartime: UAE psychologists explain the pressure to stay connected' - Gulf News
4) Read: 'War anxiety: how to cope' - Harvard Health
How can we help you?
At AES Health, our role isn’t simply to advise on insurance policies.
We help you protect your people - and during a period of regional conflict, that means being here with practical, usable guidance, not just at renewal time.
If you want to talk through how to support your team during this period, our advisers are here. Get in touch.
