‘Employers did not have sufficient time’ to look at alternatives and ‘so they went into the default’ plan The end of service gratuity (EOSG) is a payment linked to how long an employee has worked for a company, which translates into a lump sum when they leave that employer. From 1 February 2020, the regime for expat workers was replaced in the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC) with the DIFC Employee Workplace Savings Plan (Dews) or an alternative qualifying scheme (AQS). There were a number of issues with the previous system that sometimes meant expats received no EoSG at all; or their former employer took a substantial financial hit as the money to be paid had not been put aside over the employment contract and it was, instead, taken out of cash flow.