The education authority in Sharjah notified private schools in April 2020 that sanctions would be applied to any school that sacked teachers, cut salaries or forcing teachers to go on unpaid leave without their consent. The warning came as teachers reported the practices taken by schools in response to decreased numbers of children in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In June 2020, the education authority ordered schools to pay back teachers' salaries in full, including any reductions made during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authority announced that legal action would be taken against non-compliant schools.