UAE continues to strengthen and support domestic labor rights

The United Arab Emirates is continuing to strengthen the labor rights of domestic workers by establishing legal rights framework to preserving the labor rights and domestic worker well being. The legal rights framework is to keep pace with the UAE’s social values instilled in the principles, including tolerance and co-existence. Under this framework, UAE Labor Law Decree Federal Law No.9 for 2022 was issued by the country to strengthen domestic labor rights.

Under the UAE labor law, the executive resolutions that are issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization will be responsible for systemizing working hours and leaves for the domestic workers. The law also specifies that breaks on a day cannot be less than 12 hours, that includes eight working hours. The law also covers all issues related to domestic labor, guaranteeing the rights of all parties in a relationship, whether workers, employers or recruitment agents, in line with clear standards and frameworks, as mentioned by WAM, the Emirates News Agency.

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The decree law stipulates annual leave, which is the right of domestic workers, of no less than 30 days. WAM notes that if the service period is less than a year and over six months, the domestic workers are entitled to two days leave per month. Furthermore, the law stipulates that if domestic workers are to travel to their home countries on annual leave, employers will have to cover their return tickets cost once in every two years. But if the two parties agree to not renew or terminate their employment contract after the domestic worker’s annual leave, the employer has to cover the cost of only one way ticket.

Keeping the domestic worker well being as priority, to the UAE labor law affirms that it is the right of domestic workers to have a sick leave for period of 30 days maximum during contract year, “whether continuous or intermittent if the need for this leave can be proven by a medical report issued by an approved national health authority”. This leave is calculated as the first 15 days being at full pay while the next 15 days being at half pay, WAM mentions.

“The employer’s obligations also include only employing domestic workers who have obtained a work permit, in accordance with the provisions of the decree law and its executive regulations, as well as the resolutions issued by the ministry, along with paying the necessary compensation for work injuries and occupational diseases, in accordance with the compensation set in the provisions of Decree Law No. 33 for 2021 regulating labor relations and related decisions.” Federal Decree Law No. 9 for 2022 was issued on 9^th September, 2022 and will come into effect three months after its publication in the Official Gazette.