What an employer can do under Domestic worker law UAE?

In December 2022, Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 will replace Federal Law No. 10 of 2017 on Domestic workers. The revised domestic worker law UAE has given employers and employees explicit instructions on behaving during employment tenure.

Since the law is designed to protect employees and employers, both parties must uphold the terms of the contract they signed.

What must include in the contract is also specified by the ministry. Click here to discover more about the domestic worker contract in the UAE.

Apart from meeting the contract terms with recruitment agencies and domestic workers, the employer has the following obligations:

The Employer obligations under domestic worker law UAE

1. Provide domestic workers with all of the resources they need to complete their jobs efficiently.
2. Provide appropriate housing for domestic workers.
3. If the domestic worker is recruited full-time, the employer is responsible for providing meals and clothing. If the domestic worker works part-time, it depends on their agreement; otherwise, it does not require.
4. According to UAE domestic worker law, the employer requires to pay the employee’s salary on time or face legal consequences.
5. The employer should provide proper health care insurance for the domestic worker or bear all medical expenses if the worker becomes ill.
6. Labour law for domestic workers in UAE has prohibited discrimination against the domestic worker therefore employers should treat them with courtesy and maintain their dignity.
7. without having a ministry-issued hiring license. The employer can not employ the domestic worker directly. In such a scenario, recruitment agencies in UAE can recruit on behalf of the employer.
8. The employer should provide compensation for workplace injury and occupational disease to the domestic worker in accordance with Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. The employer can not relieve from this obligation unless the insurance company pays the compensation.
9. Except with the explicit consent of the domestic worker, the employer cannot assign duties that differ from the nature of the work.
10. The employer should allow the domestic worker to keep all official documents, including the visa, work permit, and passport.
11. If a domestic worker dies while serving, the employer must pay the monthly wage and any other outstanding entitlements to his or her heirs.
12. The employer cannot charge the domestic worker directly or indirectly in the name of recruiting or punishment.  If the employer wishes to deduct from the employer’s remuneration should be taken approval from the ministry.
13. If a domestic worker violates the contract, the employer must contact the ministry, and the employer has no choice but to follow the ministry’s decision.
14. The employer bears the cost of the domestic worker’s repatriation to his or her home country.

15. The employer must adhere strictly to government decrees regarding domestic employees in the UAE.

The Domestic worker law applies to both employers and domestic workers in the UAE. There are various types of jobs that fall within the domestic worker category, so you should be aware of whether your visa and the nature of your work have matched or not.

Visit this post to learn more about the different types of domestic workers’ jobs in the UAE.