Khalifa approves domestic workers law
Iron-clad bill of rights and responsibilities for domestic workers and employers leaves no room for lapses
Alaw stipulating working conditions for domestic workers, including a regular weekly day off, 30 days of paid annual leave and the right to retain personal documents, has been approved by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The new law also provides for a daily rest of at least 12 hours — including at least eight consecutive hours.
Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, said the law strikes a balanced domestic worker-employer relationship and regulates it in a way that protects rights of all parties involved.
The new professions under the domestic helpers’ category (only for households, not companies) are: housemaid, private sailor, watchman and security guard, household shepherd, family chauffeur, household horse groomer, household falcon carer and trainer, domestic labourer, housekeeper, private coach, private teacher, babysitter, household farmer, private nurse, private PRO and private agriculture engineer.
The law will take effect two months after it is published in the official gazette.
The new law for domestic workers in the UAE has been signed into implementation and with this, the UAE crosses another milestone in its continual efforts to create a happy society for all. A thorough piece of legislation, the iron-clad bill of rights and responsibilities for domestic workers and employers leaves no room for lapses in terms of worker welfare, dignity of place in society and appropriate remuneration. In fact, the law is remarkable for its comprehensive attention to the roles and duties of all parties concerned — workers, employers and placement agencies.
The new law also firmly addresses the matter of abusive practices in respect of payment of wages making certain that violations are met with uncompromising penalties. Thanks to the start-to-finish transparency of the recruitment procedure, that begins with a model employment contract to be accredited by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, workers will be armed with every bit of information on their duties and rights before they cross their national borders, rather than be caught unawares after they arrive, as was the case sometimes. At the apex of worker safety is a clause that provides them with the right to revoke their contract on their own if the employer violates any clause. Additionally, workers now also have access to specialised tribunals at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and courts in case of disputes. With around 750,000 domestic workers in the UAE comprising nearly 20 per cent of the expatriate workforce, it is critical that this segment of society be immunised from any form of exploitation and the new law ensures this will now be the prevailing principle, aligned with the international standards in domestic worker industry.