Rights Of Employees And Workers

overview

Overview​

The UAE is firmly committed to fulfilling its obligations towards all employees and workers within its diverse workforce. This is strongly reflected in its national legislations from the constitution to the labour law. It is further reiterated through its membership in the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Arab Labour Organisation, and other multilateral organisations focused on workers’ rights and labour standards.

The UAE recognises that respect for workers’ rights is a moral, cultural and economic imperative, and has taken proactive and resolute steps to implement laws, regulations and policies that enhance working conditions for its labour force and address any gaps.

As a result of these efforts, the UAE was acknowledged in February 2023 by Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director General of the ILO, for its progress on workers’ rights. Houngbo stated: “We do believe that the country is making efforts, and when efforts are made, we need to encourage and recognise. I’m pleased to see such efforts going on and also pleased to see the ambition the UAE has in continuing to reform the labour market”.

Legislative framework

Comprehensive legislative protections, as well as enforcement, monitoring and reporting mechanisms, are implemented to ensure workers are treated with respect and without discrimination. Measures also empower workers to report disputes and incidents of abuse confidentially.

In November 2021, the late President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued Federal Decree - Law No. 33, which governs employment relations in the private sector, granting workers the opportunity to take on temporary and flexible work, freelance jobs, condensed working hours, and shared jobs.

The UAE is a signatory of nine International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, including six of the 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

ILO Hours of Work (Industry) Convention, 1919 (No. 1).

ILO Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100).

ILO Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105).

ILO Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111).

ILO Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138).

ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182).

ILO Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29).

ILO Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81).

ILO Night Work (Women) Convention (Revised), 1948 (No. 89).

Committed to driving further progress on workers’ rights, the UAE adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and is working to implement all 23 of its objectives. These include upholding labour recruitment procedures that are in line with international standards; informing workers of their rights and duties before they leave their home countries; and ensuring safe and dignified working conditions.

Private Sector

The UAE has established a labour complaint service using an integrated smart system to ensure the implementation of labour law in the private sector. Plaintiffs can register complaints online, eliminating the need for physical visits, reaching workers in all geographical areas. Complaint data is appraised by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s Intelligent Legal Researcher system, and cases may proceed to one of three UAE litigation courts if unable to reach amicable settlements.

private sector
Digitised Services

Digitised Services

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has digitised most of its services, making them accessible through mobile apps, websites, and service centres. The dashboard for employers provides information on facilities, domestic helpers, statistics, reports, employee data, and wage protection. Transactions can be signed and finalised through the app, enabling workers and employers to complete their transactions from anywhere within the UAE. The app also allows employers to view wage protection data for each months, including payment details.

Commitment to occupational health and safety

The UAE prioritises the health and safety of workers through a robust and comprehensive strategy, guided by international standards, incorporating ongoing technological advancements to mitigate human error, and the provision of necessary training of labour inspectors to safeguard workers in the workplace.

Employers in the UAE are also obligated to provide health insurance for all employees, ensure safe working conditions, and provide the necessary equipment to prevent any physical injury or potential harm to employees.

Commitment to occupational health and safety
Milestone Achievements

Milestone Achievements

UAE laws mandate paid leave, rest days, medical insurance, accommodation, transportation, meals, and access to free of charge legal support.
Since January 2023, the UAE has implemented a mandatory unemployment insurance scheme, whereby eligible employees are offered up to three months’ cash compensation. The scheme is part of the UAE's efforts to attract and retain employees, while reducing business risks so that employees who lose their jobs receive financial aid and search for an alternative employment opportunity.
To fully protect the wages of more than 5 million UAE workers, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation launched the second phase of its wage protection system – the first of its kind to ensure that overtime hours and vacation days are calculated in wage agreements throughout the year.

Expatriate workers

The UAE is a major destination for expatriates and is home to the world’s fifth largest population of overseas workers.

Expatriate workers in the UAE play a crucial role in both the UAE’s economy and their countries of origin. This impact is primarily due to the remittance system, which empowers families and communities around the world. According to the World Bank, the UAE ranked as the second-largest source of remittances worldwide in 2020, with UAE-based migrants sending a total of £35.37 billion.

Expatriate workers
migrant workers

Temporary Migrant workers

Recognising the importance of protecting vulnerable groups, such as temporary migrant workers, the UAE has also introduced a number of safeguarding measures to protect the rights of overseas workers.

The UAE strictly prohibits charging workers or potential employees any recruitment fees, and robust measures are in place to protect against the confiscation of workers’ passports.
Workers are educated on their rights, employee obligations, and ways to report abuse through workshops held at official Tadbeer verified and Tawjeeh centres. Workers are also offered the ability to report unpaid wages with assistance in 13 different languages.
The UAE regularly and consistently conducts inspections of worker accommodations and is able to suspend business licenses or refer companies to the public prosecutor in cases of violations.

Domestic workers

The UAE recognises the importance of protecting the rights of domestic workers. UAE Federal Law No. 9 of 2022 stipulates stringent provisions for recruitment agencies and employers, clearly outlining their obligations to prevent exploitation of domestic workers.

Specifically, the UAE protects domestic workers against financial exploitation, abuse, harassment and forced labour, and ensures that their rights are upheld before the law. Employers are legally required to communicate the contract terms, the nature of the job, the workplace, the wage, and daily and weekly time off to the domestic worker they are seeking to employ. The law requires that this information be relayed to the worker before they are recruited and before leaving their home country.

In addition to the general protection enjoyed by everyone in the UAE, the law provides an additional set of rights for domestic workers. Domestic workers have the right to at least 12 hours of daily rest, the right to be paid the costs of their medical treatment, and the right to receive the value of a return ticket to their home country once every two years.

The law also stipulates that the employer provide domestic helpers with appropriate accommodation and proper meals, and prohibits the employer from retaining workers’ identification documents, such as passports, identity cards, etc.

Domestic workers are required to fulfil the mandatory orientation requirement prior to resuming their duties, assuring their knowledge of the laws and empowering them with the mechanisms in place to access justice in cases of dispute and guarantee their entitlements through the dispute resolution mechanisms applied by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

domestic workers