Domestic worker absconding? Here’s how to complain to MOHRE

It’s crucial to keep in mind that all domestic employees in the UAE must be hired through licensed agencies if you want to employ one. You must submit an application for a domestic worker’s work permit to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization even if you intend to hire them directly (MOHRE).

This ensures that an employer’s rights are protected in the event that a domestic worker leaves the job unexpectedly or does not finish the assignment. On July 1, MOHRE used its social media platforms to inform employers of what they should do if their domestic helper disappears.

MOHRE advised employers in the post that they might submit a complaint through any of the following channels within five days of the domestic worker’s absence:

• MOHRE’s smart app ‘MOHRE UAE’.
• Recruitment offices.
• Tawseel vehicles.
• Ministry’s website mohre.gov.ae

How to file an absconding worker complaint?

The following steps should be followed in order to register an absconding complaint:

1. choosing a service “Register a domestic worker labor complaint”
2. Give the worker’s work permit number and your contact information as the sponsor.
3. Enter the specifics of the complaint.
4. Include an attachment (optional).

MOHRE states that the complaints are handled in 14 working days.

Also Read: UAE Labour Law – Filing and tracking complaint by MOHRE

Your duties towards domestic workers

MOHRE also brought attention to specific obligations that companies should remember when hiring domestic employees in its social media post:

• Supply all necessities, including food, lodging, and other necessities.
• Pay them wages.
• Offer health insurance.

A comprehensive list of an employer’s obligations is provided by Federal Law No. 10 of 2017 on Domestic Workers. According to Article 15 of the law, the employer should:

1. Outline the conditions for carrying out the agreed-upon work.
2. Make the worker a decent accommodation.
3. As long as the employee works full-time and not in accordance with the temporary employment system, provide all necessary meals and work-appropriate attire, unless otherwise agreed.
4. Take on responsibility for the worker’s medical expenses in accordance with the state’s health regulations.
5. Behave in a way that respects the worker’s dignity and ensures the body’s safety.
6. Not employ any of his/her employees unless those employees are authorized to work in accordance with the provisions of this Law and its Implementing Regulations, and not permit the employee to engage in any work with a third party, except in accordance with the conditions and rules stipulated in those regulations.
7. Unless the insurance company pays this compensation, pay the required compensation for occupational illnesses and injuries in accordance with the tables of compensation attached to the law in effect regulating employment relationships.
8. Employ a worker in a profession unrelated to the nature of his or her employment unless the person gives consent and the profession is one that is protected by this Law.
9. Ensure the employee’s right to keep their supporting documentation.
10. Pay the worker’s heirs who pass away while on the job their full monthly salary and any additional benefits that may be due.
11. Not receive, in person or through his/her intermediaries, any sums or any remuneration, unless provided for in this Law, the Implementing Regulations, or the contract model approved by the Ministry.
12. Inform the Ministry of any violations of the rules in effect committed by the Worker. In these situations, the Employer is required to abide by the Ministry’s requests.

How to contact MOHRE?

You can contact MOHRE’s call center at (600) 590000 to learn more about your obligations and rights as an employer.