Whether you need a nanny to care for your children or a cook to guarantee you eat healthy meals of your choice on a regular basis, hiring a domestic worker in the UAE may be a requirement for some families. However, you may be hesitant to hire a full-time employee for your specific requirements. The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) recently announced modifications to the country’s domestic worker recruitment rules, introducing three distinct packages for families to choose from, based on their needs. Here’s everything you need to know.
Agencies replace Tadbeer centers
Following the implementation of Cabinet Resolution No. 92 of 2022 Concerning Licensing And Regulating The Work Of Domestic Workers Recruitment Offices, MOHRE announced earlier this year that domestic worker recruitment businesses would replace Tadbeer centers.
The Ministry of Labor asked citizens to exclusively deal with approved recruitment agencies on April 14 this year, in order to protect the rights of employers and domestic employees. Employers can choose from a variety of packages given by the Ministry when hiring domestic helpers.
1. Traditional package
In the typical package, the employee is registered with the employer and lives with him or her for the duration of the contract, which is two years.
The package permits the employer to replace the worker or claim the costs of recruitment within the first six months of probation, according to the Ministry.
– The worker cancels the contract without valid reason;
– The worker leaves work without good reason;
– The worker is not medically fit;
– The worker is unable to complete the work tasks in the required and agreed-upon manner.
In the first two cases, a portion of the recruitment costs will be refunded even after the probationary period has ended until the end of the two-year contract because both cases involve the worker terminating the contract after the probationary period without a legitimate reason or leaving the job without an acceptable reason.
The refund amount is calculated based on the number of months left on the contract and the overall cost of recruitment.
2. Temporary package
A temporary package is also available from recruitment offices, which provides a trained and qualified worker within 24 hours. This employee remains under the agency’s sponsorship and is employed for a two-year contract. In this package, however, the worker will not live with the family for whom he or she is working.
3. Flexible package
Families would be able to hire a domestic worker on an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly basis under the flexible package, depending on their needs. Depending on the type of job, the cost of recruitment will vary. This package includes a variety of benefits, including the provision of certified and trained domestic employees as well as the ability to replace the worker as needed with no restriction on the number of times you can do so. In addition, identical to the temporary package, the worker will be delivered within a maximum of 24 hours.
How does one know that the agency is licensed?
MOHRE has been educating residents on the importance of not dealing with unregistered agencies because there is no way to file a complaint if your rights as an employer are abused. But how do you know if the business you’re dealing with is valid? The simplest method is to inquire about the agency’s company number or trade license number.
Once you have this number, you can call MOHRE’s hotline or visit their website to see if the agency is registered with the Ministry.
- Using the MOHRE hotline to check the agency
– Call 800 60.
– Choose your desired language.
– For domestic employees, choose option 2.
– Choose the option to speak with a representative.
You can ask an agent if the agency you’re dealing with is registered with the Ministry after you’ve reached them.
- Checking the agency on the MOHRE website (mohre.gov.ae)
– Go to ‘Services,’ then ‘Enquiry services.’
– Choose ‘Company Information’ or ‘Company Information by Licence No.’ from the dropdown menu.
– Once you’ve provided the information, the system will tell you if the company is registered with the Ministry as a domestic worker recruitment agency.