Domestic workers are entitled to a fully paid day off weekly in UAE

Abdul Rahman Saeed, Staff Reporter

A domestic worker is entitled to a fully paid day-off weekly and to an alternative day-off or a cash allowance equivalent to his daily pay if he works on his day off, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE).

The worker’s day-off shall not be less than 12 hours a day including eight continuous hours at least in accordance with the law on domestic workers and its executive regulations regarding domestic worker’s days-off and leave and the related provisions, the MoHRE said.

The MoHRE pointed out that a domestic worker is entitled to a 30-day paid annual leave, noting that the worker can accumulate his leave accrued for more than two years and obtain them together once his contract is renewed. A domestic worker is also entitled to a cash allowance equal to the days of unused accrued leave if his contract is terminated, it said.

The MoHRE explained that holidays established by law or agreement shall be added to the worker’s annual leave, and so shall any other periods due to illness if they overlap with this leave. A domestic worker is entitled to a sick leave of 30 continuous or intermittent days as a maximum in the contractual year, it added, noting that the first 15 days will be paid in full and the next 15 days unpaid.

Meanwhile, the MoHRE has developed a mechanism to complete three services for domestic workers easily and smoothly. These services include canceling the domestic worker’s residence permit, renewing his residence permit and registering a complaint of work interruption, it said.

The development of these services for domestic workers is considered as a first stage for the development of all services related to domestic workers, which are available through the MoHRE’s smart app in the Google Play Store and Apply App Store as well as its website www.mohre.gov.ae and call centre on the toll-free number 80060. The MoHRE indicated that the domestic workers in the country belong to eight nationalities; namely, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Nepal and India.

The new mechanism to easily complete domestic worker’s services includes 6 steps: The employer enters the app by inputting his ID card number and date of birth. This enables a list of all domestic workers registered on employers’ file to be shown.

He then pays the required fees and submits the application directly to receive an SMS with the OTP verification code on his mobile phone number registered with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP).

The worker on whose file the service is required to be rendered will then be selected and the required data inputted, the MoHRE said, adding that the employer will then receive an email with the payment receipt and a copy of the documented contract in case the service is for renewal of domestic worker’s residence permit.

The MoHRE called on employers to take advantage of the advantages of paying domestic workers’ wages through the Wage Protection System (WPS), which allows them to pay the wages on time and in the easiest and smoothest way preserves their right to prove the payment process.

It pointed out that the WPS includes all domestic workers’ professions, which include domestic worker, sailor, housekeeper, cook, security guard, private driver, shepherd, household horse groomer, falcon caretaker, laborer, household farmer, gardener, private coach, private tutor, private nurse, private PRO and private agricultural engineer.

Meanwhile, the MoHRE stated that canceling a domestic worker’s work permit requires seven steps. These include entering the personal account in the MoHRE’s app, choosing to cancel an electronic work permit from the direct services, choosing a facility, selecting the worker and entering the details of the worker’s passport and residence, giving the reason for cancellation, obtaining the worker’s signature and finally submitting the application.