Ministry details 6 cases under which a domestic worker can't get work permit before a year

Abdul Rahman Saeed, Staff Reporter

A domestic worker is granted a work permit only after one year has elapsed from the date of his departure from the country in six cases, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE).

These include:

1) a proved report of his absence from work,

2) if found drunk or under the influence of narcotic drugs, whether by his own admission or by proof from the competent authorities,

3) if convicted of a crime that affected his honour, integrity or public morals,

4) if he assaulted his employer or his family, by his own admission or by proof from the competent authorities,

5) if he took photos or videos of his workplace and published them to the public, whether by his own admission or by proof from the competent authorities and

6) if he was absent from work without a legitimate reason for 10 consecutive days or 15 intermittent days, the MoHRE said.

The absence from work report is cancelled in following five cases.

1) If it is proven that 10 consecutive days have not elapsed since the domestic worker was absent from work or from the end of his leave,

2) if it is proven that he was at work or on a legally approved leave, whether or not the employer was aware of this,

3) if the employer approved to reinstate the employment relationship,

4) if the domestic worker returned to the domestic worker recruitment office that brought him in to stay there or to leave the country

5) if it is proven that the absence from work report was incorrect

A domestic worker is entitled to an annual fully paid leave of not less than 30 days, it said, adding that if his service period is less than one year and more than six months, he would be entitled to two days’ leave each month, it said.

The employer, however, has the right to determine the start of the annual leave and to divide it into a maximum of two periods, if necessary, it added.

The domestic worker is entitled to a daily rest of not be less than 12 hours, provided that he works for no less than eight consecutive hours and that the times that he spends without work, resting or eating will not be counted within the actual working hours, it said.