The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has called on employers to register their domestic workers in the Wage Protection System (WPS) to benefit from its innovative solutions as well as pay their wages in an easy and convenient manner.
In cooperation with the UAE Central Bank, the Ministry provides all employers with the option to pay the wages of their domestic workers electronically through banks, exchange houses or financial institutions accredited to provide the service by the Central Bank.
Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Assistant Under-Secretary for Domestic Workers at MoHRE, said, “Enabling the employers to pay the wages of their domestic workers through the Wage Protection System comes under the Ministry’s efforts to develop services that meet the aspirations and needs of the employers, including the national and resident families, in a manner that is consistent with the legislation regulating the work of this category.
UAE domestic worker payment
“The system would also enable employers to document the payment of wages to the domestic workers, and at the same time safeguard the payment process.”
Al Nuaimi highlighted the importance of the WPS in enhancing transparency, stability and protection of both parties to the contractual relationship, in addition to ensuring that the Ministry is constantly informed of data related to wages which helps reduce labour disputes related to wages, as well as providing a safe working environment for domestic workers, thus reflecting positively on enhancing the UAE’s reputation as the ideal destination to live and work.
Employers can benefit from the advantages of paying the wages electronically, after registering in the system and contracting with the financial authorities accredited by the UAE Central Bank to provide the service.
This service will be applied to 5 out of 19 professions within the domestic workers category, as of April 1, in line with the Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022 regarding the payment of wages for some professions of domestic service workers through the WPS.
These professions include private agricultural engineer, personal assistant, housekeeper, personal tutor, and personal trainer, with the exception of a domestic worker who has a pending labour complaint, or is unemployed, or against whom a notice of absence from work is registered, or a domestic worker who is yet to complete 30 days since the start of his/her employment contract.
The Ministry has defined 19 domestic workers’ professions, including:
- Housemaid
- Sailor/boatman
- Security guard
- Household shepherd
- Household horse groomer
- Household falcon trainer
- Physical labour worker
- Housekeeper
- Cook
- Nanny/babysitter
- Farmer
- Gardener
- Personal driver
- Private agricultural engineer
- Personal assistant
- Personal nurse
- Personal tutor
- Personal trainer
The UAE began applying the WPS to workers in private sector establishments in 2009, which has had a significant positive impact on the stability of the contractual labour relationships between the employers and the workers in this sector.
In December, the UAE introduced a new law that governs the regulation of domestic workers in the country. Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 came into force on December 15 and provides the rules on the hiring and employment of domestic workers in the UAE.
Under the new decree law a set of guidelines is provided concerning the roles of recruitment agencies, employers and domestic workers in the UAE. On announcing the new law, the MoHRE announced stressed the importance of employers providing a suitable environment for domestic workers.
A domestic worker in the UAE can only be hired if a license is first secured from the MoHRE.
-Agencies’ inputs
