The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has urged employers and families – both citizens and residents – to deal exclusively with Domestic Worker Recruitment Offices that are licensed by the Ministry.
This serves to safeguard their rights and allow them to benefit from the advantages provided by these offices, which operate in accordance with standards and regulations that ensure the rights of all parties involved, as per Federal Decree-Law No. (9) Of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers.
In a press statement issued today, the Ministry asserted that it deals firmly with recruitment offices that are found to be practicing without the necessary licenses from the MoHRE, in accordance with legal frameworks, in addition to investigating every complaint from parties dealing with recruitment offices licensed under the law and its executive regulations, in a bid to ensure the rights of all parties involved.
The Ministry encourages customers to visit its website www.mohre.gov.ae and review the list of approved and licensed recruitment offices (under Services / Authorised Service Centres) or through its social media channels, cautioning of the legal, social, and health consequences for citizens and residents who deal with unauthorised recruitment offices, which include employing untrained labour and lack of guarantees for the domestic worker, unlike the services provided by authorised offices.
The MoHRE imposes strict and gradual administrative penalties on licensed recruitment offices that commit legal violations, ranging from suspending services to cancelling the office’s license, depending on the nature of the violation.
The violations and administrative penalties outlined in Cabinet Resolution No. (106) of 2022 regarding the executive regulations of Federal Decree-Law No. (9) Of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers include a series of financial penalties that licensed recruitment offices face in case of non-compliance. This includes a fine of AED2,000 (per case) if the office fails to return all or part of the recruitment fee to the employer within the period specified in the executive regulations, which is two weeks from the date the domestic worker returns to the recruitment office, or from the date of reporting the worker’s job termination.
Furthermore, a fine of AED10,000 is imposed on any recruitment offices that deal with any unauthorised employment agency, individual, office, or entity in the UAE or the country of origin of the domestic workers recruited, or for dealing with foreign entities that the MoHRE prohibits dealing with. The regulations also specify a fine of AED5,000 (per case) if the recruitment office collects additional amounts beyond what is prescribed by the laws, regulations, and ministerial decisions in this regard.
The Ministry affirms that among the advantages afforded to customers dealing with licensed recruitment offices is a two-year guarantee if a domestic worker stops working or refuses to work. Additionally, a portion of the recruitment fees is refunded if two specific conditions are met during the period between the end of probation and the end of the contract, namely, if the worker terminates the contract without just cause, or if they leave the job after the probation period without an acceptable reason. The refunded amounts are calculated based on the remaining duration of the contract (in months) and the total recruitment cost.
Authorised and licensed recruitment offices offer several packages tailored to the needs of employers, and families of citizens and residents, including the Traditional Package, where the worker is registered under the employer’s file and lives with them during the contract period of two years, which is the timeframe during which the recruitment office insures the worker. This package allows the employer to replace the worker or recover recruitment costs in one of four cases during the first six months of the contract (the probation period). These cases include the worker terminating the contract without just cause, leaving the job without an acceptable reason, poor health, or an inability to perform the required tasks as agreed upon.
Recruitment offices also offer the Temporary Package, providing a trained and qualified domestic worker within 24 hours, who is registered with the office for a contractual period of two years.
Additionally, offices offer the Flexible Package, allowing for a registered domestic worker to have a flexible schedule (hours, days, weeks, or months). Recruitment fees vary depending on the type of employment, with a range of advantages including the provision of qualified and trained labour within 24 hours at most, along with an unlimited number of replacements.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation receives complaints related to Domestic Worker Recruitment Offices through its call centre at 600590000 and its website www.mohre.gov.ae, as well as its mobile application.