Domestic Worker Jobs in UAE in 2024

A person willing to seek domestic worker jobs in UAE performs the task of different household services for a particular individual or family, like child care service, housekeeping, cleaning, and household maintenance. It can also include cooking, laundry, ironing, and other household work. The UAE domestic helper law applies to 19 services as a work occupation. Moreover, the law strictly prohibits discrimination domestic helpers face based on race, religion, colour, and political opinions.

Who are Domestic Helpers according to UAE Law?

The UAE Domestic Helpers Law is applicable to the below-mentioned service work occupations:

• Private sailor

• Watchman and security guard

• Housemaid

• Household shepherd

• Family chauffeur

• Valet parking workers.

• Private coach

• Household horse groomers

• Housekeeper

• Household falcon caretaker- and trainer

• Domestic labourer

• Private coach/personal teacher

• Gardener

• Private nurse

• Household farmer.

• Private PRO

• Private agriculture engineer

• Cook 

What are the key areas of Domestic Labour Law?

UAE Domestic Labour Law has its own regulations and working. It regulates the four key areas under the domain of the protection of all the domestic workers in UAE:

• The legal contracts.

• The helper’s rights and privileges.

• The prohibitions.

• The recruitment agencies.

The hiring process of domestic helpers, according to UAE Law

According to the UAE Law, they have made various Tadbeer Centres, whose services are monitored by MOHRE, replaced with agencies recruiting these domestic helpers. These Tadbeer Centres provide a visa, proper work orientation, and training. These centres provide the basic four packages to recruit domestic helpers. 

The packages like:

• Direct Sponsorship: In this package, the Tadbeer Centre conducts the recruitment process of domestic helpers from outside the UAE. They assure you of performance and loyalty for 180 days. The visa provided would be under the direct sponsorship of the family employing you as a helper.

• Direct Sponsorship after 6 months: In this package, all the families can temporarily hire all the domestic workers for 6 months. After this period, the worker's visa would be transferred under the family sponsorship based on the agreement of both parties, i.e. employer and worker.

•  Tadbeer Sponsorship: This package provides the option to hire domestic helpers under the category of the Tadbeer Centre sponsorship.

• Time-Based Package: this package gives the families on-demand services to hire the domestic helper under the category of the Tadbeer Center sponsorship. It provides very flexible services entirely according to the need of the customer.

The Regulation of the Domestic Helpers Contract in UAE

The UAE government imposes strict regulations through the laws that empower and protect all domestic helpers in the UAE for their safety at work and otherwise. It implies that:

• All the agencies recruiting workers have to present a copy of the job offer to the worker before the worker departs from his national country. It implies that your hiring agency will give you proof of hiring as a job offer before your departure from your country to the UAE.

• The standard contract accredited by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) will eventually govern all the terms and conditions of your employment as a domestic helper in the UAE.

• If the hiring party(employer) or you(worker) fail to meet the contract's obligations, then at any point in time, it may lead to the termination of the contract.

• And if you have met the obligations or the employer has met the obligations, then also the contract can get terminated.

• This is acknowledged as the “no-fault” termination process in the above two cases. But it will automatically lead to compensation according to the details mentioned in the Domestic Labour Law.

Know about your rights as a domestic worker clearly and the contract terminologies.

1. Entitlements of the Domestic Helpers in UAE

All the domestic workers in UAE are entitled to various rules, as per the Domestic Labour Law. Look at the points below to get an insight:

• The domestic helper will get 1 day of paid rest per week.

• The payment of the wages, as mentioned in the contract would be done within 10 days from the day, they are due, accordingly.

• Domestic helpers will get 12 hours of rest per day, inclusive of the 8 hours of consecutive rest.

• Domestic workers will get 30 days of paid vacation per year. 

• The domestic worker is assured of medical insurance by the employer. 

• The domestic worker will get 30 days of medical leave per year.

• The domestic worker will also get a round trip to the home town every 2 years.

• You would be entitled to decent accommodation.

• You'll get decent meals at the employer's expense.

• The job attire must be carried out at the employer’s expense.

• All the personal identification papers, like passports, IDs, etc., would be possessed by the employer.

• You or your employer can refer a dispute with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE). The ministry will try to solve the case within 2 weeks; if the ministry cannot do so in 2 weeks, the matter will be forwarded to the court.

• The cases you will file to the court will be entitled to free court fees at all of the stages of litigation, and all of them will be cured promptly and speedily.

2. The Legal Prohibitions under Domestic Labour Law in UAE

• No one under the age of 18 years would be hired.

• Discrimination based on race, gender, colour, religion, and political opinion is strictly prohibited.

• Any kind of sexual harassment, whether verbal or physical.

• The “forced labour” or “trafficking” according to the national law and the ratified international conventions.

• Exposure to any kind of physical harm is strictly prohibited.

• Assigning the tasks that are not mentioned and covered in the contract. 

3. The Regulation of the Recruitment Agencies for Domestic Workers

Only UAE-registered natural or legal persons with good standing may only recruit domestic workers into the UAE. The agencies, on their own or through a third party, are not allowed to solicit and accept any worker, whether before or after the employment, any form of the commission in exchange for the employment.

If there is any case of early termination, the agency must send the worker back to his country at its expense and either offer the employer an acceptable substitute worker or return the fees paid to him by the employer.

The agencies must treat all the workers decently every time and refrain from any act of violence.

So, this is all you got to know about the Domestic Worker Job in UAE. Still facing an issue? Dive into the FAQs to know more!