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Employment laws and regulations

Different laws apply to domestic workers, employees of the public and private sectors and free zones. Read about the key provisions of the laws for
the various groups.

Public sector Public sector employees

employees
Employment laws for the federal sector
Private sector At the federal level, Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) is in charge of managing
employees human resources for ministries and federal authorities which are subject to the Decree law.

Public sector employees are governed by the Federal Decree Law No. 11 for the year 2008, as amended. These
Free zones
laws apply to the civil servants who are earning their salaries from the federal budget, as well as the civil
employees employees working at federal authorities and corporations.

Domestic Ministries and federal authorities whose laws provide that they will have exclusive job regulations are
exempted from the above Decree within the limits of its stipulations.
workers
Further, Council of Ministers' Resolution No. 15 of 2013 on the Human Resources' Regulation for the
Independent Federal Entities applies to the employees working at independent federal entities listed within.

Read employment laws and regulations pertaining to the UAE’s federal sector on the website of Federal

Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR):
Human Resources Law - Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR)
Federal Decree Law No.11 for the year 2008 on Human Resources in the Federal Government as
amended by Federal Decree Law No. 9 for the year 2011, and Federal Decree Law No. 17 for 2016
Federal Decree Law No. 11 for the year 2008, as amended by the Federal Decree Law No. 9 for the year
2011
Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2018 On the Executive Regulations of Human Resources Law in the Federal
Government
Human Resources Regulation for the Independent Federal Entities (Council of Ministers' Resolution No.
15 of 2013 on the Human Resources' Regulation for the Independent Federal Entities) 
Cabinet resolutions

Employment resources
Check the following resources on the website of Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR):
Work systems
Guides
Templates of employee contracts
Circulars
Publications
Studies
HR Echo (a bilingual specialised  magazine issued by FAHR
HR Magazine (an online magazine issued by FAHR on a monthly basis)
Bayanati (Bayanati is a Human Resources Management Information System adopted by FAHR
Archives

 Employment laws for the local governments of the UAE

Abu Dhabi Human Resource Law (Arabic only)- Human Resources Authority –Abu Dhabi
Human Resources Law (Arabic only )- Dubai Government Human Resources Department
Human Resources Law - Human Resources Department-Government of Ras Al Khaimah
Regulations and Circulars - Human Resources Department-Government of Ras Al Khaimah
Decree No. 04 of 2017 on Human Resources Law (Arabic only) - Central Department of Human Resources
Ajman

Guidelines
Guidelines and systems - Dubai Government Human Resources Department
Guidelines (Arabic only) - Central Department of Human Resources -Ajman 

Resources on health and safety at workplace

Guidelines for Health and Safety in Workplace in the Federal Government

UAE Occupational Health and Safety management System (OHSMS) National Standard
Safety in heat - Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health Center
Complying with environment and safety regulations - Dubai Government portal
Healthy work environment - the official portal of Sharjah Government
Occupational noise - Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health Center
Work stress - Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health Center

Pensions in the UAE

Find laws and forms which pertain to the pensions of Emirati citizens.
Federal pension laws for Emirati citizens
Federal Law No. 7 of 1999 Concerning the Issuance of the Law on Pensions and Social Security

Abu Dhabi pension law for the local government of Abu Dhabi

Law No. 2 of 2000 regarding Civil Retirement Pensions and Benefits in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi

Forms

Check these forms on the website of General Pension and Social Security Authority

Employer services application forms

Insured services application forms
Pensioner services application forms
GCC application forms

Check for more laws and circulars on the website of General Pension and Social Security Authority. 

Private sector employees

Working in the private sector

Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 also known as the Labour Law as amended governs the labour rights of employees
in the private sector.

The Labour Law handles matters related to working hours, vacation and public holidays, sick leave, employing
juveniles, maternity leave, employee records, safety standards, termination of employment and end of service
gratuity payments. According to Article 3 of the Law, it applies to all employees working in the UAE, whether
UAE nationals or expatriates. However, there are certain categories of employees who are exempt from the
law and may have to follow another set of regulations.

As amended by Federal Law No. 24 of 1981 and Federal Law No. 12 of 1986, the provisions listed in the law do
not apply to the following categories:

employees and workers of the federal government and the local governmental departments
employees and workers in public entities and institutions, whether federal or local, and employees and
workers appointed for governmental, federal and local projects
members of armed forces, police and security
domestic servants in private households and similar occupations
workers in farms or pastures with the exception of persons working in agricultural institutions
processing the products thereof or the persons permanently operating or repairing mechanical
machines required for agriculture.

Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, known before as Ministry of Labour is responsible for
overseeing the employer-employee relations and maintaining labour rights for the private sector.

Laws and regulations

Read the laws and regulations that govern the private sector employment in the UAE.
The Labour Law
Resolutions and Circulars

Labour law – key provisions

Here are some of the key provisions of the Labour Law:

working hours
official leaves and vacations
wages Protection System (WPS)
end of service benefits
safety at work place
accommodation
insurance.

Working hours

Article 65 of the UAE Labour Law identifies the normal working hours for the private sector as 8 hours per day
or 48 hours per week.

The working hours may be increased to 9 hours a day for businesses, hotels and cafes after approval from
MoHRE.

Government entities are not governed by the Labour Law and they operate for 7 hours daily.

Working for more than 7 hours a day is prohibited in arduous or unhealthy works and industries.

Normal working hours are reduced by two hours daily during the holy month of Ramadan.

An overtime is considered if the nature of job demands working beyond normal working hours and it will
entitle the employee for a pay equal to normal working hours' remuneration plus 25 per cent of that pay. It
could increase to 50 per cent if overtime is done between 9 pm and 4 am.

Related link

Ministerial Decree No. 401 of 2015 Concerning the Determination of Midday Working Hours

Official leaves and vacations

Friday is the official weekend for all workers, except for daily wage workers. If circumstances require an
employee to work overtime on that day, he will be entitled for regular working hours' pay, plus an increase of
not less than 50 per cent of that amount.

Employees are entitled for paid leave on the following public holidays:

Hijri New Year - 1 day

Gregorian New Year - 1 day
Eid Al Fitr - 2 days
Waqfa day and Eid Al Adha - 3 days
Prophet Mohammed's birthday - 1 day
Isra and Miraj or the Ascension Day - 1 day
Commemoration or Martyr's Day - 1 day
National Day - 1 day.

In addition, employees are entitled to an annual leave of:

2 days per month, if they have completed six months of service but not one year
30 days, if they have completed one year of service.

Employees are entitled to a sick leave of not more than 90 days per year subject to conditions stipulated in the
law. They will receive full pay for the first 15 days, half pay for the next 30 days and no pay for the rest 45 days.

Employees may be granted a special leave without pay, which may not exceed 30 days for the performance of
Hajj once throughout his service. This is granted only once during his years of employment.

Employees are not entitled to any paid sick leave during the probation period.

Working during official holidays or leave days

If the work requires the employee to work on an official holiday or a leave day, he shall be granted another
rest day with a wage equal to 150% of his basic wage for that day.

If he is not granted another rest day, the wage shall be 250% of his basic wage for each day as per Article 81 of
the UAE Labour Law.

Related links:

Working Hours and Leaves - MoHRE

8-hour shifts, overtime, annual leave in UAE Labour Law - Emirates24/7
UAE Labour Law Section 7 - Working hours - Gulf News 

Wages Protection System (WPS)

The Wages Protection System (WPS) is an important step to ensure and protecting the rights of workers, and
to establish trust between organisations and their employees. Under this system, salaries of employees will be
transferred to their accounts in banks or financial institutions, which are authorised by Central Bank of the
UAE to provide the service. For any concerns or complaints regarding the salary, employees can contact the
MoHRE or lodge a complaint through eNetwasal.

As per Ministerial Decree No. 739 of 2016 Concerning the Protection of Wages, all establishments registered in
the Ministry shall pay the wages of its employees on the due date through the WPS.

Related links

UAE Labour Law Section 5 - Payment of Wages - Gulf News

Ministerial Resolution No. 788 for 2009 on Wages Protection System - MoHRE
Minimum Dh7,500 for private sector Emiratis - Emirates24/7
WPS Guideline - Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
Wages Protection System - the official portal of Abu Dhabi Government

End of service benefits 

Read about this in the pensions and end of service benefits' page.

Safety and health at work place

Articles 91 to 101 of the UAE Labour Law specify the provisions for employees' safety and health care.

Reduction in working hours

Construction and industrial workers are not permitted to work during the hottest hours of the day during the
summer. Any firm found to have staff working during the designated break time would be fined AED 5,000 per
worker up to a maximum of AED 50,000.

Also, employees are entitled to work 2 hours less every day during the holy month of Ramadan.

Useful links:

No law on heat-linked work stoppage - Gulf News

UAE construction workers welcome mandatory midday break - The National
UAE workers to get mandatory midday break - Khaleej Times

Protection against injuries

Employers should provide their employees with suitable means of protection against injuries and dangers
such as a fire which may result from the use of machinery and other work equipment and against
occupational diseases which may be contacted during work.

Employers shall display in a permanent and visible place at the work site, detailed instructions regarding the
means of preventing fire and the means through which employees can protect themselves from hazards to
which they might be exposed during work. These instructions shall be in Arabic, and if necessary another
language understood by the employee.

Employers must keep a first aid kit or kits containing medicines, bandages and other first aid material readily
available.

Medical check-up

At least once every six months, employers have to assign at least one physician to examine thoroughly the
employees who are exposed to the possibility of contracting one of the occupational diseases. The results of
such examination should be recorded on the employees' files.

Prohibition of alcohol on work premises

No employer may bring or allow others to bring any kind of alcoholic drinks for consumption on work
premises.

Working in remote areas

Every employer who employs staff in remote areas that are not served by public means of transportation
must provide his employees with the following services:

suitable transportation
suitable accommodation
suitable drinking water
suitable food
first aid services
means of entertainment and sports activities.

All the above services apart from food material will be on the employer's account.

In case of an injury or death at workplace

According to Article 149 of the Labour Law, the compensation for death at work is equal to the basic wage of
the worker for 24 months, provided that the amount of compensation is not less than AED 18,000 or more
than AED 35,000.

The amount of compensation is calculated on the basis of the last wage received by the worker prior to his
death.

Read about what to do in case of an injury or death at workplace.

Labour accommodation

In June 2009, the UAE Cabinet launched the Manual of the General Criteria for the Workers' Accommodation.
The manual sets standards for minimum facilities that must be provided to the labourers while adhering to
the established environment, health and safety laws. It also recommends providing recreational amenities for
them. Municipal authorities regularly inspect the accommodations.

Under the UAE National Programme for Happiness and Positivity, MoHRE launched a series of initiatives for
labour happiness. These initiatives include: Happiest Work Environment, Best Labour Accommodation,
Happiest Bus and Happiness SIM. The Best Labour Accommodation initiative aims to comply with and fulfill
the Manual of the General Criteria for the Workers' Accommodation.

As per the Ministerial Resolution No. 591 of 2016 concerning the commitment of establishments,
establishments with 50 or more workers, where the wage of each worker is less than AED 2000 per month,
must provide accommodation for its workers. 

Sources:

The National
Gulf News

Related links

Occupational Safety and Health - MoHRE

Abu Dhabi occupational Safety and Health Center OSHAD

Insurance

Abu Dhabi and Dubai applies compulsory insurance coverage for all employees: nationals and expatriate
residents. Read about insurance in the health section.

Read about the provisions for recruiting UAE nationals in the private sector.

Minimum wages

There is no minimum salary stipulated in the UAE Labour Law, however it broadly mentions that salaries must
cover basic needs of the employees.

Article 63 of the Labour law mentions that the minimum wage and cost of living index is determined either in
general or for a particular area or a particular profession by virtue of a decree and consent of the Cabinet.

Useful links:

UAE salary guide 2015: Are you being paid enough? - Gulf News
Wages in Abu Dhabi's construction sector jump 17 per cent in 12 months - The National

Workers’ rights international agreements

Read about major international agreements ratified by the UAE.
 
Emiratisation laws and policies in the private sector
The UAE is implementing a strategic plan to promote Emiratisation in the private sector. Read about these
laws:
Emiratisation Laws
Emiratisation in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Emiratisation in Ajman (Arabic only)
Emirates Nationals Development Programme
The National Program for Emiratisation (Tawteen)

 
Resources      
Read some resources which pertain to private sector employment on the website of Ministry of Human
Resources and Emiratisation:
WPS Guideline 
A Warm Emarati Welcome to all Arriving Guest Workers
Al Amal magazine

 
Forms
Check templates of job offers and contract services on the website of Ministry of Human Resources and
Emiratisation. 

Free zones employees

Those working in free zones are generally not governed by the UAE Labour Law. Each free zone authority has
its own employment law and employees are subject to the rules and regulations of their respective free zone
authority.

Employees are under a contract with the respective free zone authority. The provisions set out in the
employment contract must be in accordance with the Labour Law.

Moreover, free zone employees are sponsored by the respective free zone authority and not by their
employer.

Read about laws that govern free zones on the 'Complying with labour laws' page.

Useful links:

Know the law: Are you exempt from provisions of the UAE Labour Law? - Emirates 24/7

Read about Emiratisation resolutions.

Read about employment of people of determination.

Domestic workers
In September 2017, H. H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE approved Federal Law
No. 10 of 2017 on support service workers. The law, also known as Domestic Labour Law offers protection to
workers. Read more.

Updated on 04 Sep 2018

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