License to Employ Domestic Workers in UAE;  The Punishment for Breaking the Law is as Follows

ABU DHABI: Residents will be required to have a license to hire domestic workers in the UAE.  This change will be with the coming into force of the new law regarding domestic workers in the UAE.

If recruitment is done through recruitment office or through sponsors, all related expenses will be borne.  Sections of the new Act deal with all areas related to domestic workers.

According to the new law, domestic workers cannot be hired either temporarily or permanently without a license from the ministry, the Ministry of Human Resource Development said on Tuesday.  It is clear that no money should be taken from domestic workers and no one under the age of 18 should be hired for domestic work.

Illegal employment of domestic workers in the UAE will result in severe action.  The minimum fine is Dh50,000.  This will go up to a maximum of two lakh dirhams.  Misuse of work permits issued for domestic workers or employment of a person below the age of 18 as a domestic worker will attract a fine of this amount.

Illegal work without obtaining a work permit for workers, recruiting domestic workers and then not giving them work, using the work permit obtained in the name of domestic workers for other purposes, terminating the operation of the recruiting agency without following the necessary procedures and not giving the rights to the workers and completing other legal procedures are all within the scope of violations.  A fine of up to two lakh dirhams will also be imposed for such violation.