Table of Contents
- Key Takeaways
- Employer Responsibilities at a Glance
- What UAE Domestic Worker Law Requires of You as an Employer
- The Laws Behind Your Obligations
- Who Counts as a Domestic Worker
- Rights That Cannot Be Signed Away
- Before Day One: Contract, Sponsorship, and Insurance
- Signing the Employment Agreement
- Probation: Use It as a Real Review Window
- Sponsorship Eligibility and Real Costs
- Health Insurance in Dubai
- Paying Your Domestic Worker Correctly
- Bank Transfers, WPS, and Proof of Payment
- Deductions and Delays
- Working Hours, Rest, and Leave
- Housing, Meals, Safety, and Dignity at Home
- Documents, Duties, and Work for Others
- Managing the Working Relationship Day to Day
- Set Expectations in Writing in the First Week
- Give Feedback Early and Keep It Specific
- Know the Worker's Own Obligations
- Probation, Performance Problems, and Ending Employment
- If the Worker Is Not the Right Fit
- When a Worker Stops Coming to Work
- When a Worker Wants to Leave
- Final Settlement and End-of-Service Benefits
- Resolving Disputes Before They Escalate
- Penalties and Common Compliance Mistakes
- Five Avoidable Employer Mistakes
- Employer Compliance Checklist
- Before the Worker Arrives
- In the First Week
- Every Month
- Every Year
- When Employment Ends
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Bottom Line
Blog | 12 Sep 2026
The Complete Employer Handbook for Managing Domestic Workers in Dubai
Written By: IMDAD
Fines under the UAE domestic worker law run from AED 5,000 to AED 1,000,000 for a single violation, and the amount is multiplied by the number of workers involved, up to a cap of AED 10 million, according to Article 27 of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022. Most households that hire a maid, nanny, or driver never expect numbers like that to apply to them. They think they are getting help at home. Legally, they have become an employer, with duties around contracts, pay, rest, insurance, and how a dispute is handled. The question is no longer whether to hire domestic help in Dubai. It is whether you know what you owe once the worker walks through your door.
In my experience working with Dubai households through Imdad Center, most employer problems do not start with a bad worker or a careless family. They start with an unwritten expectation: a rest day nobody agreed on, a passport kept "for safekeeping", or a wage that slipped a few days. This handbook turns the law into a working guide for employers. It covers the contract, pay, leave, insurance, day-to-day management, probation, disputes, and the penalties to avoid.
Start here if you are:
Pro Tip: Ask your Tadbeer centre for the contract in Arabic and in the worker's own language, and read the wage, rest day, and duties lines together with the worker before either of you signs.
The law treats the basic wage and the total wage as different figures. If you agree on a monthly wage plus a food allowance, write them as two separate lines so nobody has to reconstruct the arrangement later.
Note: Please check and confirm the income thresholds, since we couldn't find them on official websites; taken from external news reports.
Costs are harder to pin down than most guides admit. Commercial visa guides most often quote first-year figures of about AED 8,500 to AED 17,000 for sponsoring through a Tadbeer centre, but that is a market range rather than an official fee schedule, and published quotes vary a great deal by nationality, service model, and emirate. Some reports list much lower package fees that exclude recruitment costs. Ask for a written breakdown covering the recruitment fee, government fees, medical test, Emirates ID, insurance, and the replacement or refund terms, then add the monthly wage on top.
Note: Please check and confirm the pricing, since we couldn't find it on official websites; taken from other external websites.
Article 11 also makes you liable for compensation for work injuries and occupational diseases unless an insurer pays it. A policy that covers illness but leaves injuries to you deserves a second look before you sign.
Pro Tip: Buy the policy and confirm the insurance card has been issued before the worker arrives, and keep a copy of the policy schedule in the same folder as the contract.
The Decree-Law does not fix a wage amount. The wage is whatever your registered contract says, so agree on a figure you can sustain for the full term.
MoHRE also replaced its general WPS resolution from 1 June 2026 with Ministerial Resolution No. 0340 of 2026, which EY describes as covering private-sector establishments, so ask your Tadbeer centre whether anything has changed for household staff. Whatever the answer, pay by bank transfer and keep every receipt, because Article 15 requires payment to be provable.
Late pay has its own consequences. The Executive Regulations let MoHRE suspend your employer file if you fail to pay the agreed wage for more than two months, and list fines of AED 500 to AED 5,000 per worker for wages not paid within the Ministry's rules. Never recover recruitment costs from a worker's salary either, since Article 11 bars you from taking money from the worker unless the law, regulations, or approved contract allow it.
A family that asks its housekeeper to work through her rest day for a birthday party owes her a replacement day off or a day's wage, and cannot make a habit of it. If you travel with your worker, Article 3 says the contract terms still bind both sides unless the law of the foreign country requires otherwise, so the rest day and hours you agreed in Dubai travel with you.
Pro Tip: Set up a shared calendar at the start of each contract year with the weekly rest day, planned annual leave, and family travel dates marked, so nobody is bargaining over leave in the week you need cover.
Safety is more specific than it sounds. The Executive Regulations require you to tell the worker about occupational hazards and prevention methods when they start, and to provide protective equipment such as gloves and suitable footwear. A worker handling strong cleaning chemicals is covered by this rule, so brief them and supply the right kit.
You also cannot employ the worker in a different profession without their consent, and only within the professions the regulations allow. Work for other people is allowed only under Ministry procedures, although the regulations permit work for your relatives up to the second degree with the worker's consent. Lending your maid to a friend for a weekend is where many households cross the line, and Gulf News has reported cases of employers facing fines of up to AED 50,000 for worker swapping.
Pro Tip: Keep a simple dated log of pay dates, rest days taken, leave, and any warnings or agreed changes in a notes app or a folder. If a dispute reaches MoHRE, a clean record settles most questions quickly.
As an illustration with made-up figures, a 24-month contract that cost AED 12,000 to recruit works out to AED 500 per month of term. If the worker leaves with 18 months remaining, the formula gives AED 9,000 back.
Report accurately. The Executive Regulations let MoHRE suspend your file if an absence report proves invalid, and list a fine of AED 5,000 per worker for a malicious or fictitious report. Never file a report to win a disagreement over pay or leave.
End-of-service gratuity needs care. Article 22 leaves the calculation to a system approved by the Cabinet, and published calculators disagree on the figure, so confirm the current formula with your Tadbeer centre or the Ministry before you budget, and settle the treatment in writing in the contract. Claims under the law cannot be heard after three months from the end of the work relationship (Article 26), so settle promptly and keep a signed acknowledgement of final payment.
Two practical points follow. Courts will not hear a dispute unless the MoHRE procedure was followed first. And the Ministry can suspend your employer file for a material breach, unpaid wages over two months, or proven violence or harassment, which blocks you from recruiting another worker. On the other side of the ledger, inspectors cannot enter a family home without the owner's permission or the Public Prosecution's, and only where a complaint has been filed or there is reasonable evidence of a violation (Article 24).
Under Article 27(4), operating a recruitment or temporary-employment business without a MoHRE licence can carry up to one year in prison and/or a fine of AED 200,000 to AED 1,000,000. That penalty is aimed at unlicensed recruitment, which is one more reason to hire only through a licensed centre.
Hire through a licensed channel, pay on time and prove it, respect rest, leave, and documents, and keep a simple record. That covers most of what the UAE domestic worker law asks of you. This guide is general information rather than legal advice, and rules and fees change, so confirm current figures with MoHRE or your Tadbeer centre.
If you want to hire the right way from day one, Imdad Center works through MoHRE-licensed Tadbeer channels and can match you with a nanny, housekeeper, caregiver, or full-time maid, with the contract and paperwork handled correctly. Get in touch with Imdad Center to start the process.
In my experience working with Dubai households through Imdad Center, most employer problems do not start with a bad worker or a careless family. They start with an unwritten expectation: a rest day nobody agreed on, a passport kept "for safekeeping", or a wage that slipped a few days. This handbook turns the law into a working guide for employers. It covers the contract, pay, leave, insurance, day-to-day management, probation, disputes, and the penalties to avoid.
Key Takeaways
- Fines scale with headcount. Fines under Article 27 of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 can reach AED 1,000,000 for a single violation, and the amount is multiplied by the number of workers involved, up to a cap of AED 10 million.
- The contract is the foundation. The employment agreement must follow the Ministry's approved form and a copy must go to the worker (Article 7), therefore anything agreed verbally, from the rest day to the duties, belongs in the registered contract.
- Rest and leave are fixed minimums. Workers get at least 12 hours of daily rest (8 of them consecutive), one paid weekly rest day, and no less than 30 days of annual leave, therefore your household schedule has to be built around these limits.
- Insurance is your cost. The Dubai Health Authority states that for domestic workers employed by private families, medical insurance is the sponsor's responsibility, therefore budget for cover before the worker arrives.
- Documents stay with the worker. Article 11 requires employers to ensure the worker's right to keep their own identification documents, therefore the passport never goes into your safe, whatever the reason.
- Disputes go through MoHRE first. The Ministry attempts an amicable settlement and refers unresolved cases to court within two weeks of the complaint, therefore signed contracts and pay records are your best protection.
Employer Responsibilities at a Glance
Use this table as a starting point, then read the section that matches your situation for the detail behind each row.| Area | What the law says | What to do in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Contract | Written agreement on the Ministry's approved form, with a copy given to the worker (Article 7) | Sign before work starts and check that role, wage, rest day, and probation are written in. |
| Wages | Paid in dirhams within 10 days of the due date, with proof of payment (Article 15) | Pay by bank transfer on a fixed date and keep every record. |
| Rest | 12 hours of daily rest with 8 consecutive, plus one paid weekly rest day (Article 9; Executive Regulations Articles 7 and 8) | Agree the rest day in writing. If it is worked, give another day off or a day's wage. |
| Leave | 30 days of annual leave, up to 30 days of sick leave, and a return ticket every two years (Article 10) | Set a leave calendar at the start of each contract year. |
| Health | You bear medical costs or provide insurance (Article 11); in Dubai the sponsor insures domestic staff (DHA) | Buy DHA-compliant cover before the worker arrives. |
| Housing and daily needs | Suitable accommodation, plus meals and clothing for full-time workers unless agreed otherwise (Article 11) | Provide a private, safe room and agree meal and clothing arrangements in writing. |
| Documents | The worker keeps their own identification documents (Article 11) | Hold copies only, never originals. |
| Disputes | Complaints go to MoHRE, which attempts an amicable settlement first (Article 23) | Raise issues early and in writing, and keep a paper trail. |
- A first-time employer about to sign a contract, start with "Before Day One: Contract, Sponsorship, and Insurance".
- Already employing someone and unsure about pay or leave records, go to "Paying Your Domestic Worker Correctly" and "Working Hours, Rest, and Leave".
- Dealing with a performance problem or a worker who wants to leave, go to "Probation, Performance Problems, and Ending Employment".
- Facing a complaint, go to "Resolving Disputes Before They Escalate".
- Here only for the fines, go to "Penalties and Common Compliance Mistakes".
What UAE Domestic Worker Law Requires of You as an Employer
The Laws Behind Your Obligations
Domestic employment in the UAE is governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers, which has been amended since it was issued, including by Federal Decree-Law No. 21 of 2023. Its Executive Regulations, Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2022, add the practical detail on working hours, refunds, and penalties, and MoHRE ministerial resolutions cover contracts, licensing, and wage payment. The private-sector Labour Law does not cover domestic workers, so rules you may know from an office job, such as its notice periods or gratuity formula, do not automatically apply at home.Who Counts as a Domestic Worker
The law applies to 19 occupations, including housemaids, housekeepers, cooks, nannies, gardeners, private drivers, home caregivers, private tutors, and personal trainers. If you employ any of them in your household, this handbook applies to you, whatever the job title on the visa says.Rights That Cannot Be Signed Away
Article 28 treats the rights in the law as minimums. A contract clause that contradicts the law is void unless it gives the worker something better. A clause such as "no rest day during the first year" has no legal effect, even if both sides signed it. The same article requires the contract to be in Arabic alongside a second language the worker understands. The law also bars hiring anyone under 18 and prohibits discrimination, sexual harassment, and forced labour.Pro Tip: Ask your Tadbeer centre for the contract in Arabic and in the worker's own language, and read the wage, rest day, and duties lines together with the worker before either of you signs.
Before Day One: Contract, Sponsorship, and Insurance
Signing the Employment Agreement
Article 7 requires you to conclude the employment agreement on the form approved by the Ministry and to give the worker a copy. The agreement must state the parties, the workplace, the type of work, the start date, the term, the wage and basic wage, how the wage is paid, permitted leave, rest periods, any probation period, and the cases that can end the contract. The Decree-Law sets the default term at two years, renewable, although visa validity can differ, so check the term printed on your registered contract.The law treats the basic wage and the total wage as different figures. If you agree on a monthly wage plus a food allowance, write them as two separate lines so nobody has to reconstruct the arrangement later.
Probation: Use It as a Real Review Window
Article 8 allows a probation period of up to six months from the start date. Treat it as a genuine review, not a formality. Agree in advance what "working well" looks like: the tasks, the working pattern, and how you will give feedback. If you hired through a licensed recruitment office, the Executive Regulations also require that office to refund fees when a worker proves unsuitable during probation, as explained in the section on ending employment.Sponsorship Eligibility and Real Costs
Only MoHRE-licensed recruitment offices may recruit domestic workers, and Tadbeer centres are the network most households use. The law leaves the minimum income for a foreign resident who wants to employ a domestic worker to ministerial decisions. Sponsoring a worker in your own name has generally required a household income of AED 25,000 a month, and combined household income can count. A lower figure applies for medical need. Hiring through a Tadbeer package has not carried that threshold. Confirm the current rule with your centre before you apply.Note: Please check and confirm the income thresholds, since we couldn't find them on official websites; taken from external news reports.
Costs are harder to pin down than most guides admit. Commercial visa guides most often quote first-year figures of about AED 8,500 to AED 17,000 for sponsoring through a Tadbeer centre, but that is a market range rather than an official fee schedule, and published quotes vary a great deal by nationality, service model, and emirate. Some reports list much lower package fees that exclude recruitment costs. Ask for a written breakdown covering the recruitment fee, government fees, medical test, Emirates ID, insurance, and the replacement or refund terms, then add the monthly wage on top.
Note: Please check and confirm the pricing, since we couldn't find it on official websites; taken from other external websites.
Health Insurance in Dubai
Article 11 requires you to bear the worker's medical treatment costs under the health system in force or to provide health insurance. In Dubai, the Dubai Health Authority's ISAHD programme states that for a maid, nanny, gardener, or driver working for a private family, providing medical insurance is the sponsor's responsibility, and it sets the Essential Benefits Plan as the minimum standard of cover. Sponsors who do not comply face penalties under Dubai Health Insurance Law No. 11 of 2013.Article 11 also makes you liable for compensation for work injuries and occupational diseases unless an insurer pays it. A policy that covers illness but leaves injuries to you deserves a second look before you sign.
Pro Tip: Buy the policy and confirm the insurance card has been issued before the worker arrives, and keep a copy of the policy schedule in the same folder as the contract.
Paying Your Domestic Worker Correctly
Wages are the most common source of complaints, and the rules are short. Under Article 15, the monthly wage is paid in UAE dirhams within 10 days of its due date, and the worker is entitled to wages from the date they enter the UAE or adjust their status. Payment must be evidenced by a written receipt or another form of proof approved by the Ministry, and recruitment offices must give employers a wage receipt booklet or an equivalent mechanism under Article 5.The Decree-Law does not fix a wage amount. The wage is whatever your registered contract says, so agree on a figure you can sustain for the full term.
Bank Transfers, WPS, and Proof of Payment
MoHRE's Wage Protection System has been mandatory since 1 April 2025 for a short list of domestic professions, namely private tutors, private trainers, personal healthcare providers, personal PROs, and private agricultural engineers. It is optional for the rest, including housemaids, nannies, cooks, and drivers, according to the Ministry's announcement, its current WPS page, and Gulf News reporting from April 2025. The Executive Regulations still list a fine of AED 100 per worker for failing to register a worker in the system where registration applies.MoHRE also replaced its general WPS resolution from 1 June 2026 with Ministerial Resolution No. 0340 of 2026, which EY describes as covering private-sector establishments, so ask your Tadbeer centre whether anything has changed for household staff. Whatever the answer, pay by bank transfer and keep every receipt, because Article 15 requires payment to be provable.
Deductions and Delays
Deductions are tightly limited. Under Article 16, you can deduct for damage caused by a worker's grave mistake only with the worker's consent or the Ministry's approval, and deductions to satisfy a court-ordered debt cannot exceed a quarter of the wage. If a nanny breaks a phone and you feel she should pay, the route is agreement or Ministry approval, not a quiet cut from the month's transfer.Late pay has its own consequences. The Executive Regulations let MoHRE suspend your employer file if you fail to pay the agreed wage for more than two months, and list fines of AED 500 to AED 5,000 per worker for wages not paid within the Ministry's rules. Never recover recruitment costs from a worker's salary either, since Article 11 bars you from taking money from the worker unless the law, regulations, or approved contract allow it.
Working Hours, Rest, and Leave
The law accepts that housework does not run on office hours, so you can arrange the working day around your household. What it fixes is the floor. Under Article 7 of the Executive Regulations, daily rest must total at least 12 hours, including at least 8 consecutive hours, and time when the worker is on a break, eating, or simply not working does not count as working time.| Entitlement | What the law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Daily rest | At least 12 hours a day, with at least 8 consecutive. | Art. 9; Exec. Regs Art. 7 |
| Weekly rest | One paid rest day, agreed between you and the worker. If the worker works it, they get another rest day or a day's wage, and no more than two rest days can be worked in two consecutive weeks unless agreed otherwise. | Art. 9; Exec. Regs Art. 8 |
| Annual leave | No less than 30 days per year, paid before it is taken. Two days per month of service if service is over 6 months but under a year. You set the date and can split it into two periods at most. | Art. 10(1) |
| Work during leave | Wages plus a leave allowance equal to wages for the days worked. Not more than once in two consecutive years. | Art. 10(2) |
| Return ticket | Once every two years if the worker travels home for annual leave. A one-way ticket if the contract is ended or not renewed by agreement after leave. | Art. 10(4) |
| Sick leave | Up to 30 days per contract year with a medical report: first 15 days paid, next 15 half paid. None if the illness results from the worker's misconduct. | Art. 10(6) and (7) |
| Unused leave at the end | Cash compensation equal to wages for the leave days due, based on the last wage received. | Art. 10(5) |
Pro Tip: Set up a shared calendar at the start of each contract year with the weekly rest day, planned annual leave, and family travel dates marked, so nobody is bargaining over leave in the week you need cover.
Housing, Meals, Safety, and Dignity at Home
Article 11 spells out what a worker must receive from you beyond wages: everything needed to do the agreed work, suitable accommodation, and meals and clothing suited to the job for full-time workers unless the contract says otherwise. Treating the worker in a way that preserves their dignity and physical safety is a stated duty, not a courtesy.Safety is more specific than it sounds. The Executive Regulations require you to tell the worker about occupational hazards and prevention methods when they start, and to provide protective equipment such as gloves and suitable footwear. A worker handling strong cleaning chemicals is covered by this rule, so brief them and supply the right kit.
Documents, Duties, and Work for Others
Article 11 requires you to ensure the worker's right to keep their own identification documents, and the Executive Regulations' penalty schedule lists a fine of AED 500 per worker under the heading "maintaining supporting documents of the domestic worker", which is generally read as retaining a worker's documents. Keep photocopies for your file and leave the originals with the worker.You also cannot employ the worker in a different profession without their consent, and only within the professions the regulations allow. Work for other people is allowed only under Ministry procedures, although the regulations permit work for your relatives up to the second degree with the worker's consent. Lending your maid to a friend for a weekend is where many households cross the line, and Gulf News has reported cases of employers facing fines of up to AED 50,000 for worker swapping.
Managing the Working Relationship Day to Day
Set Expectations in Writing in the First Week
The law sets the floor, but a good working relationship is built in the first week. Write a one-page routine with the worker, in a language they read comfortably: daily tasks, which days the heavier jobs happen, the rest day, meal arrangements, what to do if a family member is unwell, and who to call in an emergency. A clear job description matters because you cannot assign work outside the registered profession without consent. A family that hired a housekeeper and then expects her to handle every night feed for a newborn has changed the job, not just added a task.Give Feedback Early and Keep It Specific
Workers who are new to the UAE are learning your home, your food, your children's routines, and often a new language all at once. Feedback works best when it is prompt, specific, and about one task at a time. "The bathroom needs to be finished before the school run" is something a worker can act on. "You are not careful enough" is not. Hold a short weekly check-in during probation, then a monthly one.Know the Worker's Own Obligations
Article 12 sets duties for the worker too. They must do the work personally and with proper care, follow your instructions unless those conflict with the contract, the law, or public morals or put them in danger, look after your property, respect the privacy of the home and keep household secrets, and refrain from work outside their permit. When a worker falls short, document it calmly and use it in a probation review or, if needed, a formal complaint.Pro Tip: Keep a simple dated log of pay dates, rest days taken, leave, and any warnings or agreed changes in a notes app or a folder. If a dispute reaches MoHRE, a clean record settles most questions quickly.
Probation, Performance Problems, and Ending Employment
If the Worker Is Not the Right Fit
If you hire through a licensed recruitment office, you are not stuck. Under Article 6 of the Executive Regulations, the office must refund fees, in whole or in part, when the worker lacks competence or good conduct during probation, when the worker leaves or ends the contract outside the permitted cases, or when your agreement with the office is breached. The formula is the total recruitment cost divided by the contract term in months, multiplied by the months remaining. The refund is full if the problem appears in the first month or the worker is medically unfit during probation, and it is due within two weeks of the worker being returned or reported absent. These refund rules do not apply to workers recruited by direct designation by name.As an illustration with made-up figures, a 24-month contract that cost AED 12,000 to recruit works out to AED 500 per month of term. If the worker leaves with 18 months remaining, the formula gives AED 9,000 back.
When a Worker Stops Coming to Work
Article 18 gives the employer five days to notify the Ministry of an absence without a legitimate reason, and gives the worker two days to notify the Ministry if they leave work without the employer's knowledge. These windows are short, so confirm the current periods with MoHRE before you rely on them. Under Article 19, the contract ends if the worker is absent without an acceptable excuse for 10 consecutive days or 15 non-consecutive days in a contract year.Report accurately. The Executive Regulations let MoHRE suspend your file if an absence report proves invalid, and list a fine of AED 5,000 per worker for a malicious or fictitious report. Never file a report to win a disagreement over pay or leave.
When a Worker Wants to Leave
A worker may leave work, keeping their rights, two weeks after notifying the Ministry when the employer cuts the agreed wage or fails to meet contract obligations and does not fix the problem. A worker who is assaulted or humiliated by an employer or their representative, or subjected to sexual assault, can leave without notice and must tell the Ministry within three days. Article 20 also lets either side end the contract if the other breaches its obligations under Articles 11 and 12.Final Settlement and End-of-Service Benefits
When the contract ends, Article 19 requires you to pay all the worker's financial entitlements within 10 days of the end date. That includes unused annual leave paid in cash on the last wage, and a return ticket home if you ended the contract for a reason not attributed to the worker.End-of-service gratuity needs care. Article 22 leaves the calculation to a system approved by the Cabinet, and published calculators disagree on the figure, so confirm the current formula with your Tadbeer centre or the Ministry before you budget, and settle the treatment in writing in the contract. Claims under the law cannot be heard after three months from the end of the work relationship (Article 26), so settle promptly and keep a signed acknowledgement of final payment.
Resolving Disputes Before They Escalate
If you and your worker cannot settle a disagreement between yourselves, either of you can submit a labour complaint to MoHRE. The Ministry hears both sides, proposes a settlement, and, if there is no agreement, refers the matter to the court of first instance with its legal opinion within two weeks of the complaint being filed (Executive Regulations Article 13). The Ministry can itself decide claims up to AED 50,000, and either side can challenge that decision in the Court of First Instance within 15 working days, under the 2023 amendment to the law (Federal Decree-Law No. 21 of 2023), which applied from 1 January 2024, covering an amendment to the law's dispute provisions. Workers are exempt from court fees at every stage, and their cases are handled urgently.Two practical points follow. Courts will not hear a dispute unless the MoHRE procedure was followed first. And the Ministry can suspend your employer file for a material breach, unpaid wages over two months, or proven violence or harassment, which blocks you from recruiting another worker. On the other side of the ledger, inspectors cannot enter a family home without the owner's permission or the Public Prosecution's, and only where a complaint has been filed or there is reasonable evidence of a violation (Article 24).
Penalties and Common Compliance Mistakes
The Executive Regulations attach administrative fines to specific employer failures, and Article 27 of the Decree-Law adds larger fines for serious violations.| Violation | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hiring a worker who is not authorised to work for you, leaving a recruited worker without work, or recruiting a worker under 18 | AED 50,000 to 200,000 | Decree-Law Art. 27(3) |
| Any other violation of the Decree-Law or its regulations | AED 5,000 to 1,000,000, multiplied by the number of workers (cap AED 10 million), doubled for a repeat within a year | Decree-Law Art. 27(6) to (8) |
| Assault, violence, or harassment by the employer or a family member | AED 20,000 per case | Exec. Regs Schedule 2 |
| Accommodation, meals, or clothing not provided, or worker placed in a different occupation without consent | AED 1,000 to 10,000 per worker | Exec. Regs Schedule 2 |
| Breach of occupational health and safety requirements | AED 1,000 to 10,000 per case | Exec. Regs Schedule 2 |
| Wage not paid within the Ministry's rules and deadlines | AED 500 to 5,000 per worker | Exec. Regs Schedule 2 |
| Medical costs or injury compensation not borne | AED 500 to 5,000 per case | Exec. Regs Schedule 2 |
| Employing a worker without a permit, or letting them work for third parties outside the rules | AED 5,000 per worker | Exec. Regs Schedule 2 |
| Malicious or fictitious absence report | AED 5,000 per worker | Exec. Regs Schedule 2 |
| Retaining the worker's supporting documents (schedule wording: "maintaining supporting documents") | AED 500 per worker | Exec. Regs Schedule 2 |
| Not registering a worker in WPS where required | AED 100 per worker | Exec. Regs Schedule 2 |
Five Avoidable Employer Mistakes
- Keeping the passport "for safekeeping." The law protects the worker's right to hold their own documents, and the penalty schedule lists a fine for retaining their documents.
- Relying on verbal side agreements. Extra duties, a different rest day, or a promised bonus only count if they are in the registered contract.
- Lending the worker to relatives or friends. Work for others needs to follow Ministry procedures, apart from close relatives with the worker's consent.
- Paying late or in a way you cannot prove. Wages are due within 10 days, and payment has to be evidenced.
- Filing an absence report to win an argument. A report that proves invalid can cost you a fine and a suspended file.
Employer Compliance Checklist
Before the Worker Arrives
- Confirm the recruitment office holds a current MoHRE licence.
- Get the contract on the Ministry's form, in Arabic and the worker's language, and read it through.
- Buy DHA-compliant health insurance, with the Essential Benefits Plan as the minimum.
- Prepare a private, safe room and agree meal and clothing arrangements.
In the First Week
- Hand over a signed copy of the contract.
- Agree the weekly rest day and the daily routine in writing.
- Brief the worker on hazards and provide protective equipment.
- Set up a bank transfer for wages and keep the first receipt.
Every Month
- Pay by the due date, and never more than 10 days late.
- Record rest days taken, any rest day worked, and any leave.
- Hold a short check-in about workload and concerns.
Every Year
- Plan the 30 days of annual leave and the return ticket due every two years.
- Renew insurance and confirm visa and contract dates.
When Employment Ends
- Pay all dues within 10 days: final wage, unused leave in cash, and the return ticket where it applies.
- Confirm the gratuity treatment with your Tadbeer centre or MoHRE.
- Get a signed acknowledgement of settlement and keep your records safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
A domestic worker is entitled to one paid rest day each week, at least 12 hours of rest each day with 8 of them consecutive, and no less than 30 days of annual leave. Sick leave can reach 30 days per contract year with a medical report. If you ask the worker to work on a rest day, you must give another day off or pay a day's wage.
No. Article 11 of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 requires employers to ensure the worker's right to keep their own identification documents, and the Executive Regulations' penalty schedule lists an AED 500 per worker fine for retaining a worker's supporting documents. Keep photocopies for your records and leave the originals with the worker.
Yes. The Dubai Health Authority's ISAHD programme states that for domestic workers employed by private families, providing medical insurance is the sponsor's responsibility, with the Essential Benefits Plan as the minimum standard. Article 11 separately requires you to bear medical costs or provide insurance, and to pay compensation for work injuries unless an insurer does.
Yes, in defined cases. A worker can leave two weeks after notifying MoHRE if you cut the agreed wage or fail to meet contract duties and do not fix it. A worker who is assaulted or humiliated can leave without notice and must inform the Ministry within three days. Either side can also end the contract by agreement.
Article 8 allows a probation period of up to six months from the start date. If you hired through a licensed recruitment office and the worker proves unsuitable in that period, the office owes you a full or partial refund, and a full refund if the problem appears in the first month or the worker is medically unfit.
Notify MoHRE within five days of an unexcused absence, as Article 18 requires. The contract ends after 10 consecutive or 15 non-consecutive days of absence without an acceptable excuse. Report only genuine absences, because a malicious or fictitious report carries a fine of AED 5,000 per worker and an invalid report can lead to your file being suspended.
The Decree-Law does not fix a wage figure. The wage is whatever your MoHRE-registered contract states, and it must be paid in dirhams within 10 days of the due date. Market rates depend on nationality, role, and experience, so ask your Tadbeer centre for current ranges, and write the basic wage and any allowances as separate lines in the contract.
The Bottom Line
Managing a domestic worker well is less about strictness than about clarity. Employers who put the contract, the rest day, the pay date, and the household routine on paper at the start rarely end up in front of MoHRE. Employers who leave those things to habit and goodwill often find out what the law says at the worst possible moment.Hire through a licensed channel, pay on time and prove it, respect rest, leave, and documents, and keep a simple record. That covers most of what the UAE domestic worker law asks of you. This guide is general information rather than legal advice, and rules and fees change, so confirm current figures with MoHRE or your Tadbeer centre.
If you want to hire the right way from day one, Imdad Center works through MoHRE-licensed Tadbeer channels and can match you with a nanny, housekeeper, caregiver, or full-time maid, with the contract and paperwork handled correctly. Get in touch with Imdad Center to start the process.
