UAE: Unhappy with the domestic worker provided by an agency? Here are your rights.
Employers can get a refund on costs for full-time workers hired through agencies.
Dubai: If you are a UAE resident who has hired a domestic worker through an agency, you are entitled to a refund of the recruitment cost you have paid, in certain cases.
An online post on the official social media channels of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) on Tuesday, October 18, stated that MOHRE-approved recruitment agencies provide a two-year (24 months) warranty for the employer if their domestic helper refuses to work or is unfit to meet their job requirements.
The post highlighted the rights of an employer if he or she finds that the worker is unfit, or refuses to work:
- Ask the recruitment agency to replace your domestic helper or refund the total amount if the helper served less than 30 days.
- If they served more than 30 days, the employer has the right to ask for a replacement or refund.
How is the refund calculated?
As the contract for domestic workers is for 12 months, with employers required to pay recruitment fees for the complete tenure, you are entitled to seek a refund for the number of months the worker has not been under your employment.
For example, if you paid a recruitment fee of Dh15,000 (for a two-year or 24-month period), and the worker was only under your service for four months, here is how your refund will be calculated, according to MOHRE:
Total recruitment cost – [Total recruitment cost ÷ 24 x Months of service]
So, in the example above, here is how the refund will be calculated:
Dh15,000 – [Dh15,000 ÷ 24 x 4]
= Dh15,000 – Dh2,500
= Dh12,500
So, you are entitled to a refund of Dh12,500, in the example above.
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