Abu Dhabi: Residents wishing to sponsor a domestic worker must now earn at least Dh25,000 a month, but those with a lower monthly salary can still recruit a Tadbeer-sponsored worker, an official at the Ministry of Human Resource and Emiratisation told Gulf News.
The new salary requirement, previously only Dh20,000, was meant to ensure more stability for domestic workers and match the growing cost of their recruitment, the official said on Tuesday.
He explained that the salary requirement means that the total household income or the monthly salary of either of the spouses must be at least Dh25,000.
This private sponsorship requires that the sponsor has to show a salary certificate of Dh25,000, along with his marriage certificate, his spouse’s visa (because bachelors cannot hire a domestic worker), job contract, tenancy contract of the house and electricity bill.
Residents with lower income, the official said, can opt for Tadbeer-sponsored domestic staff, which will waive the salary requirement.
“In this case, the resident who wishes to recruit a domestic worker, will sign a contract with Tadbeer, a network of recruitment agents regulated by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. By virtue of the contract, the resident will pay all costs involved in addition to a monthly salary,” the official said.
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Tadbeer offers four packages for domestic worker recruitment:
The first package relates to the recruitment of domestic workers from outside the country. The recruitment fee for this package varies for different nationalities.
Government fees for entry visas, accommodation and medical check-ups are also born by the sponsor.
The second package applies to hiring domestic workers who are registered for a contractual period of six months.
Employers who select this package on a monthly basis will pay monthly fees until the end of the six-month period.
After the end of the six months, the workers will be allowed to work as resident workers for their employers or host families, subject to the approval of involved parties.
The third package involves the temporary recruitment of domestic workers for a two-year period.
The workers will not be allowed to work as resident workers for their employers or families after the set period.
The fourth package features a flexible system for employers, who can hire workers on an hourly, daily or weekly basis. The costs are the same for workers from all nationalities at Dh120 for four hours daily, Dh200 for eight hours a day, Dh1,120 for seven days, Dh3,500 for a month.
Domestic workers are entitled to the following:
- Payment of wages, as set out in the standard contract, within 10 days from the day they are due
- One day of paid rest per week
- 12 hours of rest per day, including 8 hours consecutive rest
- 30 days paid vacation per year
- Medical insurance provided by the employer
- 30 days medical leave per year
- Round trip ticket home every 2 years
- Decent accommodation
- Decent meals at the employer’s expense
- Attire suitable for the job to be carried out, at the employer’s expense
- Possession of their personal identification papers such as passports, IDs, etc.
- Whether you are looking for a part-time or a full-time house maid, make sure you deal with registered companies who send maids on an hour-based system.
- Residents hiring illegal housemaids are fined up to Dh50,000 as per the UAE law, which stipulates that maids should be sponsored by them or by recruiters. Depending on the case, offenders not only face fines but also deportation.
