According to www.al-monitor.com, the “Domestic Helper Law” lays out several rights of workers, according to the UAE Ministry of Human Resources. The following are some of the rights: A paid one-day break per week; At least 12 hours of break per day; A yearly paid vacation of at least 30 days; A roundtrip plane ticket every two years paid by the employer for the worker to take a vacation in their home country; A maximum of 30 days sick leave; Receiving a copy of their work contract.
The law further stipulates that recruitment agencies must carry out “health checks” of domestic workers at least 30 days before they enter the UAE. The agencies must also inform the workers about Emirati social and cultural norms and secure them “appropriate” accommodation and living conditions, according to the ministry.
The Domestic Helper Law was passed last week and will take effect Dec. 15, the official Emirates News Agency reported today.
Why it matters: A Gulf-focused advocacy organization Migrant-Rights released a report last month detailing the difficulties laborers — including domestic workers — from Uganda contend with in the country.
“Workers traveling from Uganda to the UAE, across various sectors, complain of paying recruitment fees, and deplorable working conditions,” read the report.
The UAE is hardly alone in this. Qatar, for example, has been widely criticized for the treatment of foreign workers in the lead up to the World Cup in November.
Know more: The UAE also launched a new unemployment insurance plan today. The measure offers three months of compensation for private and public sector workers who lose their jobs. It is part of the Emirates’ efforts to attract more talent and investment from abroad, according to Reuters.
