First, there are the responsibilities of workers:
The worker is held responsible to the employer for completing the work assigned to him by himself, in the manner agreed upon, and in accordance with his profession's standard practices. Furthermore, while performing his duties, the worker must keep decency and morality in mind, as well as follow the employer's directions and orders within the scope of the latter's right to manage and supervise the work. In addition, the worker must keep the trade secrets that he learns while performing his job duties. The worker must also keep the objects that are handed to him in order to complete his work. They must also follow the terms of their employment contract's non-compete clause. The commitment of the worker to properly perform the work is the most important of these obligations. To that end, the employer must determine the type of work that must be performed by the employee, as well as the start date and duration of employment, all of which are critical details that must be included in the employment contract.
“Specifies in the work contract, in particular, the date of concluding it, the date of commencement of work, its type, place, and duration if it is a fixed period, and the amount of the wage,” according to Article 36 of the Law on Labour Relations.
Then there's The Worker's Rights:
Every aspect of working in the UAE has been re-evaluated, from recruitment to housing, to ensure that all immigrant workers are treated with respect and can easily report instances of mistreatment. It established rules to govern the recruitment process from the start, prohibiting any charges imposed as recruitment fees on potential employees in the UAE. Workers' passports cannot be confiscated, and they are not required to obtain permission from their employers to leave the country. Other immigrant worker reforms include:
- Implementing a new standard employment contract that outlines mandatory employment procedures for newly hired employees and UAE residents.
- Ratifying nine conventions relating to worker rights from various international labour organizations.
- Creating new regulations that allow workers to freely move from one job to another and enroll in new ones.
- Organizing public awareness campaigns to educate workers about their rights and responsibilities.
- Enforcing the wage protection system to ensure that employees are paid on time and in full.
- Introducing a new insurance system to protect private sector employees' benefits and rights.
- Employing children under the age of 15 is prohibited.
- Introducing a new domestic law that establishes the principle of informed consent, requiring workers to be aware of the contract terms, nature of work, workplace, remuneration, and daily and weekly rest periods.
- Holding the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) and working closely with the countries from which the labour comes to address the specific challenges that migrant labour faces in the Asia-Gulf migration corridors.
Six specific commitments are proposed for adoption in the Global Compact for Migration. These are some of them:
- Recruitment practices that are compliant with international standards are being implemented.
- Prior to departure and after arrival, provide all migrant workers with information on their rights and obligations.
- Ensure that all migrant workers, particularly domestic workers, have safe and decent working conditions.
FTD's partners will help you understand your rights as an employee. Please contact us if you have any questions!
