The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has published a detailed awareness guide outlining the laws that define employer-employee relations in the UAE’s private sector, with a focus on fairness, transparency, and productivity, Al Bayan reported.
According to the guide, private sector employees may work up to eight hours a day or 48 hours a week, except for certain industries permitted to extend working hours under regulated conditions. Overtime is capped at two hours per day, and the total should not exceed 144 hours within a three-week span.
The ministry stated that overtime pay must be at least 25% higher than the standard hourly rate for daytime work, and 50% higher for night shifts between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. Employees required to work on their weekly day off are entitled to either a substitute rest day or a 50% increase in their basic wage for that day.
The guide also stressed the importance of timely wage payments through the Wage Protection System (WPS). Employers are mandated to pay salaries within 15 days of the due date, with all transactions documented electronically. MoHRE emphasized that workers must not bear any fees or deductions related to wage transfers or WPS registration.
In cases of financial hardship, companies are urged to seek guidance from the ministry to remain legally compliant and protect employee rights.
MoHRE also reiterated employees’ entitlements to various types of leave under federal labor law. These include 30 days of paid annual leave per year, five days of bereavement leave for a spouse’s death, three days for the death of a first-degree relative, and five days of parental leave to be taken within six months after childbirth. Emirati employees with at least two years of service qualify for study leave to sit for exams, while those performing national service are granted leave in accordance with UAE regulations.
