UAE Publishes List of 6 Things Employers Cannot Subject Domestic Workers To

• The UAE government has outlined six acts that employers are strictly barred from carrying out against domestic workers under federal law
• The prohibitions span discrimination, harassment, forced labour, and physical harm, among other conduct covered by the legislation
• UAE law also requires employers to obtain government approval before assigning domestic workers duties outside the scope of their original contract

The United Arab Emirates has published a formal list of six actions that employers are legally prohibited from taking against domestic workers, drawing on federal legislation designed to protect household staff employed across the country.

The prohibitions are rooted in Federal Decree Law No. 21 of 2023, which amends provisions under Federal Decree Law No. 9 of 2022 on domestic workers.

According to the government, the legislation "regulates the recruitment and employment of domestic workers in the UAE" and "defines the responsibilities of both parties in a balanced manner, safeguards their rights and obligations, and ensures a suitable working environment in line with national legislation and international conventions ratified by the UAE."

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Six prohibited acts under UAE law

The law explicitly bars employers from discriminating against domestic workers on the basis of race, colour, gender, religion, nationality or disability.

Harassment, whether verbal or physical, is also forbidden, as are forced labour and any conduct that exposes a worker to physical harm.

Two further prohibitions carry particular administrative weight. Employers may not assign workers tasks that fall outside the terms of their original contract, and they cannot place a worker in a role beyond the law's defined scope without first obtaining approval from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE).

The latter condition creates a formal checkpoint that employers must clear before expanding a worker's responsibilities beyond what was initially agreed.

Protections for a broad category of workers

The legislation covers a wide range of individuals employed within private households, including cleaners, cooks, nannies, drivers and caregivers.

By spelling out prohibited conduct in specific terms, the law gives domestic workers a clearer legal basis on which to raise complaints or seek protection, a significant development for a segment of the workforce that has historically had limited formal recourse in parts of the Gulf region.

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The UAE's move to codify these protections places it among Gulf states that have taken legislative steps to formalise the rights of household staff, who often work in private settings with little external oversight.

UAE names category barred from domestic work

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the United Arab Emirates had established a minimum age of 18 for anyone employed as a domestic worker.

The move is aimed at enforcing legislation that forms part of a wider legal overhaul of the domestic labour sector.

Source: YEN.com.gh