Ministry reiterated that employers are solely responsible for all WPS-related fees
Dubai: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has issued a comprehensive awareness guide detailing the legal framework that governs the relationship between employees and employers in the private sector to ensure fairness, transparency, and balance between productivity and workers’ rights, Albayan newspaper reported.
According to the guide, the maximum working hours in the UAE are set at eight per day and no more than 48 per week, with limited exceptions allowing for extended hours in specific sectors under defined legal limits. Overtime, the ministry emphasized, must not exceed two hours per day, and total working hours should not surpass 144 over any three-week period.
Employees are entitled to additional compensation for overtime, calculated at no less than 25 percent above the basic hourly wage for daytime work and 50 percent for nighttime hours between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
The regulation excludes shift-based employees. Workers who are required to work on their weekly day off must either receive a substitute day of rest or a 50 percent increase in basic pay for that day.
On wages, the guide highlights the requirement for all salaries to be paid within 15 days of the due date through the Wage Protection System (WPS), designed to enhance accountability and ensure that all payments are properly documented.
The ministry reiterated that employers are solely responsible for all WPS-related fees and that workers must not bear any direct or indirect costs associated with wage transfers or registration.
The ministry also urged businesses experiencing financial difficulties to approach MoHRE for legal guidance and support to maintain compliance and safeguard employee rights.
The guide further outlines various forms of leave available to private-sector employees under federal labor law. These include a minimum of 30 days of paid annual leave per year of service, as well as several types of special leave: five days of bereavement leave following the death of a spouse, three days for the death of a first-degree relative, and five days of parental leave for either parent within the first six months of childbirth. Emirati employees who have completed at least two years of service are also entitled to study leave to sit for exams, while citizens performing mandatory national service are granted leave in accordance with UAE laws.
