United Arab
Emirates

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2022 Score

47.5

Score Increase

2020 Score

42.5

Rating

Total Lack of
Decent Work

Fair
Wages

40

Decent
Working Hours

80

Employment
Security

60

Family
Responsibilities

50

Maternity
at Work

40

Safe
Work

50

Social
Security

40

Fair
Treatment

60

Child &
Forced Labour

50

Trade
Union

0

1. Fair Wages
2. Decent Working Hours
3. Employment Security
4. Family Responsibilities
5. Maternity at Work
6. Safe Work
7. Social Security
8. Fair Treatment
9. Child & Forced Labour
10. Trade Union

Fair Wages

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law prescribe minimum wage rates in the country?No0§ 1, 60-64 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)
Does the law require regular payment of wages?Yes1§55-62 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Ministerial Decree on protection of wages (No. 739 of 2016)
Does the law require overtime compensation be at least 125% of the regular hourly rate?Yes1§65-68 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Ministerial Resolution (No. 4/1 of 1981)
Does the law require additional compensation for working on a weekly rest day?No0§70-72 & 81 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)
Does the law require additional compensation for night work?No0§23 & 27 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)

Decent Working Hours

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law stipulate general working hours as 48 hours or lower?Yes1§65-68 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Ministerial Resolution (No. 4/1 of 1981)
Does the law restrict maximum working hours including overtime to 56 hours per week?No0§65-68 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Ministerial Resolution (No. 4/1 of 1981)
Does the law require a weekly rest of at least 24 hours?Yes1§70 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)
Does the law require paid public holidays?Yes1§74 & 81 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)
Does the law require at least three working weeks of paid annual leave?Yes1§75-80 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)

Employment Security

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law require written employment contracts or at least written employment particulars?Yes1§1, 35, 36 & 39 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Ministerial Decree No. 764 of 2015
Does the law restrict the hiring of fixed-term contract workers?No0§1, 35, 36 & 39 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Ministerial Decree No. 764 of 2015
Does the law limit the length of probation period including renewals to a maximum of 3 months?No0§37 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)
Does the law require a 30-day notice before contract termination?Yes1§117-121 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Ministerial Decree (No. 765 of 2015)
Does the law require severance pay at the rate of at least 2 weeks of wages for every year of service?Yes1§132-141 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)

Family Responsibilities

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law require parental leave for parents?No0No applicable legal provisions could be located
Does the law require at least one week of paid paternity leave for fathers?Yes1§74 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Federal Decree Law No. 6 of 2020
Does the law require flexible work arrangements for workers with family responsibilities?No0No applicable legal provisions could be located
Does the law require paid nursing breaks?Yes1§31 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)

Maternity at Work

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law prohibits inquiring about pregnancy during recruitment?No0No applicable legal prohibitions could be located
Does the law require paid maternity leave of at least 14 weeks?No0§30 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)
Does the law require cash maternity benefit be at least 67% of a worker's former wage?Yes1§30 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)
Does the law require maternity benefit be paid through contributory social insurance or universal benefits system?No0§30 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)
Does the law protect workers from dismissals during or on account of pregnancy?Yes1§30 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Federal Decree Law No. 6 of 2019

Safe Work

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law require provision of free personal protective equipment to workers from employer?Yes1§91 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)
Does the law require the employer to train workers on health and safety issues?Yes1§97 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)
Does the law restrict work that is prejudicial to the health of the mother or the child?No0§97 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)
Does the law provide for employment injury benefit?No0§148-151 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)

Social Security

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law provide for an old age pension?Yes1§1, 16 & 20 Federal Law for Pension and Social Security (No. 7 of 1999)
Does the law provide for a dependants'/survivors' pension?Yes1§24-34 Federal Law for Pension and Social Security (No. 7 of 1999)
Does the law provide for unemployment benefit?No0No applicable legal provisions could be located
Does the law require paid sick leave for the first 6 months of sickness?No0§82-86 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980)
Does the law provide for invalidity benefit?No0No applicable legal provisions could be located

Fair Treatment

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law require equal remuneration for work of equal value?Yes1§32 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Federal Decree Law No. 6 of 2020
Does the law prohibit sexual harassment in employment?Yes1§120 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); §248 & 359 of the Penal Code 1987
Does the law prohibit discrimination in employment matters?No0§9 & 10 of the Labour Law, 1980; Federal Law (No. 2 of 2015) on combatting Discrimination and Hatred
Does the law allow women to do the same jobs as men?Yes1§27 & 28, UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Ministerial Resolution (No. 6/1 of 1981); Federal Decree Law No. 6 of 2019
Does the law guarantee basic labour protections for gig economy workers?No0§1 of the Federal Law No. 7 of the year 1999 on Pension and Social Security

Child & Forced Labour

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law prohibit employment of children?Yes1§20-25, UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Federal Law on Compulsory Education (No. 11 of 1972)
Does the law set employment entry age equal to or higher than the compulsory schooling age?No0§20-25 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); Federal Law on Compulsory Education (No. 11 of 1972)
Does the law prohibit the employment of children in hazardous work under the age of 18 years?No0§23-26 of the Labour Law No. 8 of 1980; Ministerial Resolution No. 5/1 for 1981
Does the law prohibit forced labour?Yes1§34 of the Constitution of the United Arab Emirates 1971

Trade Union

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law allow workers to form and join unions of their own choice?No0USDOS CRHRP 2021
Does the law allow workers to bargain collectively with employers through their representative unions?No0§158 of the UAE Labour Law (No. 8 of 1980); USDOS CRHRP 2021
Does the law provide for the right to strike?No0§231 of the Penal Code 1987; USDOS CRHRP 2021
Does the law prohibit employers from terminating employment contracts of striking workers?No0USDOS CRHRP 2021