Build the employment plan around the agreed wage, payment records, daily and weekly rest, and statutory leave. A worker's residence in your home or a household's payment to an agency does not remove these rights. Identify the legal employer so that the right person or agency fulfils the obligations.
The law requires monthly wages in UAE dirhams within ten days of the due date. Payment must be evidenced through an appropriate receipt or Ministry-approved mechanism. This is separate from the household's monthly service invoice. Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 15
Record the wage and payment method
The employment contract must specify the wage, basic wage and payment method. Keep records of what was due and paid instead of relying on a cash withdrawal or an agency invoice that does not establish worker payment. Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 7 Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 15
MOHRE Resolution 675 of 2022 makes the Wage Protection System mandatory for five specified domestic occupations: private agricultural engineer, private messenger, home care provider, private tutor and private trainer. Other domestic occupations may register voluntarily under that resolution. Use the occupation recorded on the permit, not an informal household title. Ministerial Resolution 675/2022, Articles 2–4, Arabic PDF pp. 2–3
The resolution contains exceptions for a worker with a labour complaint before the court who is not working for the employer, a worker with an absence report, and a new worker during the first thirty days from contract commencement. These are WPS procedural exceptions, not permission to withhold wages. Monitoring rules must not be interpreted as an entitlement to pay less than the full lawful wage. Ministerial Resolution 675/2022, Articles 2–4, Arabic PDF pp. 2–3
Daily and weekly rest
| Entitlement | Practical consequence |
|---|---|
| At least twelve hours of daily rest | Plan work and household coverage around protected rest |
| At least eight consecutive hours within that daily rest | Avoid treating short breaks as a substitute for the uninterrupted period |
| One paid weekly rest day | Agree the day and arrange cover |
| Work on the weekly rest day | Provide the applicable alternative day or equivalent day's pay |
These are the law's minimum rest protections; the twelve-hour rest provision is not itself an agreement to a twelve-hour working day. The regulation also addresses weekly-rest scheduling and compensation. Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 9 Cabinet Resolution 106/2022, Article 7 Cabinet Resolution 106/2022, Article 8
Annual and sick leave
Annual leave is at least thirty days for each year. For service exceeding six months but less than one year, entitlement is two days for each month. Leave wages are paid before leave. Arrange the dates and household cover rather than expecting the worker to remain continuously available. Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 10
Sick leave can total up to thirty days in the contractual year, supported by an approved UAE medical report: the first fifteen days are fully paid and the next fifteen half paid. Article 10 includes an exception where the illness results from the worker's misconduct; it should not be turned into a general power to deny ordinary medically supported leave. Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 10
Deductions are not informal penalties
For damage resulting from gross fault or breach of instructions, the law requires the worker's agreement or Ministry approval where agreement is absent. The Arabic text caps the wage deduction at one quarter of the wage. This is not permission for arbitrary household fines or withholding all pay. Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 16 (controlling Arabic text)
Keep the arrangement fair and workable
Provide clear instructions, safe equipment and respectful treatment. The worker keeps their identification documents. In agency temporary employment, the agency cannot withhold worker rights because the beneficiary has failed to pay it. Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 11 Cabinet Resolution 106/2022, Article 9
Before signing, identify the wage payer, payment evidence, weekly rest day, leave planning and the agreed work. Contact INAYA to confirm these responsibilities for the actual arrangement. Starting package prices do not identify the individual worker's wage or waive statutory rights.