“As part of our commitment to assist members of the community in addressing inappropriate practices in the labour market, we provide various channels for reporting these practices, thereby enhancing surveillance and increasing the level of compliance with regulations,” the ministry said in an awareness campaign shared on its social media pages. [MoHRE] Smart Applications, Websites [mohre.gov.ae]Or contact our call center [600-590-000].”
Report types
The ministry said community members can report:
1. Cases of False Emiratization
2. Not meeting the requirements for Emiratization
4. Unpaid severance pay
5. Working overtime for more than 2 hours
6. Withholding, deferring or denying annual leave or financial compensation
7. Reporting Violating Workers
8. Worker Accommodation Violations
9. Health and Occupational Safety and Health Violations
10. Lunch Break Violation (if valid)
Monitoring Mechanism
The Ministry’s acceptance of community reports on unscrupulous practices is part of efforts to strengthen monitoring mechanisms and inspection activities on private sector establishments, with the aim of educating them on the implementation of labor relations laws and their enforcement decisions in line with relevant international agreements, ensuring balanced rights between both parties in labor-management relations and a stable and prosperous labor market.
The Ministry of Labor monitors the labor market through all available and approved mechanisms, in addition to reports from the public, and takes action against non-compliant establishments based on data and information verified through on-site visits and electronic systems.
“Transparency and fairness”
The ministry added that it is committed to ensuring transparency and “the highest level of impartiality” among inspectors who have an “in-depth understanding” of labor laws and their enforcement decisions, raise awareness of the importance of mutual compliance in labor relations, and have the ability to link the impact of labor inspections to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The ministry’s inspectors will issue a report and prepare a document outlining any proven legal violations.
Actions taken
The ministry recently revealed that 1,818 private companies have been found to have faked Emiratisation between mid-2022 and now.
The Ministry of Labour said it has taken prescribed legal measures against individuals involved in these false Emiratisation violations. These measures include disqualifying or suspending benefits under the Nafis Programme and returning any monetary benefits previously received. Work permits of Emiratis found to have been fraudulently employed have also been cancelled.
fine
MOHRE promised to continue to tackle with firm action unscrupulous activities aimed at evading Emiratization obligations under the law, noting that establishments found to be involved in false Emiratization will be subject to immediate administrative fines ranging from Dh20,000 to Dh100,000.
The ministry further announced that if an establishment is found to have committed false Emiratization violations, the number of nationals involved in the violations will not be counted towards the Emiratization quota that the establishment must achieve every six months. Additionally, violating establishments will have to pay contributions for the Emiratization targets they claimed to have achieved, in addition to the Emiratization targets they evaded through false acts.
Additionally, the ministry will impose a fine of AED 100,000 on any establishment found to have attempted to circumvent Emiratization targets by reducing the number of workers, changing their classification, or any other fraudulent activity identified by the ministry, with the fine increasing to AED 300,000 for a second offense and AED 500,000 for a third or subsequent offense.