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UAE: 5 risks of hiring domestic workers from unlicensed recruitment offices

Families have been warned against trusting unreliable social media pages that promote such services

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The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre) has warned employers and families against hiring domestic workers from unlicensed recruitment agencies, including unreliable social media pages that promote services of this category of workers.

The warning comes after the ministry recently issued a decree that allows private recruitment offices to offer domestic workers on hire, provided they obtain a license after meeting certain conditions.

“Dealing with approved recruitment agencies safeguards the rights of all parties since they are under constant supervision to ensure adhering to the rules,” the ministry said in a statement.

Licensed offices, the ministry noted, offer domestic workers on hire in a regulated and streamlined process that guarantees contractual rights and protects workers. Employing families can opt for an array of recruitment packages that are tailored to different needs under fixed government-approved prices.

The ministry pointed out five risks that employers and families may face when hiring domestic workers from unlicensed offices:

1. Employers can face legal accountability for hiring absconding or violating workers. It is also against the law to recruit a worker without sponsorship or official documentation.

2. The hiring family can contract infectious diseases due to the absence of measures taken to ensure that the domestic worker is medically fit.

3. The employer’s safety can be jeopardised as there are no guarantees that the domestic worker has no criminal record. The ministry stressed that it streamlines the recruitment process through licensed centres to ensure workers meet proper qualifications required for the job.

4. The absence of a valid contract and professional services makes the employing family unable to guarantee the worker, who can leave without a legitimate reason, perform poorly or does not come into agreement with the employer on the required duties. It also doesn’t give the family official means to report violations.

5. The unofficial recruitment of domestic workers comes with the possibility of having untrained workers. Licensed centres, however, provide domestic workers with orientation and training before offering them on hire to families.

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