Laws governing Part-time work permits in UAE
The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resource and Emiratisation (MoHRE) passed Ministerial Decision No 31 of 2018, which establishes legal frameworks that allow companies to recruit qualified employees from inside or outside the country, under multi-employer contracts (part-time contract).
Under the new regime, part-time workers may work several part-time jobs without obtaining approvals from their primary employers, however, it is mandatory to obtain an official work permit from the MoHRE.
Eligibility for Part-time work permit in UAE
The employee must be;
- UAE nationals or expatriate worker
- At least 18 years old or above
- residing in the UAE to carry out a certain work
- skilled first and second-tier workers in the UAE only, namely holders of university degrees or higher and those who completed two or three years diploma in any technical or scientific field.
People with tourist visas and UAE residents aged 65 years and above cannot work part-time in the UAE.
Part-time work Permit
To be able to apply for a temporary work permit, the employer must obtain a part-time work permit from the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) by submitting all the required documents along with prescribed fees on behalf of the worker.
Required Documents for a temporary work permit;
- A copy of trade licenses of both establishments’ (current and applying)
- A colour (white background) photograph of the applicant.
- A passport copy of the applicant.
- A copy of the applicant’s residency visa, which must be valid for at least 6 months.
- Copy of academic qualification authenticated from Ministry of Foreign Affairs – if required.
- Approval letter from the competent authority (doctor, pharmacist, nurse, and teacher)
- A copy of the employment contract.
- A NOC (No objection certificate) from the old sponsor (Primary employer)
Payments
The initial application fees to request a new electronic (Part-time) work permit is AED 100 (one hundred dirhams) and on approval payment of AED 500 (Five hundred dirhams)
Duration
The Part-time work permit is valid for a period of 6 months.
Working hours under the Part-time system;
A part-time employee must work at least 20 hours per week for the principal employer and is then free to work extra hours for other employers as long as the total working hours must not exceed 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week. Working hours may be increased to 60 hours per week in exceptional circumstances if the employee is granted at least one day off per week.
Responsibilities of the Primary employer
Under the part-time contract, the Primary employers are responsible to bear all the costs associated with
- sponsoring the part-time contract fees as administered by MoHRE
- the employee’s end-of-service gratuity,
- the employee’s annual leave
- any other financial obligations provided by the UAE Labour Law No 8 of the Year 1980 (UAE Labour Law) in proportion to the number of actual working hours and the amount of the wage.
Additionally, the primary employer may not compel the worker to work longer than the agreed-upon hours or prohibit him from working at a similar facility under the non-competition provision.
Responsibility of Secondary employer
The secondary employer must provide a salary for the hours worked as well as cover the fees of the part-time work permit. Under UAE Labor Law, the secondary employer is not obligated to give any further statutory benefits, although on a discretionary basis the secondary employee may provide any such benefits.
Laws governing the Part-time contracts
Part-Time Employment contracts shall be governed by the same rules, controls, penalties, renewal and termination as of the ordinary employment contracts in the UAE Labour Law No 8 of the Year 1980 (UAE Labour Law).
Legal consequences of working part-time without a permit.
The 2007 Federal Decree-Law No.2 penalises any corporation that hires part-time workers without an official part-time work permit. An immediate fine of AED 50,000 (Fifty thousand dirhams) shall apply to the employer in default. In case the offence is repeated in future, it may lead to further penalties.
Sources;
https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/types-of-employment-contracts
https://www.mohre.gov.ae/en/our-services/temporary-part-time-work-permit-issuance.aspx