DTMFZA Employment Regulations 2004chapter by chapter

Regulation 18.1Employment Violations

Where a licensee is found to be illegally employing employees of other licensees, the authority may impose a fine of AED 5,000 per employee (with a warning to the employee).

Regulation 18.2Employment Violations

Illegally employing persons not sponsored by the authority or not approved under Regulation 6 is punishable by a fine of AED 7,500 per person, increasing to AED 10,000 per person if the illegal employment continues.

Regulation 18.3Employment Violations

Failing to renew an employee's residence and employment visa (RE Visa) before expiry is punishable by a fine of AED 2,500 per person, increasing to AED 5,000 per person if the RE Visa remains unrenewed more than 90 days after expiry.

Regulation 18.4Employment Violations

Supplying authority-sponsored employees to work for the licensee for the use of third parties is punishable by a fine of AED 5,000 per person and cancellation of the RE Visa of those employees.

Regulation 18.5Employment Violations

Failing to cancel an employee's RE Visa within 30 days of the employee leaving employment (or the RE Visa expiring, whichever first) is punishable by a fine of AED 2,500 per person, increasing to AED 5,000 per person if the delay exceeds 90 days.

Regulation 18.6Employment Violations

Where an employee's RE Visa is cancelled because the employee has been continually outside the UAE for more than six months, the authority may impose a fine of AED 5,000 per person.

Regulation 18.7Employment Violations

Failing to inform the authority within 14 days of knowing (or reasonably should have known) that an employee cannot be located or has absconded is punishable by a fine of AED 5,000 per person, in addition to any other applicable fines.

Regulation 18.8-18.10Employment Violations

Employing a person sponsored by the authority on a visit/tourist visa is punishable by a fine of AED 5,000 per person; supplying such persons to third parties is punishable by AED 5,000 per person plus Visit Visa cancellation; failing to ensure such persons leave the UAE before Visit Visa expiry is punishable by AED 1,500 per person.

Clause 1.2General Terms and Conditions

The General Terms and Conditions are guideline-only; the employer and employee may mutually agree more favourable terms provided they do not conflict with the General T&Cs or UAE Labour Law.

Clause 4.1-4.2Probation

The probationary period must not exceed six months (excluding authorized absence/sickness); either party may terminate during probation with at least 14 days' written notice; a party terminating without observing this must pay compensation equivalent to salary for the (remainder of the) notice period.

Clause 7.1-7.4Leaves

Employees are entitled to 30 calendar days' annual leave per year after one year of service (2 days/month between 6-12 months' service), up to 90 days' sick leave per year on a tiered pay basis (15 days full pay, 30 days half pay, remainder unpaid), and payout of accrued but untaken annual leave on termination.

Clause 7.5-7.6Leaves

Employees are entitled to paid bereavement and/or parental/maternity leave per UAE Labour Law, and may be granted up to 10 working days' study leave per year (for employees enrolled in an approved UAE educational institution with at least two years' service).

Clause 8.1-8.2, 9.1Working Conditions and Insurance

The employer must provide necessary work conditions/tools, formulate a code of conduct and safety/health policies, bear employee medical costs via medical insurance per prevailing authority/Dubai rules, and subscribe the employee to medical insurance and any other required employment schemes.

Clause 10.4Responsibilities

The employer shall at all times keep and maintain employee records and update the Authority for any changes, in the forms and manner implemented by the Authority from time to time.

Clause 11.1Amendment, Termination and Renewal

Any amendment or renewal of the Employment Contract must be submitted and recorded with the Authority.

Clause 13.5Miscellaneous

The Employment Contract must be made in two signed original copies (one per party), and the Licensee must ensure an electronic copy is filed with the Authority.

Article 2.2.2Employer Eligibility

Employers are required to execute a Student Part-Time Employment Contract, in a form prescribed by the Authority, with each Student engaged.

Article 2.3.1-2.3.2Authorization, Part-Time Employment Agreement

The Employer must ensure no Student is engaged without Authority authorisation; the Student must submit a No Objection Letter from the Financial Sponsor and a duly executed Undertaking Letter to the Authority before commencing.

Article 2.3.4Authorization, Part-Time Employment Agreement

The Employer must at all times maintain all relevant records of the Student's participation (signed contract, payments/receipts, Student Employment Permit, and other documentation), make them available to the Authority on request, and ensure the Student receives an original signed copy of the contract.

Article 2.5.1Administration Fee

The Employer is prohibited from charging the Authority's administration fee to the Student or recouping it via deductions from the Student's salary or remuneration.

Article 2.5.4Employment Conditions

Subject to Article 2.3.3, a Student may only undertake Part-Time Employment with an Employer that has entered into a Student Part-Time Employment Contract with that Student.

Article 2.5.5Employment Conditions

An Employer shall not engage or make use of a Student already engaged by another Employer or establishment in the UAE for Part-Time Employment without the Authority's permission.

Article 3.1.3-3.1.4Permits and Student Identification Cards

The Employer shall ensure the Student has and carries an Authority-issued ID Card at all times during the Part-Time Employment period.

Article 3.1.9Permits and Student Identification Cards

Where a Student ceases Part-Time Employment or their whereabouts are unknown despite reasonable efforts to contact them, the Employer shall, without undue delay, report the matter to the Authority.

Article 3.1.11Permits and Student Identification Cards

The Employer and/or Licensee may not retain the passport of Students under any circumstances.

Article 4.1.1-4.1.3Health and Safety

The Employer must report serious/fatal Student workplace accidents to the Licensee, Authority, and relevant Dubai authorities, maintain accident records and provide copies to the Authority on request, and ensure the Student follows the public health and safety regulations implemented in the zone.

Article 5.1, 5.1.1Insurance

No Employer may engage a Student without the Student having valid medical (including accident) insurance coverage; the Employer must check the Student has and maintains such coverage but is not obliged to obtain it for the Student.

Article 5.2, 5.2.1Insurance

The Employer shall take out and maintain third party/public liability insurance and other insurance in accordance with the Authority's requirements.

Article 6.1Compliance

The Employer, Licensee, and Student shall at all times comply with the mandates of this Order; ignorance of the Order does not excuse non-compliance.

Article 7.1, 7.1.2Implementing Regulations and Penalties

The Authority may impose penalties (including suspension and cancellation of the Employer's licence) for violations of the Order or the Student Part-Time Employment Contract, published from time to time; this is without prejudice to penalties under other regulations including the Licensing Regulations.

Regulation 4.2Sponsorship of Employees

Where a licensee desires an employee to be sponsored by the authority, the licensee shall enter into an employee sponsorship agreement with the authority.

Regulation 4.3Sponsorship of Employees

Where the authority sponsors an employee for a licensee, it is the licensee's responsibility to pay the employee's remuneration and other payments due under the employment contract and UAE Labour Law; the authority bears no responsibility for remuneration.

Regulation 4.7-4.9Sponsorship of Employees

A licensee shall not recruit, employ or make use of an employee already employed by another licensee unless the authority permits a transfer; a transfer requires both licensees' written consent, a valid sponsorship agreement of the receiving licensee, and written confirmation the employee received end-of-service benefits from the transferring licensee (or the authority may otherwise approve the transfer at its discretion).

Regulation 5.1Bank Guarantee for Sponsored Employees

A licensee shall lodge with the authority's administration department a bank guarantee, in the authority's standard format, in respect of each (or the anticipated total number of) non-UAE national employee(s) sponsored by the authority, unless waived by the authority.

Regulation 6.1-6.3Employment of Non-Sponsored Employees

Licensees may employ non-sponsored employees (temporarily or permanently) only with the prior written approval of the authority's administration department, and subject to conditions (e.g. female sponsored by relative, or employed by a controller/closely-linked company); an appropriate identity card must be acquired, and a temporary access pass obtained for temporary non-sponsored employment.

Regulation 7.1Employment of Persons Not Approved

No licensee shall employ a person who is not sponsored by the authority or otherwise approved by the authority; such a person is not recognised as an employee for purposes of the Regulations.

Regulation 8.1-8.2Permits and Passes

All employees must carry and display at all times an appropriate identity card issued by the authority ("ID Card"), which serves in lieu of the employee's passport for identification.

Regulation 8.7Permits and Passes

Where a person wishes to enter the zone to visit a licensee, the licensee shall apply to the authority's security department for a visitor's day pass and provide requested identification information.

Regulation 8.9-8.11Permits and Passes

Where an employee ceases employment or their whereabouts are unknown despite reasonable efforts, the licensee must inform the authority and return the relevant permits/passes and (for authority-sponsored employees) the employee's passport as soon as reasonably possible for visa cancellation; failure may result in the authority registering the employee as an absconder.

Regulation 9.2Employees' Passports

A licensee may not retain the passports of employees under any circumstances.

Regulation 10.2-10.3Medical Cover for Sponsored Employees

A licensee requiring a medical card for its employees must apply to the authority's administration department, and it is compulsory to obtain a government health card for every sponsored employee in order to obtain the required medical fitness certificate.

Regulation 11.1, 11.3-11.4Accidents in the Workplace

In the event of a serious or fatal workplace accident, the licensee shall report it to the authority's administration department, maintain records of every accident suffered by an employee at work or in the course of duties, and follow/implement the safety and injury prevention programme established by the authority.

Regulation 12.1-12.3Insurance

Every licensee shall take out and maintain third party/public liability insurance and worker's compensation insurance (covering employment injury/disability and related medical expenses per UAE Labour Law), and shall lodge a copy of these policies with the authority's administration department upon request.

Regulation 14.1-14.2Recruitment and Employment Conditions

Where a licensee recruits a sponsored employee, it bears the costs of entry permit, air ticket, residence permit, health card, and renewals (including medical fitness certificate); the licensee is prohibited from charging these costs to the employee or recouping them via salary deductions.

Regulation 14.5-14.6Recruitment and Employment Conditions

Every employee shall sign an employment contract meeting at least UAE Labour Law minimum terms; the licensee must submit the entry permit, passport, and employment contract for every new employee within 48 hours of the employee's arrival in Dubai to the authority's administration department.

Regulation 15.1Transfer of Employment

Where an employee transfers to another employer, the employment contract is deemed ended and the prior service period is not treated as continuous, unless special arrangements are agreed in writing between the parties and the authority approves.

Regulation 16.1-16.3Resolution of Labour Disputes

The authority is not responsible for resolving labour disputes directly, but on application of either party will refer the dispute to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (which may refer it to the Dubai Courts); no labour dispute may proceed directly to the Ministry or Dubai Courts without being referred by the authority.

Regulation 17.2Fines Imposed on Licensees for Violation

The authority reserves the right to impose a ban on the entry and/or exit of a licensee's employees where, after receiving a warning, the licensee fails to remedy a violation of the Regulations.