Petsa de peligro na, but your company hasn’t given you your salary yet. What do you do in these situations?
The United Arab Emirates is very strict with its labor policies, which is why the country makes sure you can complain when you get caught up in such situations.
How late is ‘late?’
When you haven’t gotten your salary for a week now from your supposed salary day, you tend to get angry and cranky and want to complain to the government. But hold your horses! The minimum number of days you can complain about delayed salaries is 15 days.
That’s right. Your salary must be delayed for fifteen (15) days before you can file a complaint. Otherwise, the government will not honor your complaint.
MoHRE is your best friend
When it comes to delayed salaries, the Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation in the UAE will be your best friend.
MoHRE has provided UAE residents with plenty of ways to avail of their services through:
- the MoHRE website
- MoHRE app
- Calling 80060
- MoHRE TASHEEL center
- Dubai Police
Usually, a MoHRE representative will attend to your queries and handle your complaint. They will try to solve the registered complaint on a mutual understanding basis between you and your employer. If not, the case will then be forwarded to the court.
The UAE law protects
The UAE Labor law, which is established in Federal Law No. 8 On the Organisation of Labour Relations in the UAE, protects the rights of the country’s workers. Several decrees and resolutions accompany the law.
According to the decree, companies that delay salaries for a month from the due date will face consequences. The UAE cabinet will stop granting additional work permits to the said company as well as to the other companies owned by the same employer. Moreover, they will be forbidden from taking on upcoming projects by the same owner.
If the company continues not to pay wages, the Ministry will have to use the company’s bank guarantee. Moreover, the affected workers would be allowed to find other opportunities from other companies.
Moreover, administrative fines, which could be AED 5,000 per worker and a maximum of AED 50,000 for complaints from multiple workers, shall follow if the company fails to pay wages for 60 days from the due date.
Once the company agrees to pay the wages during the first month, the Ministry would have to lift the work permit ban.
Companies that repeat the same violations for one year will have to be penalized, especially those that hire over 100 workers.
Employers must also subscribe to the Wages Protection System (WPS) and pay their employees through this system as per the due dates. This system allows salaries to be tracked as they get transferred to their accounts in banks or financial institutions.
MoHRE does not process transactions for companies that are not registered in the WPS.
So, if you still haven’t received your salary after 15 days, it’s important to take action. File a complaint with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) to ensure your rights are protected and to seek the appropriate resolution.
Remember, timely action can help address the issue efficiently and ensure that you receive the compensation you are owed.
