Must a UAE employer have written work rules?
Yes, if it employs 50 or more workers. Article 14 of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 requires written terms covering work instructions, penalties, promotions and rewards, and termination procedures, explained to workers in a language they understand. Article 24 adds a complaints and grievance system with written answers.
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What the work instructions must cover
Daily working hours, weekly rest days, official holidays, and the measures to avoid work injuries and fire hazards. The penalty rules must set out the penalties and the conditions for imposing them.
Safety instructions in Arabic and the worker's language
Article 23 makes detailed fire and safety instructions, given in Arabic and another language the worker understands, a condition before an employer can deny injury compensation for a deliberate breach of displayed instructions.
How SupaJack Construct helps
Documents can be stored against each employee record, so the employer can keep the signed copy of the work rules each worker received.
Related tools and guides
See the UAE labour law guide for contractors, the final settlement calculator, the gratuity calculator, the annual leave calculator, the unpaid leave deduction calculator, payroll and WPS in SupaJack Construct, time and attendance and the meaning of basic salary.
Worked example
A contractor grows from 40 to 65 workers. It now needs written work instructions, a penalty list and a grievance system, translated for its workforce, before it can rely on penalties or safety instructions in a dispute.
Questions people ask
What is the threshold?
50 or more workers.
Must the rules be translated?
They must be explained in a language workers understand.
Is a grievance system required?
Yes, for 50 or more workers, with written answers.