Which workers are excluded from WPS in the UAE?
Article 4 of Resolution 340 of 2026 excludes workers with a wage claim referred to court, workers with a valid absconding report, workers detained by order, workers on approved unpaid leave notified to MOHRE, seafarers on request, foreign staff of foreign establishments paid abroad, mission permits up to three months, citizen-owned fishing boats and taxis, banks and financial institutions, and places of worship.
Exclusions that matter on construction projects
Unpaid leave: a worker on approved unpaid leave is outside WPS for that period, but only if the Ministry is notified with the required documents. Absconding: a worker with an absconding report is excluded while the report is valid. Mission permits: short assignments of up to three months on a mission work permit are excluded.
Conditions attached
Several exclusions depend on notifying MOHRE or a request approved by it. A worker who is simply not paid, without the notification, still counts against the establishment's compliance. Court claims exclude the worker only for the wage or period in the claim.
How SupaJack Construct helps
Approved unpaid leave is recorded in the leave ledger with its dates, so payroll can leave the worker out of that month's SIF file and HR has the dates needed for the MOHRE notification.
Related tools and guides
See payroll and WPS in SupaJack Construct, the WPS SIF file checker, the answer on what a WPS SIF file is, the UAE labour law guide for contractors, the final settlement calculator, the unpaid leave deduction calculator, the answer on salary deduction limits and the meaning of WPS.
Worked example
A contractor approves two months' unpaid leave for a foreman from 1 July. It notifies MOHRE with the documents. The foreman is left out of the July and August WPS files without affecting compliance. Without the notification, his absence from the file would count as non-payment.
Questions people ask
Is a worker on unpaid leave excluded automatically?
No. The Ministry must be notified with the required documents.
Are banks covered by WPS?
No. Banks and financial institutions are excluded.
What about short-term visiting workers?
Mission permits of up to three months are excluded.