“Human Resources” reveals cases where support workers’ offices are obligated to refund the recruitment amount

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has confirmed that domestic labor recruitment offices are obligated to refund all or part of the amount paid by the employer in 4 cases: the lack of professional competence and good personal behavior in the domestic worker during the trial period, the domestic worker terminating the contract or leaving work, termination of the contract by the employer for not fulfilling the conditions agreed upon in the initial agreement or the contract concluded with the recruitment office, and refunding any government fees borne by the employer in the event that the domestic worker is proven to be unfit to perform the required service during the trial period.
It explained in its latest issue of the Labor Market magazine that the office for recruiting domestic workers is obligated to return the amounts to the employer within two weeks from the date of returning the worker to the recruitment office, or reporting his absence from work, while the office is exempted from the obligation to refund the specified amount if the domestic worker was recruited directly by the employer in name and directly.
Official statistics issued by the Ministry showed the recording of 300 violations committed by 57 offices for recruiting domestic workers in the country during the past 2025, the majority of which centered on their failure to return all or part of the recruitment amount to the employers dealing with them within the specified period, within the framework of the Ministry’s sustainable efforts to organize and follow up the work of recruitment offices, enhance domestic workers’ services in the country, and guarantee the rights of all parties to the relationship.
The Ministry stressed that it will not tolerate any office for recruiting domestic workers proven to have committed legal or administrative violations and transgressions, indicating that legal, administrative and financial measures will be taken against the violating offices, with strict penalties that may lead to the cancellation of the license of any office proven to have repeated the violations, in implementation of the provisions of Federal Decree Law No. (9) of 2022 and its executive regulations, and the decisions implementing it, noting the efficiency of the sustainable control procedures that it applies to labor recruitment offices. Assistance, and the readiness of the field and smart inspection and monitoring system, to deal with violations and violations seriously, firmly, and transparently, and its keenness to listen to the opinions and complaints of employers about recruitment offices and follow them seriously, through the multiple communication channels available, the pioneering complaints system, and responding to customer complaints.
The Ministry renewed its call to deal with the licensed labor recruitment offices in the country, which number 136 centers, distributed across all the emirates of the country, which can be identified through the official website of the Ministry, in order to guarantee their rights and benefit from the advantages provided by these offices. It also called on customers to communicate with the Ministry and report any negative practices of labor recruitment offices, through the designated digital channels and platforms, or by calling 80084, to be dealt with directly in accordance with the approved legal frameworks, and the Communication Center. Call 600590000 to verify the reliability of entities promoting domestic workers through social media.
The Ministry noted that dealing with accredited offices spares families from many risks, prevents employers from being involved in legal violations, such as employing a domestic worker without a license, and also deprives them of the legal guarantees provided by offices licensed by the Ministry.
It stressed that it constantly monitors the level of compliance of domestic labor recruitment offices with the legislation and regulations specific to their work, under which various services and packages are provided to customers that meet their various needs, for trained and qualified workers who fulfill legal procedures such as a criminal status investigation certificate and medical examination, which enhances the reliability of families and leads the organization of domestic labor services.