Employment of
Juveniles under the age 15 is banned in UAE. However, effective January 2011,
teenagers in the age group 15-18 years are allowed to work, on obtaining a
teenage work permit from the Labour Ministry. However, there are certain
restrictions on the type of work and hours of employment.
According to a new
decree issued in 2016 by the HR Ministry, students are allowed to complete
training periods and fill in positions in the private sector after obtaining
work permits. According to the decree, guardians of students aged 12 to 18
years should produce a written consent for training purposes, while those aged
15 to 18 years should seek work permit. The decree grants national and foreign
students similar conditions in terms of benefits and advantages to those
already filling the same spot.
The authorized temporary
work permit allows facilities to hire national or expat students registered or
non-registered in the Ministry’s database, including students to work on
projects with completion periods not exceeding six months, with Dh.500 as
permit fee. The Ministry grants temporary work permit for facilities to use
nationals or non-nationals registered in the ministry database, including
students to work for lesser hours in the same jobs as those filled by their
counterparts for a period of maximum one year, with a fee of Dh.500.
Juvenile work permits
are offered to employ nationals or non-nationals in the 15 to 18 age bracket,
thereby enabling them to work for a period of not more than a year, with Dh.500
as fee. The Ministry has however, warned against making the appointed students
work for more than six hours a day. They should be granted more than an hour of
rest, breaks to eat or pray, and should consider not to keep them on duty for
more than four consecutive hours a day.
The permits can be
availed from Tasheel Service Centre through ministry’s smart phone
applications.
Employers, before
employing a juvenile, should retain copies of certain documents in the
juvenile’s personal file, such as birth certificate, physical fitness
certificate issued by a specialized physician, written consent from juvenile’s
guardian, etc. Further, the employment of a juvenile is prohibited when the job
requires night shifts, or involves hazardous jobs or is harmful to health, such
as underground jobs in mines, quarries, furnaces of melting metals, oil
refining, asphalt industry and bakeries. Further, when working hours exceed six
hours a day, one or more breaks should be provided. Juveniles are not permitted
to work overtime, or on holidays. A Juvenile work permit has a validity period
of one year.
Employment of women at
night between 10:00pm and 7:00am is prohibited, except under certain situations
such as during work stoppages due to force majeure, employees in technical and
administrative position, or other jobs as determined by the Labour Ministry,
wherein the woman employee is not required to perform a manual job. Women are
also not to be employed in difficult tasks and other duties harmful to health
or morals.
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