Work in direct sun in open areas to be banned from June 15

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) will ban work in direct sun in open areas from 12:30pm to 3pm, effective from June 15 till September 15, 2020.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) will ban work in direct sun in open areas from 12:30pm to 3pm, effective from June 15 till September 15, 2020.

The decision issued by H.E. Nasser Bin Thani Al Hamli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, came in light of employers’ great commitment over the past years and is based on their awareness that the decision is important for preserving the health and safety of workers.  The decision is also based on the need to spare workers the risks that they may be exposed to during the performance of their work throughout the midday break when temperature tends to be high every year.

It is scheduled that exceptional cases where continued work is required for technical reasons will be excluded from the stipulated ban, provided that employers must provide workers with cold water in line with the number of workers and the safety and public health conditions. Employers must also supply workers with thirst-quenching items including but not limited to salt and lemon as recommended by the local authorities in the country. In addition, employers must provide on-site first aid kits and must abide by the precautionary measures necessary to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The decision has obligated employers to supply workers with sunshades for use during their break.

Under the decision, the daily working hours in morning and evening shifts, or any of them must not exceed eight hours. Any additional hours worked must be treated as overtime, for which workers must be paid as per the provisions of the labour relations law.

Establishments failing to abide by the provisions and conditions of the decision will be fined AED5,000 per worker found working during the break hours and up to AED50, 000 if the case involves a large number of workers. In addition, violating establishments will have their files suspended or their status downgraded in the MoHRE’s establishment classification system based on how grave their breach is.

The MoHRE uses several controls to detect violations including the complaints received by the free call center. These complaints are verified by the MoHRE before the incurred fines are imposed on the involved establishments. An establishment, however, will have the right to file a grievance within 30 days from the date of the imposed fine by submitting an application with the necessary documents, which will be examined by a special committee for a final decision.

The MoHRE called on the public to submit complaints through the call center on the toll-free number 80060, which plays a key role in promoting the principle of partnership with the society in monitoring the implementation of the decision. To this effect, every member of the society can communicate with the MoHRE through the call center, which works round the clock and uses 4 languages. The center will receive the notification from the customer, take the information related to the violation site and forward these complaints through an electronic system to the nearest labor inspector from the violation site.

According to the decision, an employer is responsible for violating the employment of workers during the midday ban, and so is everyone who illegally employs a worker in violation of the provisions of this decision.

The decision has obligated employers to place a schedule of the daily working hours in a prominent site in the workplace, provided that the schedule must be written in Arabic as well as the language that workers understand.

In addition, the decision obligates employers to provide workers with appropriate protective devices against injuries that may result from the use of machinery and other tools. Employers are also required to follow all other preventive methods prescribed in the labor law and the related executive ministerial decisions. Workers, however, must follow the instructions aimed at protecting them from dangers and keep away from any action that hinders the instructions.