The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation on Tuesday announced four packages for hiring domestic workers through Tadbeer centres, government offices that provide domestic workers services to families and businesses under the ministry’s reduced set rates.

The first package provides services to hire domestic workers including cleaners, nannies, babysitters, drivers, gardeners, cooks and even private teachers from outside the country.

The ceiling of the cost of one-time recruitment in this package for employment of workers from the Philippines is Dh14,000, while the hiring cost for workers from Indonesia and Sri Lanka is Dh15,000, Ethiopia Dh5,000, Kenya, Uganda Dh6,500 each, India Dh12,000, Bangladesh Dh7,000 and Nepal Dh14,500.

Prices in the first package represent the maximum cost of recruitment, and do not include government fees related to issuing visas, residence, medical examinations, etc.

Khalil Ebrahim Khouri, assistant undersecretary for domestic workers’ affairs, said Tadbeer centres help make the hiring process of domestic workers easier and cheaper and that the hiring prices will be revised every six months.

The second package, which provides temporary contract leading to family sponsorship, where domestic help is hired by a family or a business under a temporary contract for six months – during which time the workers would be under the ministry’s sponsorship.

After the six-month period, if both parties agree, he or she can be fully transferred to the family or business sponsorship for a longer contract.

Transfer fees, salaries

Transfer fees and monthly salaries are set by Tadbeer to include any and all of the licensing, ID, wages and other paperwork involved.

Transfer fees is Dh8 ,000 for Filipino, Indonesian and Sri Lankan workers, Bangladeshi workers Dh4,500, workers from Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda is Dh3,500, while the transfer fees for workers from India and Nepal is Dh6,000.

The client who selects this package will pay a fixed monthly salary of  Dh2,500 for workers from the Philippines and Indonesia, Dh2,200 for workers from Sri Lanka and Dh2,250 for workers from Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, India while workers from Ethiopia and Uganda will be paid Dh2,300 per month until the end of the six-month period.

The third package or Tadbeer sponsorship throughout work term is available for those who don’t want to transfer the sponsorship to themselves. The minimum salary limits are around the same and may differ based on nationalities.

The fourth package provides part-time or need-based services.

Hourly rates

This package allows families and businesses to hire help on hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis. In this case, wages are set at standard rates, Dh120 for 4 hours, Dh200 for 8 hours, Dh1,120 for 7 days and Dh3,500 for 30 days (one month).

The ministry conducted a study to assess the views and expectations regarding the prices and the cost of maids’ hiring where the majority of people who were surveyed expressed that the prices which suit them range from Dh8,000 to Dh10,000.

In May, the ministry opened the first 11 Tadbeer centres across the country to facilitate recruitment of housemaids.

They include two centres in Abu Dhabi, four in Dubai, one in Sharjah, three in Ajman and one centre in Fujairah.

The ministry said it will start operating another 14 centres in the country by end of the year.

Assistant undersecretary for domestic workers’ affairs said Tadbeer centres provide quality services to the people under the rules and standards of the ministry for hiring maids.

Khoury explained that the updated price lists with a higher ceiling will play an effective role in controlling the prices of recruitment and employment of domestic workers as well as creating a state of competition between the centers of management in the presence of several options for dealers to recruit domestic helpers.

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