UAE Employment Law: Is It Legal to Assign Tasks Outside an Employee's Contract?
Answer: Under UAE labour law, employers are not permitted to assign an employee to work that is substantially different from what was agreed upon in the employment contract—unless there is an emergency or a need to prevent or fix a workplace issue, and even then, only temporarily. This is outlined in Article 12 of Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021.
The law specifically states that any such temporary reassignment must fall under exceptional circumstances and cannot exceed 90 days in a calendar year. Moreover, Article 13 of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 clarifies that a 'fundamental difference' in work refers to tasks completely unrelated to the employee's profession or academic qualifications.
If your employer asks you to take on a role that is fundamentally different—like switching from accounting to HR or admin—without your written consent, it is a legal violation. In such cases, Article 45(4) of the Employment Law grants employees the right to resign immediately without serving notice, while still retaining all end-of-service entitlements.
In addition, Article 14 of the same law protects employees from being forced to work against their will.
To address this, you should first review your employment contract and visa to confirm your designated role. If there's a clear mismatch between your official designation and the tasks assigned, you may present these details to your employer. If the issue persists, you have the right to file a formal complaint with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE).
Unless you have agreed in writing, your employer cannot legally change your role to something substantially different. You are within your rights to refuse the new tasks and seek support from MoHRE if needed.
News Source: Khaleej Times
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
UAE announces closure of 77 social media accounts for violations
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), in collaboration with the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), announced the closure of 77 social media accounts for violations during the first half of this year. This action was taken after MoHRE investigated these accounts, which were found to be unofficial and operating without a licence from the Ministry to carry out domestic worker recruitment activities, constituting a clear legal violation. MoHRE urges employers as well as both Emirati and resident families to only engage with licensed and approved domestic worker recruitment agencies when looking to hire this category of workers, and avoid dealing with social media accounts and pages that promote the recruitment of illegal domestic workers. Picture used for illustrative purpose only. File / WAM In a press statement, the Ministry clarified that dealing with unlicensed domestic worker recruitment agencies and unreliable social media pages promoting domestic worker services could lead to customers losing their legal rights, which are guaranteed when they exclusively deal with Ministry-licensed and approved agencies. The Ministry encourages customers to contact their call centre at 600590000 to verify the reliability of any entities promoting domestic workers through social media. A list of licensed agencies across the UAE, including their names and locations, is available on the Ministry's website: .
Filipino Times
2 days ago
- Filipino Times
UAE shuts down 77 social media accounts for illegal domestic worker recruitment
The UAE government has shut down 77 social media accounts that were illegally offering domestic worker recruitment services. During an investigation, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) found that these pages were not approved or licensed to recruit housemaids or other domestic workers. The move was carried out in cooperation with the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority during the first half of this year. 'We urge employers and both Emirati and resident families to deal only with approved and licensed domestic worker recruitment offices accredited by the Ministry,' MoHRE said in a statement. The Ministry also warned the public against dealing with unlicensed recruiters online, as this may lead to legal risks. 'Avoid interacting with social media pages and accounts that promote unlicensed domestic worker recruitment, in order to protect your legal rights, which are ensured when dealing exclusively with offices licensed by the Ministry,' MoHRE added. MoHRE then encouraged the public to check the official list of approved recruitment offices in the UAE, available at
UAE Moments
2 days ago
- UAE Moments
UAE Blocks 77 Social Media Accounts Over Illegal Domestic Worker Ads
In a sweeping crackdown, UAE authorities have taken down 77 social media accounts for promoting unlicensed domestic worker recruitment services in the first half of 2025. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) announced the closures on Wednesday, saying the move came after investigations revealed the accounts were offering services without proper government approval. 'These accounts were operating without a license and violating regulations,' the ministry stated. 'Dealing with unlicensed domestic worker recruitment agencies and unreliable social media pages promoting domestic worker services could lead to customers losing their legal rights, which are guaranteed when they exclusively deal with ministry-licensed and -approved agencies.' Officials are urging families and employers in the UAE to stick to authorized channels when hiring domestic help. MoHRE reminded the public that a full list of licensed recruitment agencies — complete with names and locations — is available on its official website. The ministry's firm message? Think twice before sliding into DMs for domestic help. It might cost you your rights.
