Employment opportunities at Expo 2020: Know your rights

However, just one year from the earlier date, the UAE is back at the forefront and ready to welcome the world spectators to this grand six-month-long expo starting from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.

Needless to say, that the UAE has been able to orchestrate this landmark event in record time due to its highly efficient handling of the pandemic. The UAE currently leads the world nations in the number of Covid-19 vaccines administered, with 93% of its population being vaccinated and 82 % being fully vaccinated. This is a staggering achievement, and with the same, the country has successfully brought life close to normal and is a safe destination for people to travel to.

This is a world event, one that has been meticulously planned to exceed expectations and to set new records. Nothing has been left to chance here, and this includes ensuring the highest standards of worker welfare. The Expo organization ensures world-class policies, standards, and processes to protect and support their health, safety, and well-being. In furtherance to the same, worker welfare policy has been effected to ensure the standards of employmentprotection pursuant to the UAE laws and requirements are continuously met.

Expo 2020 Worker Welfare Policy:

The Policy includes ten key principles that are in line with international guidance on workers’ rights including the International Labour Organisation and United Nations:

• Ensuring fair and free recruitment
• Ensuring employees understand the terms and conditions of employment
• Treating employees equally and without discrimination
• Protecting and preserving the dignity of employees, and not tolerating harassment or abuse of any kind
• Respecting the right of employees to retain their personal documents
• Paying employees’ wages and benefits on time and in full
• Allowing employees freedom to exercise their in-country legal rights without fear of reprisal
• Providing a safe and healthy working and living environment
• Providing access to grievance mechanisms and remediation
• Ensuring that bonded, indentured, forced or child labour is not used.

Under the preview of the UAE labour law (Federal law no. (8) of 1980. regarding the organization of labour relations and its amendments), various work permits and visa options have been provided in the UAE that allows and encourages freelancers and part -time workers to find flexible employment avenues.

Part-time work permits: The UAE labor allows an employee to take up a part-time job alongside his full-time employment, subject to certain conditions:

• one such condition is that their sponsor company must allow this and should also provide them with a No objection certificate (‘NOC’).
• Such employees should obtain a new part-time work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE).
• The fine for violating these rules and working without proper work permits includes a fine of Aed 50,000, which will be applied on the hiring company.
• Part-time work permits can be issued to people within the age group of 18 to 65 years.