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UAE Unemployment Insurance guide: 6.5m registered, AED400 fines, exemptions, payments and more

UAE ministry shares detail on fines, payments and more essential information about Unemployment Insurance Scheme

UAE unemployment insurance
The mandatory job loss insurance is applicable for all employees in the UAE. Image: Shutterstock

The deadline has passed for UAE Unemployment Insurance Scheme registration and residents can check online to see if they have been fined.

More than 6.5m employees have subscribed to the Unemployment Insurance Scheme from January 1 to October 1, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) announced.

With fine of AED400 ($109) to be imposed on workers who did not enrol themselves in the scheme, the Ministry said workers can know if the fine was imposed on them via MoHRE’s app, website or Business Service Centres.

UAE Unemployment Insurance Scheme

The scheme covers citizens and residents working in the private and federal government sector, excluding:

  • Investors (business owners who own and manage their establishments)
  • Domestic workers
  • Temporary employees
  • Minors under the age of 18
  • Retirees who receive a pension and have joined a new employer

The ministry commended those who have enrolled in the Scheme, noting: “This signals their commitment to complying with Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2022 on Unemployment Insurance Scheme, and underlines their awareness of the benefits the system provides, which include a social safety net for citizens and residents, ensuring a decent life for them and their families until alternative employment opportunities arise.

“Additionally, the scheme aims to attract and retain top global talent to the UAE labour market.”

MoHRE urged those eligible for the system to register, noting that while the option has been provided for employers to register their employees in the system, it is ultimately the employee’s responsibility to enrol, not the employer’s, who incurs no additional costs.

UAE unemployment insurance
The UAE has called on eligible employees in the country to sign up for the quick and easy Unemployment Insurance Scheme

Subscriptions can be completed by visiting the Insurance Pool website, the ILOE smartphone application, designated physical kiosks, business service centres, exchange companies (such as Al Ansari Exchange), and banks’ smartphone applications.

The UAE Unemployment Insurance Scheme is divided into two categories:

  • The first covers those with a basic salary of AED16,000 or less, where the insurance premium for the insured employee in this category is set at AED5 per month (AED60 annually), and the maximum monthly compensation is set at AED10,000
  • Meanwhile, the second category includes those with a basic salary exceeding AED16,000, where the insurance premium is AED10 per month (AED120 annually). The monthly compensation for this category is capped at AED20,000

The insurance compensation can be claimed as long as the insurer (employee) has been subscribed to the Unemployment Insurance Scheme for at least 12 consecutive months.

The insured’s right to compensation is not eligible if he/she cancels their residency and leaves the country or joins a new job, within the processing period.

The claim will be processed within two weeks of submission.

The compensation is paid for a maximum of three months from the date of unemployment for each claim, provided the employee in question was not terminated for disciplinary reasons, and has not voluntarily resigned.

The amount is calculated at the rate of 60 percent of the average basic salary in the last six months before unemployment in the UAE .

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