Is Staff Accommodation mandatory in UAE?
A rapidly growing country, investor-friendly environment, top business destination, and advanced infrastructure make UAE the ideal place to establish an entity. Consequently, most of the conglomerates have a widespread presence in the country. Leading to one of the highest ex-pat labor populace in the world. In a responsible regime, the authorities have stipulated policies focussing on employee welfare.
The laws of the land are formulated with the core concept of the well-being and safety of foreign workers. Accordingly, the Ministry of Labour has promulgated orders concerning staff accommodation in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and other emirates in the country. The Ministerial resolution no. 44/2022 specifies that it is mandatory to provide accommodation facilities for the laborers if the company has 50 or more workers earning below AED 1500 per month.
This mandatory requirement has to be abided by the companies hiring ex-pat staff for their projects. Since the foreign labor population in the country is very high, companies find it difficult to find well-facilitated staff accommodation in Abu Dhabi and other locations. Employee accommodation in Abu Dhabi, offered by Labotel, has been one of the key accommodation providers, supporting some of the top entities in the country. Not only the labor camps must be provided but also it should meet the specified standards and specifications.
Staff Accommodation in UAE
The staff accommodation in Abu Dhabi or any of the emirates in the country must pursue the guidelines issued by the authority. The UAE cabinet resolution no. 13/2009, as well as the Ministerial Decree no. 212/2014 lists the amenities, general standards, and dimensional specifications of the labor villages, and staff accommodations.
The regulations stipulate the following:
Location and Standard of Construction: All the actions to ensure the health and safety of the inhabitants must be taken. The staff accommodation should be at a well-connected location, close to the industrial area. All the sanitary, environmental, and safety requirements have to be instituted. These include elevators, air-conditioning systems, emergency exits, and fire systems. Facilities like kitchens, mess, prayer room, first aid room, etc should be on the first floor.
AC and Ventilation: The cabins, dormitories, dining halls, kitchens, offices, and lounges must have adequate ventilation systems and centralized air-conditioning. Atmospheric conditions like temperature and humidity (relative humidity 30%-60%) must be controlled properly inside the air-conditioned spaces.
Lighting Inside and Around the Premises: The surrounding premises and internal areas must be lighted with power-saving lights. The minimum light requirement is provided in the guidelines issued.
Kitchens: Clean and tidy kitchen is another important thing required in staff accommodation in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Kitchen management must be done by an authorized firm. Drainage, ventilation system, chimney, etc. are the other requirements. Gas cylinders must be stored in a safe area outside the kitchen.
Restrooms: Adequately equipped restrooms must be available for the inhabitants. Television, chairs, and other necessary items must be there in the restrooms.
Medical Room: Medical needs may arise anytime, with so many people staying in a place. The staff accommodation in Abu Dhabi and other emirates in the country must have medical rooms with a nurse available around the clock. The first aid box, quarantine room, beds, and other vital things must be there in the medical room.
Bedrooms: Each person must be allocated a minimum of 3 sq mt in the bedroom. Not more than eight to ten persons should be allowed in a bedroom. To avoid causing congestion due to the increased number of people in a bedroom. There are several other specific guidelines regarding the bedroom.
Bathrooms: The guidelines regarding bathrooms in the labor accommodation clarify everything related to the facilities, size, usage, etc
In addition to the above, the directives specify everything available in the accommodation. Therefore, you must hire the best staff accommodation in Abu Dhabi for your employees. That would not only ensure that you are abiding by the rules and regulations but also offer a comfortable stay for your team.