United Arab Emirates: 2023 Unemployment Insurance scheme update
The UAE government recently published legislation requiring federal employees and private sector workers to sign up for an unemployment insurance program. In the event that an employee loses their work, the plan is intended to offer financial support.
What should employees do?
Beginning on January 1, 2023, employees must register with an unemployment insurance program.
Several chosen insurance companies in the UAE offer unemployment insurance programs. There are numerous ways for an employee to sign up for an insurance program, including:
Insurance booth website
Employee's bank
ATM machines throughout the UAE
Exchange centers
Banking centers
Du / Etisalat
Directly with an insurance company
Once registered, employees must start paying monetary contributions to the scheme as follows:
Employees earning less than AED 16,000 must make a minimum monthly contribution to their chosen plan of AED 5.
Employees who make more than AED 16,000 a year are required to make a minimum monthly contribution to their chosen plan of AED 10.
A penalty of AED 400 will be levied against the employee for failing to enroll in an unemployment insurance program. Employees are subject to a further AED 200 punishment if they do not enroll in an insurance plan and do not make any contributions for more than three months.