Over 12,500 private firms in UAE found violating laws during 688,000 ministry inspections in 2024

Abdulrahman Saeed, Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre) has confirmed that the number of inspection visits to private companies reached 668,000 during 2024.

12,509 establishments were found to be violating labour, health and occupational safety requirements.

Furthermore, 20 violations practicing recruitment activity without a license since the beginning of 2024, until November were monitored.

According to Mohre, a total of 29,000 fines have been imposed on private sector establishments for violations of labour legislation since the beginning of last year.

These violations encompass the imposition of recruitment fees on workers, the practice of recruiting workers without the requisite licence, the closure of companies without resolving the status of their workers, the failure to pay wages within the wage protection system, the provision of inaccurate data, the failure to comply with labour housing standards, the non-compliance with the mid-day break rules, the failure to report work injuries, and violations and circumvention of Emiratisation decisions.

The Ministry explained that its inspection sector employs leading practices and innovative features, operating within specific ethical and legal controls and standards for labour inspection. Chief among these is the stipulation that the employer or their representative be notified of the date of the inspection, unless the task demands otherwise.

Other salient features include the introduction of inspectors to themselves, adherence to the law, the performance of duties responsibly, in accordance with the standards of sincerity and honesty, and the restraint from divulging company secrets.

It was highlighted that digital technological developments constitute a significant achievement of the Ministry's inspection sector, as it attains standards of efficiency and excellence, introduces objectivity and integrity into the work of the inspection sector, and enhances its capacity to monitor and control violations and negative practices in the labour market.

The Smart Inspection System is a pioneering development in the region, and is considered to be one of the most significant tools to emerge in the inspection sector, with the potential to enhance its role in safeguarding the community.

The system's risk matrix analyses data and classifies companies into three levels according to the degree of risk, and prioritises follow-ups for inspectors on a daily basis. The system's functionality encompasses the analysis of data and the categorisation of companies into three levels of risk, with a subsequent prioritisation of follow-ups for inspectors on a daily basis.