Day off, working hours, rest and public holidays for your helper

Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 sets your helper's rest. A domestic worker is entitled to one paid day off a week. A domestic worker is entitled to at least 12 hours of rest a day, of which at least 8 must be consecutive. We found no maximum working day in the law, or rule giving her public holidays off.

The law is Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 (opens in a new tab), the Domestic Workers Decree-Law. MOHRE, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, issues domestic workers' work permits, and its call centre is on 600 590000. Below are the Decree-Law's rules on rest as of September 2026, how to put them into practice and, where we found no official rule, who to ask.

Does a maid get a weekly day off in the UAE?

Yes, and it is paid. A domestic worker is entitled to one paid day off a week, under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022.

Agree which day it is before she starts, and write it down, along with what happens if you ever need her on it.

Can she work for another family on her day off?

Not unless an exception applies, and we found no official list of the exceptions. The Decree-Law's detailed rules are its Executive Regulations, Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2022. Under the Domestic Workers Decree-Law, a domestic worker may not work for anyone other than their employer, except as its Executive Regulations or MOHRE decisions allow.

That matters for the family that takes her on, too. Employing a domestic worker without a work permit for that job is punishable by a fine of AED 50,000 to AED 200,000.

What do you owe her if she works on her day off?

If a domestic worker works on the weekly day off, the employer must give another day off or pay cash instead, under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022. We found no official rate or amount for the cash. To keep it clear for both of you:

• Ask her as early as you can.
• Agree whether she takes another day off or the cash. If it is a day, agree which one; if it is cash, agree the amount before she works.
• Keep a note of the date and what you agreed, and give her a copy.

How many hours can a maid work in the UAE?

We found no maximum working day, and no overtime rate, in Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022. What it sets instead is her rest. A domestic worker is entitled to at least 12 hours of rest a day, of which at least 8 must be consecutive.

So plan her day around that rest. Agree when her day starts and ends, when she takes breaks and when her longest stretch of rest falls, and keep to it. A written timetable helps you both, especially in the first weeks.

Does time on call at night count as rest?

We found no official page that says. If she will look after a baby or an older relative at night, agree with her how her rest will work, and ask MOHRE on 600 590000 if you are unsure. Our guide to newborn support compares maternity nurses, night nannies and live-in nannies.

Is there a daily limit for part-time help?

Yes, if the help comes through a licensed recruitment office's Flexible package, which gives you an office's worker by the hour, day or longer. It is the one daily cap we found. Under MOHRE's operations manual for recruitment agencies, a worker on the Flexible package may not work more than 8 hours a day, and the agency provides housing and transport to and from the family, compensates the family for damage the worker causes, and refunds unused hours if the arrangement ends early.

Our guide to own-visa, visit-visa and part-time help explains what is legal.

Do maids get public holidays off in the UAE?

We found no official rule that gives a domestic worker public holidays off, or extra pay for working on one. We couldn't read the official text of the Decree-Law's Executive Regulations, so if you are unsure what applies to your helper, ask MOHRE on 600 590000.

The one public-holiday rule we found in the Decree-Law is about annual leave. Under the Domestic Workers Decree-Law, public holidays that fall during a domestic worker's annual leave count as leave days. A domestic worker is entitled to at least 30 days' paid annual leave for each year of service. Our guide to annual leave and flight tickets covers the rest of her leave.

Nothing we found stops you giving her public holidays off, or extra pay when she works one. The rights in the Domestic Workers Decree-Law are minimums: better terms in a contract or another law prevail, and any term that is worse for the worker is void. Whatever you agree, put it in writing before the holiday comes round.

Do Ramadan and Eid change her hours or days off?

Not under any official rule we found. We found no official page that sets different hours or rest for domestic workers during Ramadan, or that gives them time off for Eid, so plan around the daily rest and weekly day off above. We couldn't read the official text of the Decree-Law's Executive Regulations, so if you are unsure what applies to your helper, ask MOHRE on 600 590000.

If you read about shorter working hours in Ramadan, check whether the announcement covers domestic workers before you rely on it, or ask MOHRE on 600 590000.

If she is fasting, talk to her before the month starts about her hours, when she eats and when she rests. Nothing we found stops you agreeing shorter days in Ramadan, or time off for Eid, with her. If you do, agree the dates early and put them in writing.

How do you agree her day off and hours?

In writing, and ideally before she starts. Under the Domestic Workers Decree-Law, a domestic worker's contract must state both parties' names, the contract date and start date, the nature and place of the work, the contract's duration, the total pay and how it is paid, the leave, probation and rest periods, and the cases in which it can be ended; the employer must give the worker a copy. So settle these points with her before either of you signs:

1. Her day off. Agree which day it is, and what happens if you need her on it: another day off or cash, as set out above.
2. Her daily hours. Agree when her day starts and ends, her breaks, and when her longest stretch of rest falls.
3. Night duties. If she will care for a baby or a relative at night, agree how her rest will work.
4. Public holidays, Ramadan and Eid. We found no official rule giving her time off or shorter hours for these, so agree any arrangement with her and write it down.
5. A record. Note each day off she works, and whether you gave another day off or cash.
6. Anything you are unsure of. Check it with MOHRE on 600 590000 before you rely on it.

Our guide to the domestic worker contract goes through each term, our first-week checklist helps you agree house rules together, and our employer's checklist covers the rest of the law.

How can MaidMatch help?

By letting you talk about her day off and hours before you hire. Families contact helpers directly on WhatsApp, through the Hire button on each profile, so you can ask each helper which day off she is used to and what hours suit her.

Two filters on the helpers page help too. Under "You have", Day-off not Sunday shows helpers open to a day off other than Sunday. Under "Be willing to", Work on her day off for pay shows helpers who have said they would work on their day off if paid extra. The rule on a worked day off still applies.

MaidMatch is a free platform for families: they can browse every profile at no cost, with no registration or subscription required.