Zero-Hours Worker Agreement (UAE)

A Zero-Hours Worker Agreement in the UAE is a written arrangement under which an employer may offer work to an individual on an ad-hoc basis, but the employer is under no obligation to provide a minimum number of working hours and the worker is under no obligation to accept any offered shift. Zero-Hours Worker Agreement arrangements are a formalised subset of the broader flexible-work framework introduced into UAE law by Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, which was promulgated pursuant to Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law). Articles 6 to 8 of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 recognise flexible, part-time, temporary, and variable-hours employment models as legitimate contractual forms, replacing the binary distinction between full-time employment and independent contracting that characterised the pre-2022 UAE labour market.

The defining characteristic of a zero-hours arrangement is mutuality of obligation — or, more precisely, the absence of guaranteed mutuality on the employer's side. Unlike a standard employment contract or even a casual-worker arrangement with a guaranteed minimum per call-out, a zero-hours agreement explicitly states that the employer has no obligation to offer any particular number of hours, and the worker has no obligation to accept any shift. Each offer and acceptance creates a discrete short-term employment relationship for the duration of that shift only. Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 applies to each accepted engagement, giving the worker full statutory protections for the duration of the shift: safe working conditions under Article 54, overtime pay under Article 19, correct wages through WPS under Ministerial Decree No. 788 of 2009, and MOHRE dispute access.

A critical UAE-specific rule introduced by Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 is the prohibition on exclusivity clauses in zero-hours and flexible-work arrangements. Article 7 of the Resolution expressly provides that an employer cannot require a worker on a flexible or zero-hours arrangement to work exclusively for that employer. A worker holding a MOHRE Flexible Work Permit (the Tasaheel permit) is free to engage with multiple employers without restriction. Any contractual clause purporting to impose exclusivity on a zero-hours worker in the UAE is void and unenforceable. This anti-exclusivity rule distinguishes the UAE's zero-hours framework from pre-2022 informal practice, where some employers attempted to retain workers on standby while preventing them from generating income elsewhere.

Wages Protection System compliance is mandatory even for zero-hours engagements where the worker is registered with MOHRE. Ministerial Decree No. 788 of 2009 requires all registered employers to pay workers electronically through WPS. For zero-hours workers on the Tasaheel system, WPS payments are tracked per engagement, with MOHRE's electronic monitoring covering the casual-work segment of the labour market as well as regular employment. MOHRE enforcement teams periodically conduct audits of Tasaheel platform records to verify WPS compliance, particularly in the hospitality and events sectors where zero-hours arrangements are prevalent.

The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) under Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 (VAT) and Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 (Corporate Tax) should be considered in zero-hours arrangements where the worker is a VAT-registered entity rather than an individual. A corporate entity providing services on a zero-hours basis is providing a taxable supply, and the employer receiving those services may be entitled to input VAT recovery on the fees paid, provided a valid Tax Invoice is issued. Where the worker is a natural person on a Tasaheel permit, the employment relationship for each engagement means VAT does not apply to the wage payment — wages paid to employees (including per-shift zero-hours employees) are not subject to VAT under the FTA's VAT guidance on employment income.

A Zero-Hours Worker Agreement in the UAE is needed whenever an employer wishes to maintain a pool of available, pre-screened workers who can be called to work at short notice but where the employer's operational needs are genuinely unpredictable and no minimum hours commitment can be given in advance.

The hospitality sector in the UAE is the single largest user of zero-hours arrangements. Dubai's premier hotel brands on Palm Jumeirah, downtown high-rises, and beach-front resorts face occupancy rates that vary from near 100% during peak season to 40% in summer. Rather than carrying permanent headcount year-round, operators maintain zero-hours pools of food-and-beverage staff, housekeeping assistants, and banqueting crew who can be mobilised for peak periods with 24-to-48-hours' notice via the Tasaheel platform. The Zero-Hours Worker Agreement documents the relationship with each pool member, confirms the hourly rate, and protects the employer from WPS violations by pre-establishing the payment mechanism.

Media and film production companies in Dubai Studio City, TECOM's Dubai Internet City, and twofour54 in Abu Dhabi engage large numbers of crew members — set designers, camera operators, lighting technicians, extras, and production assistants — on zero-hours arrangements aligned to production schedules. Production timelines are notoriously unpredictable, and requiring each crew member to sign a full employment contract creates administrative and cost burdens for projects lasting a few days or weeks. A Zero-Hours Worker Agreement with a standing pool of pre-vetted crew enables production companies to mobilise rapidly and compliantly.

Retail food and beverage operators in Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, and Abu Dhabi Mall use zero-hours pools to manage lunch-rush staffing. A branded coffee-shop chain may have 15 trained baristas in its zero-hours pool but regularly needs only 6 to 12 on any given day, depending on footfall. The Zero-Hours Worker Agreement allows the chain to maintain and retain the trained pool without obligating itself to provide hours when demand is low.

Education institutions running evening and weekend programmes, corporate training companies providing customised workshops, and tutoring services in the UAE engage specialist lecturers and trainers on zero-hours arrangements tied to the academic calendar and course demand. A sports academy in Abu Dhabi or Dubai may maintain a pool of qualified coaches available for ad-hoc sessions booked by members, engaging each coach under a Zero-Hours Worker Agreement that sets the per-session rate and the booking-response obligation.

Healthcare facilities — particularly private clinics, outpatient specialist centres, and telehealth platforms — use zero-hours arrangements for locum medical professionals and allied health staff licensed by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), or the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP). A specialist clinic may engage a visiting consultant under a Zero-Hours Worker Agreement, calling the specialist in for patient sessions when demand arises without committing to a regular sessional schedule.

A Zero-Hours Worker Agreement in the UAE must contain the following core elements to comply with Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, and MOHRE's flexible-work regulations. The forms-legal.com UAE Zero-Hours Worker Agreement template covers each element with provisions calibrated to the UAE legal framework.

Party identification requires the employer's full legal name, trade-licence number, and address. The worker's full name, Emirates ID number, and MOHRE work-permit type and number must be recorded. For workers on the Tasaheel Flexible Work Permit system, the permit number confirms multi-employer eligibility. For workers on a standard MOHRE work permit sponsored by the employer, that permit number must be entered.

Nature of the arrangement — the 'zero-hours declaration' — is the most important clause. The Agreement must clearly state that the employer has no obligation to offer any minimum number of hours, and the worker has no obligation to accept any shift. Without this mutual freedom from obligation, the arrangement risks being treated as a regular employment contract with a guaranteed minimum workload by MOHRE and the Labour Court.

Right to refuse shifts must be expressly confirmed as an unconditional right of the worker, without adverse consequence. Article 7 of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 supports this right, and MOHRE has adopted the position that a zero-hours arrangement that penalises refusal (for instance, by not offering future shifts as punishment for declining) is an employment relationship with a minimum-hours guarantee.

Anti-exclusivity clause must confirm that the worker is free to work for other employers on days not committed to the Employer. This is required by Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 and gives effect to the Tasaheel system's design. Even where the worker holds a standard work permit from a single employer, best practice is to confirm in the Zero-Hours Worker Agreement that other engagements not conflicting with accepted shifts are permitted.

Shift offer and acceptance process should describe the communication channel (Tasaheel app, WhatsApp, email), the response window (typically 2 to 4 hours), and the minimum information that must be included in each offer (date, time, location, duties, expected duration). A documented offer-and-acceptance process creates a clear record for WPS payment and MOHRE dispute evidence.

Hourly pay rate must be at or above the MOHRE minimum for flexible workers (AED 33.29 per hour as at 2024). Overtime above 8 hours per day is payable at 125% under Article 19 of the Labour Law. Night and unsocial-hours premiums, where offered, should be expressed as additional AED amounts per hour. Public-holiday premium at 150% under Cabinet Resolution No. 15 of 1985 should be referenced.

Pay period and WPS compliance must confirm that wages are paid electronically through WPS under Ministerial Decree No. 788 of 2009, on the agreed cycle (after each shift, weekly, or bi-monthly). WPS records provide the employer's key evidence of payment compliance in any MOHRE dispute.

Shift cancellation provisions (both employer-initiated and worker-initiated) set the notice periods and any last-minute cancellation payments, preventing disputes when a confirmed engagement falls through.

Safety obligations confirm the employer's duty to provide OSH induction and PPE for each type of engagement, reflecting the employer's statutory duty under Article 54 and applicable health and safety regulations.

Filling in a UAE Zero-Hours Worker Agreement correctly ensures the arrangement is compliant with Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 and Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the worker's permit status is confirmed, and the shift-offer and pay processes are clear for both parties.

Begin with the agreement date. This is the date the framework agreement is executed — it covers all future shift offers and acceptances until terminated. The agreement governs the entire on-call relationship and does not need to be re-executed for each shift.

For the scope of work, describe the range of duties the worker may be offered across different engagements. For a hospitality worker, the scope might include 'food and beverage service, banqueting support, poolside service, and bar work'. A broad but accurate scope avoids situations where a worker declines to perform a specific task on the grounds that it falls outside the agreement.

For the employer section, use the exact legal name on the trade licence. Confirm whether the employer is registered on the MOHRE Tasaheel platform — this is required if the employer wishes to engage Tasaheel Flexible Work Permit holders. Employers not registered on Tasaheel can still use zero-hours arrangements for workers on standard work permits sponsored by the employer.

For the worker section, enter the Emirates ID number and work-permit type. If the worker holds a Tasaheel permit, entering the permit number allows the employer to verify current permit validity on the MOHRE Tasaheel platform before each shift. For workers on standard work permits, note the MOHRE labour card number.

For pay terms, enter the hourly rate in AED. Check the current MOHRE minimum hourly rate (AED 33.29 per hour as at 2024). Calculate the overtime rate: standard overtime = 125% = rate × 1.25; Friday/public-holiday = 150% = rate × 1.5. If a night premium applies (common in nightclub, late-bar, and after-hours hospitality), enter the premium amount per hour.

For the right to refuse and exclusivity sections, select the options that reflect the genuine arrangement. For the anti-exclusivity clause: in a genuine zero-hours arrangement under Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, the worker must be free to work elsewhere, so select 'No' to exclusivity. For the right to refuse: select 'Yes' — confirming the worker's unconditional right to decline. A 'No' on the right-to-refuse question (meaning the worker has no right to refuse) would undermine the zero-hours characterisation.

Both parties should sign two originals. Store the signed agreement in the HR system and reference it in the WPS records for each shift payment.

Zero-Hours Worker Agreement (UAE) — Legal Requirements. Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 are the primary statutes governing zero-hours and flexible-work arrangements in the UAE. Article 6 of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 defines flexible work as an employment relationship in which the working hours and days are variable based on the employer's operational needs, and in which the worker may work for more than one employer. Article 7 prohibits exclusivity clauses in flexible and zero-hours arrangements, ensuring workers are free to work elsewhere on uncommitted time. Article 8 requires that all flexible-work arrangements must be documented in writing, referencing the type of work, the pay rate, and the payment period.

Article 17 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 sets the maximum working day at 8 hours and the working week at 48 hours, with Ramadan reduced to 6 hours per day. Article 18 requires a minimum 24-hour continuous rest period per week. Article 19 mandates overtime pay at 125% for hours above 8 per day, and 150% for overnight overtime or work on a Friday or UAE public holiday. Article 22 requires equal pay for equal work regardless of gender. Article 54 imposes the employer's liability for work-related injuries during each accepted engagement.

Ministerial Decree No. 788 of 2009 (WPS) mandates electronic payment of wages for all MOHRE-registered workers, including flexible and zero-hours workers. MOHRE monitors WPS compliance through the Tasaheel platform's digital records. Cabinet Resolution No. 15 of 1985 (as updated annually by MOHRE Cabinet Resolution) lists the official UAE public holidays on which workers are entitled to 150% pay or substitute rest. Federal Law No. 6 of 1973 on Immigration (administered by ICP) requires every worker to hold a valid UAE work permit before commencing any engagement. Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data applies to the worker's personal information collected and stored by the employer. Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 on Corporate Tax applies to corporate entities providing services (not to individual workers on employment engagements).

UAE Zero-Hours Worker Agreement — Common Mistakes. Zero-hours arrangements occupy a legally nuanced space in the UAE labour market, and the following errors are consistently observed in practice, particularly as the post-2022 flexible-work framework is still being absorbed by employers and workers.

1. Including an exclusivity clause. Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 expressly prohibits exclusivity in flexible and zero-hours arrangements. An employer who inserts an exclusivity clause — 'the worker may not work for any other employer during the term of this Agreement' — is breaching the Resolution, and the clause is void. If the employer genuinely needs exclusivity, the arrangement should be structured as a regular employment contract with defined hours, not a zero-hours agreement.

2. Treating acceptance of shifts as automatic. A zero-hours arrangement requires the worker to actively accept each offered shift. An employer who schedules workers without obtaining acceptance, and then threatens to stop offering shifts if the worker does not appear, has created a de facto regular employment relationship and exposed themselves to MOHRE reclassification claims.

3. Failing to pay through WPS. Zero-hours workers who are MOHRE-registered must be paid through WPS. Paying by cash — even at the correct rate — violates Ministerial Decree No. 788 of 2009. MOHRE's enforcement teams have increasingly targeted the events and hospitality sectors where cash payment of casual workers has been common, and employers who are caught face fines, a WPS red classification, and permit-ban consequences.

4. Not providing an OSH induction before each new type of work. Regardless of how many shifts a worker has completed with the employer in another capacity, each new type of work (moving from banqueting to kitchen-support duties, for example) requires a fresh safety induction. A workplace injury sustained without a preceding induction exposes the employer to enhanced liability.

5. Using zero-hours agreements to circumvent end-of-service obligations for regular workers. MOHRE actively investigates cases where workers who have been performing regular shifts for more than 90 days are placed on zero-hours agreements to avoid gratuity accrual. The Labour Court applies the substance-over-form test and awards gratuity from the commencement of the regular-shift pattern, regardless of the agreement's label.