Mohammed bin Rashid approves new HR Law of Dubai Government

Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said that human resources represent a key element of the development formula and it is important to create a conducive environment for attracting the best talent that can support the achievement of the government’s objectives. His Highness also said that improving legislative frameworks will help establish the right conditions for creating a brighter future.
 
His Highness’s remarks came as he approved the new Human Resource Law of the Government of Dubai, which focuses on ensuring job security and stability for all employees, improving overall performance, further enhancing government work, encouraging creativity and innovation among staff, and attracting the right talent that can help further cement Dubai Government’s profile as an model for innovation and excellence.
 
“We are committed to providing a supportive environment for all employees of the Government of Dubai, as the performance of the government sector is key to our development journey. Our objective is to ensure a strong work life balance and stability for all government employees. We have also issued directives to provide all means of assistance to them regardless of their positions and responsibilities in order to help them realise their full creative potential. The new HR Law reflects our vision for ensuring an even better future for employees of the Government of Dubai and the happiness of their families,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
 
Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the The Executive Council of Dubai HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said that the new HR Law is in line with the new futuristic mission of the Government of Dubai as part of which we seek to enhance team spirit and knowledge exchange and streamline efforts to drive Dubai’s development journey forward.
 
His Highness also said that Dubai is preparing its national talent to meet the rapid changes taking place in its operations, which have been driven by the vision of the leadership that considers people a key asset. His Highness said that the new law offers government entities the flexibility to adapt their regulations according to the nature of their operations. “Improving government work is a top priority of the government in order to cement its position a leading government. We will invest all efforts and resources to build the capabilities necessary for going forward with our journey of leadership, innovation and development. We will spare no efforts to empower our human resources so they can always be the best, and the most efficient and competent,” Sheikh Hamdan said.
 
During a visit to the Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) last April, His Highness instructed the department to update the HR Law so that it meets global standards in attracting and retaining talent and supporting working women. Improving the efficiency of the government’s human resources is key to achieving sustainable development plans and the goals of the Dubai Plan 2021, he said. His Highness also directed government entities to work as one team.
 
The new HR Law seeks to promote work-life balance and support working women and the needs of their family. The new law expands the air ticket entitlement for Emirati employees without limiting the number of dependents. Dependents up to 21 years old are covered by the ticket entitlement instead of the previous 18 years. The period of mourning leave has been increased and the number of relatives covered by it has been expanded. The new law also prioritises training and development at government entities, and enhances the ability of government entities to attract and retain exceptional talent that can support the implementation of the development plans of Dubai.
 
Director General of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) Department HE Abdulla Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi said that the continuous support of the leadership has helped to ensure the happiness of Dubai government employees, an objective that is clearly reflected in the new HR Law. Al Falasi called upon all government entities to speed up the implementation of the new law, adding that the regulations and clauses of the law are being prepared to enable government entities to implement the new law in 2019.
 
While drafting the new law, DGHR consulted with HR departments of different government entities, and reviewed previous laws, complaints, and reports of the Central Committee of Complaints of Dubai Government Employees. In addition, a committee was set up to draft the new law that included members of The Secretariat General of The Executive Council, Finance Department, DGHR, and The Secretariat General of the Supreme Legislation Committee.
 
The new law is more flexible, allowing government entities to issue regulations and decisions that suit the nature of their operations, and also addresses key issues. Key details will be addressed by decisions issued by the Chairman of The Executive Council in areas that include training, development, performance management system, as well as employee conduct, grievances and complaints.
 
The new HR law includes 141 clauses instead of the previous 231 clauses, and features new clauses in areas such as Emiratisation, scholarship, learning and development. The law also gives nationals looking for jobs and internships the opportunity to benefit from the experiences of government agencies.
 
The new law can be reviewed by the Chairman of The Executive Council whenever needed, and amended without revising the whole law.
 
The new law also introduces ‘remote working’ and provides special privileges to people with determination. They will be eligible for shorter working hours if needed, subject to medical approval.
 
The new law also offers employees the opportunity to apply for internal positions; the employee is also entitled to overtime payment subject to the written approval of his or her line manager.
 
The process of granting promotion has become simpler under the new law. Employees with a satisfactory annual review are eligible for promotion giving them a stronger career path. A detailed employee performance management system will soon be issued that features amendments to the current system.
 
Added to that, annual leave for employees of grade 8 to 11 has been increased to 25 working days from 22 working days, while employees of grade 7 and less will get 18 working days instead of 15 working days. Grieving holiday for second degree relatives has been increased to 5 working days from 3 days.
 
The new law grants employees a five-day fully paid leave to prepare for research, projects and graduation thesis. The law also provides the framework for greater cooperation between government agencies, enhanced team spirit, more robust exchange of expertise and transfer of knowledge between government agencies through external secondment.