Migrant domestic workers are an integral part of the UAE society, numbering over 750,000 and comprising 20% of the total expat population. Over 94.8% of all domestic workers here are migrants. More than 96% of all Emirati families employ these workers to do household chores and take care of their children. Infact, these domestic workers outnumber the number of family members in 22% of Emirati households. However, there are a lot of overheads and regulations that need to be taken into consideration while hiring domestic help.
Though a helper can make life much easier and comes with their own benefits, the overheads can be considerable. The choice of keeping a help in the UAE ranges from hiring a part time maid coming only a few days a week to hiring a full time live-in maid. Families need to evaluate the pros and cons of keeping a live-in full time maid as opposed to hiring a part time one.Hiring a live-out maid who comes to work every day, but will not live with the family will cost about AED 50,000 per annum whereas a full time live-in maid can cost as much as AED 70,000 per annum.
The broad cost heads for a live in maid are as follows:
Agency Cost: AED 15,000 – 18,000
The safest way to hire a full-time help is through an established registered agency, as hiring illegal maids can attract fines of AED 50,000 to 100,000 and in some extreme case a jail sentence too. This also saves you the hassle of dealing with sponsorship and visa regulations.
Annual Salary: AED 24,000 – 48,000
The salaries of maids vary a great deal and are influenced by a number of factors such as minimum wage requirement regulation by the country of origin of the helper, years of experience, job role and tasks etc.
Medical Expenses and Health Insurance: AED 1,000-2,000
The maid needs to get pre-medical tests to screen for HIV, TB, Hep B, pregnancy etc. and has to be given various vaccinations on entry into the country. This can cost anywhere from AED 300 – 700. Apart from this, according to the mandatory health insurance law announced in 2013, employers will have to get medical insurance for all domestic staff with a minimum annual claim amount of AED 150,000. This will approx. cost AED 700-1300. The evidence of insurance needs to be produced to get visa issued or renewed.
The most popular UAE Medical Insurance option for domestic help is the Essential Benefits Plan (EBP). This is a low premium health insurance policy and is offered by select participating insurers. The advantage of the EBP is that it does not require any medical underwriting for domestic staff on salaries of AED 4,000 per month.
You can save time and money by comparing the premiums and benefits of various EBP offered by health insurance companies such as a Bayzat.com .
Other Miscellaneous Expenses: AED 20,000 per annum.
The other costs incurred on regular monthly basis include lodging, food, phone, clothes etc. that can amount a few hundred monthly.
Apart from this other major expenses include:
• Sponsorship expenses: Almost AED 12,500 per year including sponsorship renewal fees and documentation
• Annual flights to and from their home country: These can cost about AED 2,000-4,000 annually for one trip.
Summary
In the era of nuclear families today, keeping a helper to assist with the kids and household chores is become a necessity more than a choice. Though it has its immense benefits, there are a lot of regulations that need to be followed and a full time live-in maid may not be an affordable option for a lot of people. A variety of part-time hassle-free options are also available through agencies that may be worth exploring.
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