The Public Authority for Manpower’s domestic help department has started distribution of the new unified contract for recruiting domestic helpers.

Local Arabic daily Al Jarida reported that the new contract commits the employer to provide suitable residence equipped with appropriate living means for helpers, feed them, provide them with clothes, treat and nurse them, register them for health insurance and pay them at the end of every month, provided the salary is not less than what is mentioned in the contract, in exchange of a receipt signed by the worker.

Report added that among the general rules in the new form is not to make the helper work for more than 12 hours a day, with five hours of work followed by one hour of rest, eight hours of nightly rest, a weekly day off and paid annual leave.

The contract gives the worker the right to an indemnity equal to one month’s salary per year, while the employer should not keep any documents or IDs that belong to the helper. The helper’s residency cannot be transferred during the initial period, while committing those involved in a dispute to settle it at the domestic help department at the manpower authority.

Commitment to the contract should be by the employer and their family members too.