The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation launched the “work at a distance” initiative, with the aim of creating job opportunities for female citizens who want to work in the private sector in remote areas, and close to their homes, especially in four areas: Khor Fakkan, Al Ain, Fujairah, and Ras Al Khaimah, in Six jobs, confirming that "employers who provide jobs remotely will receive incentive benefits."
The ministry classified the targeted jobs into three types: technical jobs that include a "website developer", "software engineer", and creative jobs that include a "marketer through social media", "a content developer", and office jobs that include "customer service", "Admin", and "salesman".
The ministry explained, on its website, that "remote work" is a system in which the employee performs his duties from outside the sites designated for work, whether on a part-time basis weekly or monthly, or full-time work, with the aim of creating job opportunities for unemployed citizens in remote areas, and to encourage Employers provide job opportunities for groups that are partly unemployed, or not fully exploited, and provide transportation costs and costs for attracting citizens.
She noted that teleworking reduces unscheduled absences, increases productivity and saves money, guarantees continuity of operations, provides new job opportunities for the unemployed, totally and partially, increases work options for those with determination, and improves the economic future in remote areas.
She noted that the employee who performs his work remotely on a full-time basis, has the right to privacy, to be eligible for a promotion or benefits, and to obtain the workload and expectations, such as employees working full-time at the workplace.
The employee must deal with any challenges or difficulties arising from remote work arrangements, and it should be easily accessible to him by his colleagues or employer during working hours.
The Ministry stressed the need for the employer to abide by the right to require specific work hours to be remotely committed by the employee, and the right to cancel the remote work system if the employee violates the laws. Institutions are required to designate professional competency groups, who are eligible to apply for a teleworking system. Institutions should determine whether the vacancies advertised are subject to the remote work system, ensure equal treatment between employees working on the remote work system, and the full-time system in the workplace, and ensure that employees working on the remote work system can access the necessary tools, and ensure that they can participate In remote meetings and discussions.