The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) will begin accepting applications for the first edition of the Emirates Labour Market Award on June 1, 2023.

The Award, which was approved by the UAE Cabinet in March will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court.

The Award aims to enhance the UAE labour market’s competitiveness, improve its productivity and efficiency, recognise outstanding practices in the work environment, and protect and encourage the workers’ rights while advancing well-being and quality of life for the workforce across private sector establishments, the Ministry said.

Announcing details about the award at a media briefing in Dubai on Wednesday, Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Chairman of the Award’s Supervisory Committee, expressed his appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed “for continuously supporting all efforts to improve the local business environment and further ease doing business in the UAE, and his generous patronage of this award.

He added that the award is inspired by the country's leadership vision towards bolstering the advanced development ecosystem in the UAE that has established a comprehensive and encouraging investment environment.

“The annual award is a major contribution to the business environment in the UAE. It reflects the leadership’s keenness to enhance the UAE’s competitiveness and accelerate building a comprehensive economy that is the strongest, most active, most diverse, and fastest-growing in the world,” he added.

During the media briefing, Al Awar said the award’s categories “stimulate healthy competition” in the private sector. “These categories also reflect the vital role played by the establishments, domestic workers recruitment agencies, and employment agencies in advancing the overall business environment.”

Al Awar went on to say that efforts to strengthen the public-private partnership is ongoing by recognising the establishments and highlighting their successful best practices while honouring their owners and leading employees.

He explained that the award is based on clear criteria that cover various vital aspects in the labour market, including employment, empowerment and attracting skilled labour, occupational health and safety, employment relationships and wages compliance, facilities and work environment, futureproofing, encouragement and motivation, achievement, creativity and innovation, continuous learning, and social responsibility.

The award is subdivided into three main categories: the Establishments Category, which acknowledges leading establishments in the labour market that have contributed to managing employment relationships exceptionally; the Workforce Category, which recognises the outstanding workforce that has served the UAE’s businesses and community; and the Business Service Partners Category, which acknowledges companies that have helped develop the best-in-class labour market practices.

The Establishments Category is divided into a main category and six subcategories split by the size of establishments (small, medium, large and very large). Within the main category (four awards) the Leading Establishment in the Labour Market Award is awarded in recognition of the establishments that have adopted the best practices in human resources and accomplished the strictest compliance with work environment regulations and standards.

Seven winners are honoured as per their establishment’s size and at category level, which adds up to 28 awards (six subcategories + the main category x four sizes of establishments).

The subcategories include employment, empowerment and attracting skilled labour practices, occupational health and safety practices, employment relationships and wages practices, workforce wellbeing and quality of life, futureproofing, and outstanding workers’ accommodation.

To apply for the Establishments Category, the establishments must be registered on the MoHRE’s database and should have been in the labour market for two years or more. They must not be government-owned, have had a judicial ruling issued against them, or have had any penalties imposed on them for violating the labour legislation in force in the UAE during the previous year.

It must also complete the nomination application and adhere to the award’s timeframe. Establishments that win the award are not entitled to participate in the award until two sessions have been held since they received the award.

The Workforce Category involves an outstanding workforce that has served the UAE’s businesses and community. It is divided into three subcategories: skilled labour, which includes high-level professionals, and unskilled labour, which encompasses employees from the sixth occupational level or below. The criteria for this category are achievement, creativity and innovation, continuous learning, and social responsibility.

The third category is the General Nominations Category, which includes all workforce types and is drawn from those who have had a positive impact and a unique mark on UAE society. Nominations for the General Nominations Category are accepted from government agencies, private sector establishments, and the community overall.

To be nominated for the award, participants must have worked at the establishment for no less than one year, and the participant’s profile must be free of violations, and participants must not have had a labour complaint/ suspension registered against them during the previous year. Three winners will be acknowledged within each category, totalling 12 awards.

The Award’s third category acknowledges Business Service Partners, which includes companies that have helped develop the best-in-class labour market practices. It is divided into three subcategories: Domestic Workers Recruitment Agencies, which is awarded to leading domestic workers recruitment agencies in the labour market that apply best practices by providing suitable support for their domestic workers and meet the families' aspirations dealing with them to obtain the required services.

The second subcategory is Employment Agencies, which acknowledges leading employment agencies in the labour market that apply best practices to attract skilled human resources according to the labour market's needs to increase productivity and raise the labour market’s efficiency.

The third subcategory includes Business Service Centres, which acknowledges leading business service centres in the labour market that adopt best practices and enable their staff to provide outstanding services to the UAE’s business sector.

A winner will be awarded for each category, with a total of three awards given. Winning entities must be registered in MoHRE’s database and have been in the labour market for two years or more. They must not be government-owned, have had a judicial ruling issued against them, or have imposed any penalties for violating the labour legislation in force in the UAE during the previous year. It must also commit to completing the nomination application and the award's timeframe. Entities that win the award are not entitled to participate in the award until two sessions have been held since they received the award.

MoHRE is scheduled to receive nomination applications for the award starting June 1 through a dedicated page on MoHRE’s website, riyada.mohre.gov.ae, until the application deadline, August 31. Following this, an in-office and on-field evaluation will occur in September before the award ceremony in November.

The award is backed by various sponsors, led by the diamond sponsor DAMAC Properties, the platinum sponsors Emirates NBD and du, along with golden sponsors Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Commercial Bank of Dubai and Al-Futtaim Group, and silver sponsors the Abu Dhabi Chamber, Mashreq Bank, Dubai Insurance Company, Mediclinic Middle East and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB).

The award is also sponsored by the bronze sponsors LuLu Group International, Chalhoub Group, and Al Nukhba Centre – Businessmen Services and Al Saada Centre – Domestic Workers Services, as well the media sponsors Emirates News Agency (WAM) and Abu Dhabi Media (ADM).

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