Private employers and enterprises are advised to take precautionary measures to protect employees’ health from the new coronavirus by cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, and by providing disinfectants at the workplace, employees’ accommodations and vehicles used to transport workers. Employers are also advised to provide disposable masks and instruct workers on the measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Additionally, employers are required to provide electronic medical devices to measure the temperature of workers at the entrances of labor accommodation and report cases of coronavirus symptoms immediately (See Measures).
Land transport companies are urged to ensure compliance with the instructions and guidelines issued by UAE official authorities, educate their workers about such instructions and guidelines, and apply the necessary and required precautions in all aspects of their operations. No ships can enter any dry dock or repair and maintenance workshops before at least 14 days elapse after leaving its last International port, and there must be no contact with any person outside the ship from outside UAE in the last 14 days. This should be interpreted as the required quarantine period for the crew of any ship wishing to enter. Companies should keep up to date regarding Corona Virus information, develop and apply appropriate internal plans to prevent an outbreak of the COVID-19 among workers, educate their workers about infection prevention rules and procedures, ensure availability of all the necessary preventive equipment and disinfection supplies to all staff, particularly to frontline staff, and monitor stocks thereof to make sure they’re kept available. Each company should draw and implement an appropriate plan for regularly disinfecting means of transport and facilities, reduce the number of frontline staff and apply remote working whenever possible using enabling modern technologies; and implement appropriate procedures to ensure the requisite preventive distancing is applied in public transport means and stations and at customer service centers to avoid the spread of infection (See Guidelines).
UAE residents who work in the private sector and wish to return to their home countries to do so during the period of precautionary measures undertaken in the UAE to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19. Employees will be asked to submit their annual leave dates or agree with their employers on unpaid leave (See Initiative).
Employers should continue to check with relevant authorities for the latest information:
– UAE Ministry of Health & Prevention
– UAE National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority