Article 13 sets out a small but strict set of housekeeping duties on every private-sector employer. Failing any of these is enforceable through the MOHRE complaint pipeline and, in serious cases, administrative fines apply.
Record-keeping. The employer must maintain a personnel file for each worker containing the signed contract, permit, wage records, leave register, and any disciplinary correspondence. Records must be retained for at least two years after the employment relationship ends — so a departing worker can still request a copy for eighteen months without the employer being able to claim the file has been archived.
No document retention. Holding a worker's original passport or Emirates ID as security is an outright prohibition, and the employer may not force a worker to leave the UAE after the working relationship ends. The documents belong to the worker at all times. Employers may photocopy identity documents for regulatory filings, but a physical safe with staff passports inside is unlawful — a common inspection finding at older SMEs.
Free experience certificate. On termination for any reason, the employer must issue an experience certificate stating dates of service, role, and — if the worker requests — the reason for leaving. It must be issued without charge and cannot be withheld to pressure the worker into signing an end-of-service settlement.
No recruitment costs charged to the worker. Extending the Article 6 rule: neither placement fees, medical checks, visa costs, nor return-flight deposits may be deducted from wages, held as security, or invoiced separately. All such costs sit with the employer.