WPS Compliance Checker

The Wage Protection System (WPS) is a federal mechanism overseen by MOHRE that ensures employees in the UAE private sector receive their wages on time and through tracked banking channels. It is mandatory for all mainland employers with at least one employee and is enforced through Cabinet Resolution 21/2020 and Ministerial Resolution 598/2022. Most free zones operate equivalent schemes (e.g., DMCC and JAFZA each have a wage-protection equivalent built into their member portals).

Day 16 is when the violation is officially recorded. Day 17 onwards, MOHRE suspends the issuance of new work permits to your company — meaning you cannot hire anyone new, transfer existing staff, or process renewals. Day 30 onwards, companies with 50+ employees are referred to the Public Prosecution. Per-employee fines start at AED 1,000 and compound monthly until cleared.

Yes — but under a separate framework. Federal Decree-Law 9/2022 governs domestic worker contracts and their wage-protection requirement, with a stricter 10-working-day payment threshold (vs 15 days for general private sector). The portal and processes are the same MOHRE-administered systems.

The federal WPS does not apply to free zone employees, but most free zones impose their own equivalent. DMCC, JAFZA, RAKEZ, ADGM, DIFC, and IFZA each have a wage-protection scheme that members must register their payroll under. The principles (CBUAE-approved channel, payment within deadline, contract-matching salary) are similar.

MOHRE's default position is that the employer is responsible for the timely deposit of wages. Bank-side delays (system outages, KYC reviews, sanctions screening) are not automatic exemptions. To protect yourself, initiate WPS payments at least 5 business days before the contractual due date, document the initiation timestamp, and request a written explanation from the bank if a transfer is held — this evidence can support an appeal but does not remove the violation automatically.

For each rule you fail, we apply the per-employee monthly fine (typically AED 1,000) for the standard WPS violations, and a flat fine for record-keeping or contract-amendment failures (AED 5,000). The annual exposure assumes the violation goes uncorrected for 12 months. This is a conservative directional estimate; the actual MOHRE fine schedule has tiers and repeat-violation multipliers that this calculator does not model. Use the figure as an early-warning signal, not a legal conclusion.