MoHRE opens nominations for Emirates Labour Market Award in June

DUBAI: 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).