The WPS wage clock, mapped
Wage Protection System deadlines for a UAE SME contractor — when wages fall due, when MOHRE reacts, and what to lock down every month before the bank cut-off.
The clock
The wage period ends. Monthly wages are treated as due from the first day of the next month.
Pay through WPS within 15 days of the due date. From day 16 the firm is recorded as late.
Still unpaid: MOHRE flags the establishment and electronic reminders begin.
New work permits stop for establishments with 50 or more workers. Inspection visits follow.
Per-worker fines, referral in serious cases, and measures reaching other firms under the same owner.
The compliance thresholds MOHRE applies
MOHRE assesses each month on two measures: the share of workers paid through WPS, and the share of the total wage bill paid. Both are commonly applied at 80% — below either, the establishment is classed as non-compliant for the month. Treat 100% as the only real target: partial payment still leaves complaints open.
Thresholds and definitions change — verify current MOHRE rules.The escalation ladder, in plain terms
- Late once: reminders, and a compliance record that follows the firm.
- A month overdue: new work permits blocked (50+ workers) — hiring stops.
- Persistent: per-worker fines, and downgrading of the establishment's category.
- Serious or repeated: referral onwards, with measures extending to other establishments of the same owner.
The monthly checklist — work back from the bank cut-off
| Step | What done looks like | Date | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lock timesheets | Attendance closed and approved for every worker; no open disputes carried into payroll. | ||
| Reconcile deductions | Advances, absences and fines match contracts and the limits UAE labour law allows. | ||
| Generate SIF | Salary Information File produced from payroll; totals match the wage register exactly. | ||
| Bank cut-off | SIF with the bank or exchange house before its cut-off — inside the 15-day window, not on day 15. | ||
| Confirm WPS acceptance | Confirmation that the file cleared and wages landed — not just that it was sent. | ||
| File proof | SIF, bank confirmation and pay slips stored where you can produce them in an inspection. |
What gets firms fined
- Paying cash outside WPS, then recording workers as paid.
- Paying less than the wage in the registered contract, or splitting it.
- SIF data that does not match contracts — names, accounts, amounts.
- Missing the window repeatedly, even by a few days each month.
- Making workers hand wages back after the transfer clears — treated severely.
- Leaving workers off the file: unregistered or "floating" labour.