USD 500 Domestic Worker Salary Optional, Not Mandatory: Recruitment Offices

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Manama: The Bahrain Recruitment Offices Association has clarified that setting a domestic worker’s salary at USD 500 is optional and not a mandatory requirement under current regulations, stressing that any wage increase must be approved by the employer and follow official legal frameworks.

In a statement, the association said domestic worker wages are governed by approved instructions and circulars, and that recruitment offices are not authorised to unilaterally increase salaries and then pass the additional cost on to citizens.

The association noted that questions have arisen over whether some recruitment offices have voluntarily raised salaries and presented the increase as compulsory. It stressed that the relevant circular clearly states that the USD 500 salary is a choice, not an obligation.

Any voluntary salary increase, the association said, must be decided by the party that bears the financial responsibility – the employer – and not the recruitment office. Acting otherwise raises legal and regulatory concerns.

The statement also questioned whether citizens were clearly informed of their right to accept or reject the higher salary, warning that implying the increase is mandatory could be misleading.

From a financial perspective, the association highlighted that the difference between a USD 400 and USD 500 salary amounts to USD 2,400 over a two-year contract. When leave pay and end-of-service benefits are added, the total additional cost reaches USD 2,700.

The association concluded by questioning whether recruitment offices that voluntarily raise salaries are prepared to bear the extra cost themselves, or whether shifting the burden to citizens is legally permissible under existing regulations.