A company known to me changed their travel policy and now only pay annual air tickets after travel by way of reimbursement following submission of the ticket receipt and all boarding passes, etc. This means that employees have to pay for tickets before they travel, often many months beforehand, and cannot claim back the costs until they return. I'd like to know if it is possible for the company to enforce such a policy? They say the UAE labour law does not mention how the administration of annual air ticket needs to be done and hence companies can decide how they want to set regulations. SJ, Abu Dhabi
It is true that UAE Labour Law does not specify how a company handles the payment of annual flights if they form part of the contract, but that does not mean a company can change the system that they have been operating. If the way in which tickets are funded or reimbursed is set out in the contract of employment, any change should only happen with the agreement of the employees as employers do not have the right to change contract terms arbitrarily. Whether the employees can make a complaint to the Ministry of Labour will largely depend on whether there was anything in writing about how flights were previously paid as they would need evidence to support their case, no matter how unfair the change may seem.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with over 20 years of experience. Contact her at keren@holbornassets.com. Follow her on Twitter at @FinancialUAE.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek appropriate independent legal advice.
Follow us on Twitter @TheNationalPF