Recently I resigned from a company where I worked for over 10 months. They are now trying to make me pay for my visa because in the letter of appointment there is a line where they say I must pay for it if I resign before the end of three years. From reading previous columns I have seen you say that the UAE labour law states that the employer must bear the cost of the visa and labour card, not the employee. They didn't pay for my medical examination which cost me Dh340 and I didn't have medical insurance because they wanted me to pay for it too. At the moment, I haven't signed resignation papers because they are trying to lower my last month salary to Dh4,000 and make me pay them other money for leaving the job early. R E Dubai
R E is on a fixed contract, hence the reference to three years, so if he leaves before the end of the specified term he will have to compensate the employer. Article 116 of UAE Labour Law states “If the contract has been terminated on part of the employee … the employee becomes liable for compensating the employer against losses incurred by him in consequence of contract termination, provided that the amount of compensation, may not exceed half a month’s pay for a period of three months or for the remaining period of contract, whichever is shorter”. It is not acceptable to ask an employee to repay their visa expenses (per Ministerial order 52 of 1989, Article 6) and the company should have paid for RE’s visa-related medical examination, so the cost of this should be deducted from any monies owed. It is not yet a legal requirement for Dubai employers to provide medical insurance although that situation is changing. An employer cannot reduce an employee’s salary without the employee’s agreement. Furthermore, Article 131 states that “Expenses for repatriation of an employee to his place of origin or any other place agreed upon by both parties shall be borne by the employer”. In this case the employer is a free zone, but standard UAE Labour Law provisions still apply.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser with Holborn Assets in Dubai. Contact her at keren@holbornassets.com
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If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2019 Infiniti QX50
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How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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MATCH INFO
Qalandars 112-4 (10 ovs)
Banton 53 no
Northern Warriors 46 all out (9 ovs)
Kumara 3-10, Garton 3-10, Jordan 2-2, Prasanna 2-7
Qalandars win by six wickets
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
