I filed a case against my employer for not paying my salary and other benefits and we have a date set for a court hearing.
The main owner of the company is now involved and said they are willing to settle and pay me what is owed.
Can I cancel the case or will there be a problem? WT, Dubai
If an agreement is reached and the full amount owed is paid, the person who made the formal complaint is able to cancel it.
Firstly, a settlement agreement has to be signed by both parties and this should confirm that payment has been made. Secondly, the settlement agreement has to be submitted to the court’s labour relations section. This can be done online in most cases.
Once the settlement agreement has been submitted, the court will dismiss the case and no further action will be required.
An individual who cancels a case in this situation is not subject to any fines or costs.
In this situation, I strongly recommend that the individual is actually paid, with the money in their bank account, before withdrawing a case.
My company decided that all employees must now wear a uniform and told us that we had to pay for two of them. I have worked at the company for two years.
We don’t mind wearing a uniform, but we are unhappy about being told to pay for it because we do not earn high salaries.
Can the company force us to pay for this? MV, Sharjah
If an employer requires a uniform, they usually provide it and the requirement is stated in the terms of employment. Any change of contract terms should be agreed by both the employee and the employer.
While MV and her colleagues are happy to wear a uniform, they should not be made to pay for it. The employer cannot legally force staff to pay for the uniform or deduct any money from their salaries to cover the cost.
If the employer does not comply with the law after the rules are communicated clearly, staff can register a complaint with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, either by calling the toll-free number 80060 or via the website.
I have been in the UAE for a few weeks and found a suitable job. However, the company said it would only sponsor me after the three-month probation period. They have offered to pay for my visa extension.
The manager said this is usual practice and that I need to prove myself before they pay for a visa. Is this legal? Some friends said this has also happened to them, while others said it is against the law. CP, Dubai
The law is very clear in that non-citizens are not permitted to work without a valid visa and work permit. The visa can be from a sponsor, such as a parent or spouse, issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation or the relevant free zone authority. There are no exceptions to this.
Anyone who works for a company or even sets up their own business will be doing so illegally if they do not have a correct visa and work permit. It is illegal to work in the UAE on a visit or tourist visa.
This law has been in place for many years and is covered in Federal Law No (6) for 1973, Concerning Immigration and Residence, as amended by law 7 of 1985, Law 13 of 1996 and also Federal Decree Law No 17 of 2017.
Article 11 of this legislation states: “The foreigner who obtains a visit visa may not work anywhere in the country with or without pay or for his own.”
This information is in the public domain and all employers should know the rules.
By continuing to work on a visit visa, not only is the individual breaking the law but so is the employer and both parties can be fined substantial amounts of money.
It also means that the individual has no protection under the law if anything goes wrong, such as the employer not paying them.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser and senior partner with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with more than 25 years’ 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
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India
Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes
Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island
RoboCop%3A%20Rogue%20City
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The view from The National
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):
Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Match will be shown on BeIN Sports
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
Tour de France 2017: Stage 5
Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
It is a shorter stage, but one that will lead to a brutal uphill finish. This is the third visit in six editions since it was introduced to the race in 2012. Reigning champion Chris Froome won that race.
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25', Shelvey 88')
Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22', De Bruyne 82')
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
Long Shot
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan
Four stars