I have given in my notice but as I am in a sales role, my employer does not want me to work my notice period. Usually I’d be happy to sit at home and be paid but I have a new job to go to and would like to start as soon as I can. I think my current boss would not mind me finishing soon, but can we do this by law? GS, Abu Dhabi
While it is standard to expect an employee to work during their notice period, there are situations when an employer wants to stop someone dealing with customers immediately. An employer can put someone on ‘gardening leave’, where they see out their notice period without actually working. However, provided both parties are in full agreement employment can be formally terminated sooner than the end of the notice period. Provided the current visa is cancelled, and monies owed are paid in full, there is no reason why GS cannot take up a new role very quickly.
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I have recently received a job offer from a university in Dubai. They have already issued the job offer letter, however, they advised me to start work soon after I arrive in the country on a visit visa. They say they will start processing the employment visa, once I start work. Will it be legally safe on my part to accept their proposal to work on my visit/tourist visa and to wait to get my employment visa processed? PB, India
It is not legal for anyone to undertake employment on a visit or tourist visa but the situation is slightly different if an employer has made a formal application for a residency visa. A company cannot properly start the process until a new employee is in the country, so it is not unusual for someone to be working while the application is in process. I must stress that an application should have started by the time the employee starts working so that the completion is a formality. There is an informal grace period for the paperwork to be finalised but an employer must have all the documents in hand. This does not mean the employer can delay before applying as records can easily be checked and the process should really only take a couple of weeks in most cases.
Under no circumstances is an employer permitted to employ someone without a visa and then apply at a later date such as after a probationary period as a way of potentially saving money. If in doubt, an employee should ask for evidence of the application having been submitted.
To quote from the UAE Government's official website: "Working without first obtaining the proper visa status is illegal and could lead to imprisonment, fines and/or deportation. The penalties apply to both: the employer and the employee."
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__________
I work as mechanical engineer for a mainland company. I joined the company on an unlimited contract in May 2018 but I am not happy with my salary, which is just Dh3,000 a month and I have found another job with a better salary package so I want to make a change. My questions are:
1. Will a ban be imposed if I give the 30-day notice period to the company when I submit my resignation?
2. Will I have to compensate my company for visa expenses? FA, Sharjah
FA had been working for this company for just four months at time of writing so if he gives notice to leave he will have worked for fewer than six months at the time of departure. This is relevant as there are cases where someone in this position could receive a ban for leaving at this stage. It all depends on the skill level of his visa. Workers in skill categories one to three will not face a six-month employment ban should they wish to move to a new employer after completing their notice period. This covers a wide range of jobs for people working in professional roles with degrees or professional diplomas as well as most office-based staff. Categories four and five cover individuals in primarily unskilled roles. I expect a mechanical engineer to have some professional qualifications, so they should fall in to one of the higher categories. This means that FA will not receive a ban for leaving this employment if proper notice is given.
Furthermore, FA is not liable to compensate his employer for any visa costs when he leaves service as it is the employer’s responsibility to pay for all employment-related costs such as visa fees. Employers are not permitted to pass on the costs to employees and this is covered in Ministerial Order 52 of 1989, Article 6 which makes it clear that all expenses incurred in taking on of an employee must be borne by the employer and cannot be passed on.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser and senior partner with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with over 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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
SPEC SHEET: NOTHING PHONE (2)
Display: 6.7” LPTO Amoled, 2412 x 1080, 394ppi, HDR10+, Corning Gorilla Glass
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2, octa-core; Adreno 730 GPU
Memory: 8/12GB
Capacity: 128/256/512GB
Platform: Android 13, Nothing OS 2
Main camera: Dual 50MP wide, f/1.9 + 50MP ultrawide, f/2.2; OIS, auto-focus
Main camera video: 4K @ 30/60fps, 1080p @ 30/60fps; live HDR, OIS
Front camera: 32MP wide, f/2.5, HDR
Front camera video: Full-HD @ 30fps
Battery: 4700mAh; full charge in 55m w/ 45w charger; Qi wireless, dual charging
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC (Google Pay)
Biometrics: Fingerprint, face unlock
I/O: USB-C
Durability: IP54, limited protection
Cards: Dual-nano SIM
Colours: Dark grey, white
In the box: Nothing Phone (2), USB-C-to-USB-C cable
Price (UAE): Dh2,499 (12GB/256GB) / Dh2,799 (12GB/512GB)
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
WEST ASIA RUGBY 2017/18 SEASON ROLL OF HONOUR
Western Clubs Champions League
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 6.5-litre V12 and three electric motors
Power: 1,015hp
Torque: 1,500Nm (estimate)
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Early 2024
Price: From Dh2 million (estimate)
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29 – Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30 - UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1 - UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2 – Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4 - Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6 – Final
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
HOW TO ACTIVATE THE GEMINI SHORTCUT ON CHROME CANARY
1. Go to chrome://flags
2. Find and enable Expansion pack for the Site Search starter pack
3. Restart Chrome Canary
4. Go to chrome://settings/searchEngines in the address bar and find the Chat with Gemini shortcut under Site Search
5. Open a new tab and type @ to see the Chat with Gemini shortcut along with other Omnibox shortcuts to search tabs, history and bookmarks
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices