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Would you consider 'housing allowance' part of your salary?

 
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benjpedro



Joined: 03 Jun 2012
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 6:15 am    Post subject: Would you consider 'housing allowance' part of your salary? Reply with quote

Hello,

I have an initial offer in Abu Dhabi where the basic pay is given plus a separate entry for 'housing allowance'. Is the entire housing allowance paid monthly along with the basic allowance? Meaning, can I treat it as part of my 'salary' and not spending the entire amount on 'housing'? I am confused.

thanks!
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 8:05 am    Post subject: Re: Would you consider 'housing allowance' part of your sala Reply with quote

benjpedro wrote:
I have an initial offer in Abu Dhabi where the basic pay is given plus a separate entry for 'housing allowance'. Is the entire housing allowance paid monthly along with the basic allowance? Meaning, can I treat it as part of my 'salary' and not spending the entire amount on 'housing'? I am confused.

These are questions you should have asked your recruiter, especially since we don't know the specifics of your offer---whether your allowance is monthly or not. But generally, you pay your rent out of the housing allowance the employer provides you and pocket whatever amount is left over. If the rent is more than what you've been given, then you dip into your salary to cover the difference.
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benjpedro



Joined: 03 Jun 2012
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 8:22 am    Post subject: Re: Would you consider 'housing allowance' part of your sala Reply with quote

Many thanks for your reply!

That was basically what was on the offer (via email).

Contract Dates -

Basic Salary -
Accommodation Allowance -

Medical Cover, Dependents education allowance (n/a I am single), travel allowance, vacation, and one time relocation allowance.

So there are only two numbers of interest to me - Salary and Allowance and since it's a friday, they have not yet replied to my same question.

Since I have not yet accepted, is it possible to nudge the basic salary a bit higher? How does this 'negotiation' work in the UAE...can I get away with some haggling up or this initial figure is pretty much it?
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helenl



Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 1202

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 4:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another consideration is that your end of service gratuity is based on your salary - your housing/transport/whatever allowances are not included. The higher your salary, the higher your end of service.
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umzakaria



Joined: 23 Jun 2006
Posts: 58

PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 6:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I tried to negotiate the basic salary, which, after interview was a grade lower than advertised (because they did not recognise my tutoring experience so my experience was less than 3 years in the classroom). They told me it wasn't negotiable. They offered me less than 9000, I have an MA, I also have a large family which they knew about, a couple thousand more would have made a difference to us but they would not budge, it would have been my much needed foot in the door doing a job I would have worked hard at. The truth is, it's a buyers market, there are a lot of well qualified,experienced teachers around. The person they offered the job to was probably offered the full package, so I guess I looked like a cheap teacher!
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Gus Barkley



Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Posts: 78

PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 7:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dh 9000 is a very low salary. If desperate with no other options it might be worth taking but only as an absolute last resort. If they offered that low on pay I'd love to hear what they offered for a housing allowance. I'll bet it won't come close to enough to accommodate a family.

I hope you don't sign. Employers need to know they can't get qualified people at that salary.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 8:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

umzakaria wrote:
The truth is, it's a buyers market, there are a lot of well qualified,experienced teachers around.

This point often gets overlooked by less experienced/qualified teachers, especially those who are new to the Gulf and believe the roads are paved with gold. Understandably, they think about salary/benefits from the perspective of how much they can get, yet they don't realize employers have the upper hand with a pool of applicants with relevant MAs and solid experience to choose from. As I stated in another forum, it comes down to what you have to offer the employer versus just wanting higher pay.
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helenl



Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 1202

PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bottom line is employers don't have to negotiate. There is such a wide pool of applicants that (sorry to say) someone with marginal qualifications in comparison plus a large family (more cost to the employer) will be left by the wayside with other, less costly applicants in the pool.
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