Job Discussion Forums

celticbutterfly · Joined: 13 Jul 2009 Posts: 41

Might make it easier for TEFL'ers to change to a better-paying job without having the hassle of obtaining NOC's and/or being banned for working for 6 months. Two year contracts? Hmm...

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/politics/employers-criticise-new-labour-regulations

homeless vet · Joined: 01 Apr 2009 Posts: 80

"We did a study and found that 70 per cent of employees end their contracts before completing the three years."

Yes, but changing the law isn't going to change this...changing the sorry country might, though.

elmoro · Joined: 12 Feb 2010 Posts: 58 Location: The Emerald City

"We used to have control over them, and we knew it wasn't easy from them to go, now we will lose this control."

yeah, i wouldn't have given my last name either.

"This is really bad news, this means we will have to pay our employees their end of service payments at the end of their contracts after two years,"

he didn't give his last name either.

bet my salary they are related and their last name is al scumbagee! sad as it may sound, this pretty much sums up the situation.

elmoro

THE HORROR, THE HORROR!

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

This may not be related to education... hard to tell as it isn't stated. The contracts used to be two years. Not to mention that I know dozens of people who have gone from job to job in the Emirates. There has been lots of discussion here about places having a "no poaching" policy, but none of NOCs.

VS

republocrat · Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:10 pm Post subject:

Yeh, that's great news. Now they'll have to treat people decently, instead of like they were bonded labour - which will be difficult for some Emiratis.

Actually, the other main sticking point is that of the contractual bonus. At present the employer holds on to it until you leave, or get fired, in which case it gets reduced considerably, which means unscrupulous employers (about 90% of them) have a good incentive to fire you before the end of your Nth contract.

I'd like to see it paid either at the end of each year, or at the end of each contract. Some of my colleagues' employers are sitting on a gratuity worth 15 months salary, which is a lot of money to be stuck in your employer's grubby hands. It would be far better to have it sitting in your bank account collecting interest, and away from the whims of an Emirati boss.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:04 am Post subject:

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

I for one would prefer to get my EOS benes at least at the end of each contract or better yet, at the end of each year completed - mainly because most don't fund the EOS accounts as they go along - if everyone left HCT tomorrow, giving proper notice and following all the rules, HCT would find it difficult if not impossible to pay up in full and on time. That's one of the sub-reasons they refused to pay summer payroll in advance this past year (as they have done since the inception). They don't have the $$ in their accounts.

elmoro · Joined: 12 Feb 2010 Posts: 58 Location: The Emerald City

these are what i call movie theater laws. when i was young, my father wouldn't let me go to the R rated movies because it was the "law". i asked him the rationale of a "law" that is not enforced. he had no answer.

example, it is the "law" that these companies can not hold the passport of employees, but when i pointed this out to a hr guy, he promptly replied, "if the shaikh wants to enforce this law, let him come and get the passport himself." also, this national id clearly states that no one is allowed to hold your id as collateral, but everyone does it anyway. like VS told someone on another thread, if you open a case (even one that you will probably win) you will probably spend more money than you will win.

btw, the he guy in the passport issue asked me how they would control their employees if they didn't keep the passport. i suggested that they try fairness and kindness.

i also call them catch 22 laws because if you try to open a case, they can just cancel you, refuse to give you time off so that you can go to the court, or just make life plain miserable for you.

elmoro

THE HORROR, THE HORROR!

Captain Willard · Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Posts: 251

How then can they control the individual with a second passport, when no exit visa is required?

Why is anyone giving the property of his/her government to a private individual?

When governments invest in security measures to prevent counterfeit passports, why do they permit private individuals to hold their property for non-governmental purposes?

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

elmoro · Joined: 12 Feb 2010 Posts: 58 Location: The Emerald City

Captain Willard wrote:

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

And should you use one passport for entrance and another for exit, the second is not in the system (and it IS checked/scanned/typed in - no matter that you do not require a formal exit pass) you will be subject to some very serious questions by the authorities, especially if you cannot produce the first passport.

Captain Willard · Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Posts: 251

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

You're just lucky that you are not American then... our embassy wouldn't give a second's thought to our problem... our problem, not theirs. They have never yet done anything for any American who didn't want their passport held.

I'd say that Canadians, Aussies, and Kiwis are in the same boat as Americans. So... if you are British, get that second passport and you will be fine... hopefully. Unemployed quickly, but you will have kept your passport. I suppose.

Of course, this is rather moot since very few employers in the UAE keep passports anyway. There are some in Oman that do... and most in Saudi do.

VS