Job Discussion Forums

[dee123]

How much is a typical HCT relocation allowance? I gather that is to furnish an apartment. Is this correct?

And why do they have a probabation period of one year? Does this mean there alot of terminations before the completion of the first year?

[saluki]

I don't know how much the relocation allowance is for shipping your belongings, but you get a furniture allowance when you begin a contract of 30,000dhs (or it used to be, maybe somebody new to the HCT can confirm this?). This allowance is pro-rated over the first 3 year contract so if you leave before the 3 years is up, you pay back a % depending on how long you've stayed.

I don't know why the probation is one year, maybe because it's a full academic year - it is long compared to other jobs. No, in most colleges there aren't lots of terminations during probation. For most people it's just a formality and colleges really can't afford to 'terminate' many new recruits these days anyway because it's so difficult to get people to come here in the first place.

[MrScaramanga]

There is no shipping allowance that I know of at HCT. The relocation allowance is the furniture allowance. If you are an "overseas" hire, you get AED30,000. If you are a "local" hire, a transfer from another school/university in the UAE, you get less, I think AED10,000.

The probationary year is pretty standard around this area of the world. Nothing much to worry about I guess.

MrS

[NadiaK]

There's a small shipping allowance, iirc - you get more when you leave. They expect that you will buy most things when you get here rather than ship things with you.

[dee123]

Thanks very much for your replies. They have offered me 20,000 relocation allowance. I will ask for 30,000 after your respones.

[veiledsentiments]

If you look on the HCT employment website, there is no mention of a 'relocation allowance' but only a furniture allowance. It has been 30,000 DHs for many years. With prices there, I can't imagine that they are trying to cut it.

I am wondering if you are applying from within the country and moving from another city in the Emirates which would explain something called a 'relocation allowance.'

Is the job one of their new programs? Is it for CERT? Or is this an offer for a standard teaching contract for an MA holder?

VS

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Hey, VS. They changed the nomenclature of the furnishing allowance back in 2005 when they shafted the ex-MLIers at the last moment and informed them that: No, GHQ will not be sending you out; and, No, HCT won't be bring you back into the U.A.E.; and, No, you won't receive the standard HCT furniture allowance because you will be considered 'local hires' and, as we've changed the wording from "furniture allowance" to "relocating allowance" and since, as a 'local hire' you won't be "relocating", you have no rights to the allowance.

Now, I haven't visited the HCT employment website recently, but the only thing that I can imagine is that they changed it back recently to "furniture allowance" or that they haven't updated the website since 2005. I think they the former is probably the best bet as I've noticed small changes since then.

NCTBA

[Manny2]

I notice that the HCT no longer gives any details of its package to prospective staff on its employment website whereas before it was freely available and I even remember when you could get salary scale details.

This is the last available info that was available to download from the site and I believe it is from last year. One thing which is new to me is the idea of a commencement allowance for 'local hires' .Also there is now no mention of the initial DH3000 relocation allowance that was given to ship things over and was not included in the DH30000 'furniture allowance' seems it is now included in the newly named 'relocation allowance'. However, there is still mention of the DH5000 relocation at the end of contract.

Maybe some more recent hirees could add some more information


Details on HCT package which was downloaded from their website.

Employees who are recruited from outside the UAE are provided with a relocation allowance of 30,000 Dirhams � a little more than 8,000 US dollars. The annualized value of this benefit is 10,000 Dirhams, or almost 3,000 US dollars, per year. Employees who are recruited locally, are provided with a commencement allowance in the amount of 15,000 Dirhams.This allowance is paid to you in cash upon arrival in the UAE or once at the start of your employment. Although the intent of this cash allowance is for household establishment, it may be used for other purposes. This amount is amortized over the three-year contract term � at the end of your contract, no repayment is required.

TRAVEL

Also provided are annual air tickets (or cash in lieu) to the country your passport is issued from for you and your eligible dependants � spouse and up to three school age children. Tickets are generally utilized in conjunction with the periods of annual leave for teaching faculty � the summer months when the Colleges are out of session and during the semester break in January/February.

VACATION
As a member of the teaching faculty at the HCT you are eligible for 48 calendar days of annual leave. In addition, as a Muslim country, the UAE typically has 12 days of public and religious holidays. As an employee you may be eligible for these holidays but they are not a certainty. Each year, these holidays are �declared� and a decision is made as to whether HCT employees get these holidays based on the school calendar and how the holidays align with weekends.

BONUS
At the end of your service to the HCT you will receive an End of Service Gratuity � one month of salary for every year of service, paid in a lump sum. At the end of a three-year contract your end of service gratuity will be three month�s salary. The amount is based on your last monthly salary. This is unofficially known as the thirteenth month of salary. The End of Service Gratuity, in combination with two months of annual leave, means that teaching faculty at the HCT work for 10 months and are paid for thirteen.

OTHER BENEFITS

1. Assistance with tuition fees for your children to attend private schools in the UAE from age five (by July 31 of the academic year) to the completion of Secondary School � up to a maximum of Dhs. 80,000 per family.

2. Economy Class air tickets at commencement of your contract for relocation to the UAE of yourself and your eligible dependents i.e. spouse and up to three dependent children.

3. A repatriation allowance of Dhs 5,000 (US$ 1,362.00) at the conclusion of your employment. This amount is paid as part of your final settlement at the conclusion of your employment with HCT.

4. Economy Class air tickets at the conclusion of your contract for repatriation of yourself and your eligible dependents i.e. spouse and dependent children.

5. Subsidized medical insurance coverage.

[MrScaramanga]

The current package does not include a shipping allowance on the way over, but includes what is called a "relocation" allowance in the amount of 30,000, if an overseas hire, less if you are a local hire (from within the UAE); I believe it is 10,000. The website - like many other things - is outdated. By the by, the allowance, furniture or relocation has been the same amount for over 15 years... ha, ha, ha.
Hope this clarifies the debate.
MrS

[veiledsentiments]

Yup... I mentioned that above. The sad part is that it is still the highest allowance that I have seen in the Gulf. Does anyone know of any other amounts elsewhere? Saudi?

The only other place that I worked that had a furniture allowance was Kuwait University and it was the same amount - also consistently the same for 15-20 years. The only difference was at KU in the late 90's, they declared that single people would get less - cut from the appr $8000 down to $6500 because apparently furniture companies charge less for fridges and sofas if purchased by a single person.

Never think that these employers care if the amount of money they give will actually furnish a flat for you...

VS

[yellofello]

What about relocation to another college in the system?

How difficult is it to get a transfer? The place I am working in is getting worse. The teachers are great, apart from some very strange types but the administration people are plain awful. A real fascist meanie at the top who thinks he's the generalissimo. I know that some of the other colleges are run by more normal people. Do they get mad if you ask for a transfer? I am not sure if I can stick it with the guy in charge.

[veiledsentiments]

Just like their assignment of branch when you are first hired, it depends on their needs. First you need to come up with a good reason (probably better not to say that it is because you don't get along with the top guy. ). In the past, the people with the greatest seniority had the first chance to transfer... and then the branch that they wanted had to agree.

VS

[007]

Can anybody tell me what is the estimated % of Canadian teachers in HCT?

[yellofello]

Like I said:


No idea - probably the same number as people from the Land of Oz.
Most of us are from the US or the UK. Seem to be a lot of Irish around. Some Arab staff too from various countries. Some South Africans and Kiwis but we Americans predominate. So what else is new? Afer all the world is our oyster.

[veiledsentiments]