I have been employed by a private company for over a year. Before joining, they told me I could take holiday to get married. But now they are not allowing the leave for this, even though the date is fixed for November 16. I now want to resign from this company, but what will the notice period be? If I pay them money can I remove the notice period or reduce the time? IS, Abu Dhabi
It seems very cruel for a company to refuse leave for this reason, especially if they have had plenty of notice. While an employer has some discretion as to when an employee takes their holiday days, most people would agree that this constitutes special circumstances. The standard notice period is 30 days and the employee is expected to work for this time and will be paid at the end of it. At that point their end of service gratuity is also payable and only then should a visa be cancelled. With the agreement of both parties the notice period can be shortened, but there is not a formal option to pay to reduce the time. Note that leaving employment within two years can result in a six-month ban if the individual does not have at least a high school diploma. Also leaving without notice will be deemed absconding and can lead to blacklisting.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with over 20 years of 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. Readers are encouraged to seek appropriate independent legal advice
Follow us on Twitter @TheNationalPF
