In 2017, I returned home to India for my annual leave. However, my father became unwell and had to have heart bypass surgery. As the oldest son, my father asked me to stay and help him with his recovery, which took 14 months.
During that time, I was terminated from my job in Dubai, where I had worked for seven years. I did not receive my gratuity from the company and they are still not answering my emails regarding this.
Because of my termination, I was unable to return to Dubai and continue paying off my personal loan of Dh149,000.
In the four years that I have been away from the UAE, I have managed to make about six payments towards the loan but do not know the total amount now owed because of late fees and interest payments. I have not had any contact with the bank’s collection agents.
The Covid-19 pandemic has worsened our situation and we are struggling financially. I have been trying to return to the UAE to find a job and help my family but I have a travel ban and two bounced cheque fines that total Dh15,000, as well as Dh3,000 in lawyers’ fees to pay.
I cannot afford to pay the fines to lift the travel ban. Can you advise me on how I can pay my debts to the bank and have the fines and travel ban cancelled? Is there an advocate or philanthropist/charity organisation that can help me? WK, India
Debt panellist 1: Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
I am sorry to hear that your father’s illness has had a big impact on your career and finances.
It will be a challenge to ensure your gratuity is paid. You could have gone to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, but there is a 12-month deadline for making an initial complaint. Maybe you did this through your lawyer? You could still contact the ministry to see if they have any recommendations.
You need to speak to human resources or the head of the company via phone, preferably, or contact someone who still works there to reach out to them on your behalf. Email will only get stuck, as you have discovered. They may be sympathetic but they may also decide to ignore you, especially if they terminated you “for cause”, such as absconding.
Even if you were paid your gratuity, the bank would take it immediately to pay off some of your loan. This may have happened already if the gratuity was paid and you were not notified of it.
It is going to be hard for you to return to the UAE with a travel ban, especially if it was put in place by the courts for non-payment rather than by your employer for absconding.
I advise you to call the bank and request to talk to a senior employee and explain your situation, which should start a negotiation between you and the bank for a better payment plan
Philip King,
head of retail banking at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
Being blacklisted against employment by onshore companies may not prevent you from finding a job with a free zone company. However, a ban on entering the country will make finding any new job difficult.
Do you need to return to the UAE right now? There are many other countries across the GCC that may have employment opportunities for you. You need a job – that is how you will be able to pay off the bank, pay the fines, cancel the ban and ensure you are back on your feet again.
You can ask on UAE Facebook pages if there is any charity that can provide you assistance, although I imagine many others could be making similar requests.
The standard advice would be to contact your bank to see if you can work something out with them. However, if you do not have a source of income or cash right now, there is not much to discuss. First, focus on finding employment in whatever way you can and wherever in the world, then you can pay your debts.
Debt panellist 2: Philip King, head of retail banking at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
It saddens me to hear of the position you are in but I urge you not to lose hope. To tackle the problem at hand, it is important to put a comprehensive action plan in place to address each issue you are currently facing.
As a first step, it is important to establish transparent communication with your bank as a lack of contact can aggravate your situation further.
I advise you to call the bank and request to talk to a senior employee and explain your situation, which should start a negotiation between you and the bank for a better payment plan.
Ideally, a payment plan that offers lower interest on payments spaced throughout a reasonable period would further help in alleviating your burden.
As for the travel ban, you may have to pay the penalties for this to be lifted. I advise that you seek help from a legal expert who can give you proper advice.
Finally, I recommend that you review your current financial situation to determine what can be done to establish a solid financial footing.
To do so, it is vital that you keep track of what you have been spending on, determine whether it is something expendable and eliminate it if deemed necessary.
As for your finances, you would have to seek other ways to increase your income, which can be done by either finding a part-time, full-time or freelance job, or even liquidating your assets. In addition, you could also seek financial help from friends and family to help you deal with your debt.
Debt panellist 3: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Unfortunately, your situation is a common one in recent times. The first step to take is to find clarity on your debt situation.
Your outstanding balance will have grown significantly due to late payment fees and compounding interest. You need to know how much you owe so you can make a plan to resolve the issue.
Contact your bank and ask for confirmation of the outstanding loan balance. The only way out of this situation is to repay your loans, as well as the fines and penalties issued against you.
Banks are often willing to negotiate on the balance due and agree to a repayment schedule when you show willingness and an ability to repay the debt.
Coming back to the UAE is not advisable until your debts are repaid and the travel ban is lifted. Finding employment in India would be wiser. Keep your costs low and focus on paying your debts as quickly as possible.
Regarding your gratuity, under the Labour Law, an employee is entitled to immediate payment of their gratuity upon termination, unless the employee is terminated for gross misconduct.
If your termination was not due to gross misconduct, you can file a complaint at the Labour Office and then pursue legal proceedings in the Labour Court.
Often, this will prompt the company to pay the amount owed to you. This will be paid into your UAE bank account and the bank will probably use the funds as payment towards your debt.
It is worth reaching out to the Indian Embassy in the UAE to ask if they can recommend a charitable programme for people in your situation.
The Debt Panel is a weekly column to help readers tackle their debts more effectively. If you have a question for the panel, write to pf@thenational.ae
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
Lewis Hamilton in 2018
Australia 2nd; Bahrain 3rd; China 4th; Azerbaijan 1st; Spain 1st; Monaco 3rd; Canada 5th; France 1st; Austria DNF; Britain 2nd; Germany 1st; Hungary 1st; Belgium 2nd; Italy 1st; Singapore 1st; Russia 1st; Japan 1st; United States 3rd; Mexico 4th
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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MO
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
Jebel Ali Dragons 26 Bahrain 23
Dragons
Tries: Hayes, Richards, Cooper
Cons: Love
Pens: Love 3
Bahrain
Tries: Kenny, Crombie, Tantoh
Cons: Phillips
Pens: Phillips 2
Read more about the coronavirus
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
