Question: I was ill recently and had to take two days off work. I managed to get a doctor’s certificate as there is a clinic by my building but my boss is telling me that I have to work extra days to make up for the sick leave.
I am supposed to work on my off days or he says he will not pay me. This is my only time being sick this year. Is this right? CB, Dubai
Answer: Once the probation period has passed, all employees are permitted a certain number of days off work due to illness each year, for which they must be paid.
This is set out in Article 31 of the UAE labour law, which confirms the payment for “the first (15) fifteen days with full pay”.
This shows that CB is entitled to his usual pay for those two days and does not have to work any additional days.
If his employer persists, even after the law has been explained, he can register a case with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.
Q: I have been in the UAE for a few years and have been offered a job in Kuwait. It looks quite good but I need to know about the laws there.
Is the labour law similar to that of the UAE? Do I have the same level of employment protection as I do now?
I have been offered a contract that is for three years but it has a penalty if I want to leave early. I know that cannot happen in the Emirates now, so is it the same in Kuwait? AH, Abu Dhabi
A: While Kuwait is part of the GCC, it has its own laws and labour regulations. Most of this is as set out in the Labour Law for the Private Sector (Law No 6 of 2010).
There are some similarities and the law states that salaries must be paid within seven days of the due date. It also sets out a maximum working week of 48 hours, mandated rest days, sick leave, termination compensation and annual and public holidays, among other conditions.
Note that the Arabic version of any contract of employment prevails in case of dispute and a copy should be provided to the Public Authority for Manpower, under the control of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour.
Contracts can be on a fixed term, known as a definite term, or on a permanent basis. Definite term contracts have a minimum term of a year and a maximum of five years. By mutual consent, the contract can be extended for a maximum period of five years.
Should AH decide to end the contract early, he is liable to compensate the employer.
Article 47 of the relevant labour law states, in relation to either an employee or employer terminating a contract, “he shall then be obliged to compensate the other party for the damage incurred by him, provided that the compensation amount shall not exceed what is equal to the labourer's wage for the remaining period of the contract”.
For a longer-term definite contract, that could be a substantial amount.
The law states that employees who are paid monthly must provide at least three months’ notice.
For both parties, there are provisions to cancel a contract sooner, without penalty, if the law has been broken.
Q: I will be moving back home to the UK at the end of September. I know I have to submit a form to send my possessions to the UK but have a question. Do I need to include my pets on the form?
I have a rescue Saluki-cross and a former street cat that I am taking back with me. Neither has any monetary value, so do I need to include them? NG, Ras Al Khaimah
A: The form that is being referred to is the Transfer of Residence form, known as Tor. This is required if anyone is moving to the UK from anywhere outside of the EU and is shipping personal items. That includes furniture, personal effects, cars and, yes, animals including rescued pets.
This document was introduced in April 2017 and must be completed to ensure people are not charged VAT on their possessions.
Details of any pets must be declared on the form as they are considered personal belongings. The form does not ask for a monetary value for pets.
All pet cats and dogs in the UAE should be microchipped and the microchip number must be included on the form.
There are a number of good pet relocation companies that assist with not only the physical transport of pets but also the paperwork and legal requirements. The animals must meet the requirements of the UK’s Pet Passport Scheme in respect of vaccinations and health.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser and senior partner with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with more than 30 years’ experience. Contact her at keren@holbornassets.comor at www.financialuae.com
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Read more about the coronavirus
Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
Favourite parkour spot in Dubai: Residence towers in Jumeirah Beach Residence
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
The years Ramadan fell in May
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
