'Do I have to work on Friday if my employer asks me to?'

I work for the UAE branch of an international company and we have a lot of online meetings and conference calls with other offices around the world. My boss has now said that once a month I need to work on a Friday due to a specific meeting that I need to attend. My understanding is that Friday is not a normal working day in the UAE for most people, so where do I stand legally? Do I have to do this? KL, Abu Dhabi

The issue of working on a Friday is covered in UAE Labour Law, Article 70, which states: "Friday shall be the ordinary weekly rest for all workers with the exception of the daily worker. Should the circumstances require that the worker work on this day, the worker shall be entitled to a substitute rest day, or to the basic wage for the ordinary working hours in addition to 50 per cent at least of the said wage." This means that the employer can ask a member of staff to work on a Friday but they give them a day off in lieu or pay them overtime.

Also of relevance in this situation is Article 71 as this states: "The worker may not be requested to work for more than two consecutive Fridays with the exception of the day workers’ so one Friday a month is within the law."

There is an exemption to be aware of, and this also applies to the payment of overtime, as Article 72 states that the aforementioned provisions do not apply to: "Persons occupying high - ranked managerial or supervisory positions, should such positions confer upon the occupants thereof powers of the employer over the workers. A decision of the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs specifying such category shall be issued." This means that senior staff and management are exempted from the restrictions so application will depend on KL’s position in the company. I’d also suggest that building a career, rather than simply having a job, can mean that extra time and effort is required so KL needs to consider the overall situation.

_______

New UAE labour insurance policy protects expat workers from job loss

"Do I have to pay tax on UAE income when I return to the UK this summer?"

______

I moved to Dubai to take up a permanent job at the end of last year. I now need to send some of my income to the UK, but I am worried that I will be taxed on this as I have not been out of the UK for a full year. I saw a recent article that said Britons must stay out of the UK for a full tax year, so I don’t know how this applies to me. Do I need to be in the UAE for a certain amount of time before I can send some money back without paying any tax? SL, Dubai

It is correct that UK expats are not formally considered UK non-resident for tax purposes until they have been living overseas for a full tax year - from April 6 one year until April 5 the following year, but it is assumed by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, the UK’s tax authority, that someone will indeed do that once they leave the UK to work overseas. This will not change unless someone returns to the UK to take up residency without having been away for a full tax year. As SL intends to remain in the UAE for work for several years, he is able to remit UAE income to the UK without having to pay UK income tax on these monies.

_______

'How can I find out if there are cases registered against me for unpaid debts?'

'Can I do a summer internship in the UAE on a visit visa?'

_______

I have been with my company for nearly four years but have recently received a redundancy notice, along with several of my colleagues. The company has told me I need to pay back four month’s rent from my end of service gratuity and salary payments because it provided me with a housing allowance. This is unfair as I have taken a yearly housing contract and already paid the full amount to the landlord. Are they allowed to take this money back from me? HM, Dubai

The situation will depend on the wording in the contract of employment so HM needs to check exactly what it says. In most cases a housing allowance forms part of an individual’s income and if it is paid out in one go it is considered an advance on salary - therefore a full year needs to be worked to cover the liability. Employers may sometimes pay the allowance in one payment so that employees do not have to take an interest-bearing bank loan, but it is still part of the salary. It would be unusual for any housing allowance to be considered as an amount that would not need to be repaid if an individual leaves service early for whatever reason. Unless the contract of employment states that it is not repayable on not completing a year of service, then HM will need to pay back the money he has been paid in advance for the part of the year that he will not be working for this company.

Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser and senior partner with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with over 25 years’ 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.

RACECARD

4.30pm Jebel Jais – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (Turf) 1,000m
5pm: Jabel Faya – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (T) 1,000m
5.30pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep – Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club – Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m

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

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Company profile

Name: Infinite8

Based: Dubai

Launch year: 2017

Number of employees: 90

Sector: Online gaming industry

Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

50-man Royal Rumble

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho

John Cena v Triple H

Matches to be announced

WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended

The specs

Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV

Power: 360bhp

Torque: 500Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh282,870

On sale: now

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Our commentary on Brexit

Con Coughlin: Choice of the British people will be vindicated
Sam Williams: Departure is influenced by its sense of place

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

More from Neighbourhood Watch:

Wooded greenery and community feel keeps residents loyal to The Gardens

A taste of tradition at RAK's old souq

Mushrif is a small town with big designs

Tips for job-seekers

Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS

%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

While you're here

Cheryl Thompson: Stop the practice of blackface that's as Canadian as hockey

Kareem Shaheen: Alghabra outshines the racists who malign him

Kareem Shaheen: In Canada, I have finally found a home

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
Travel distance: Limited
Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
Duration: Can linger for days
Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
Source: Can be carried from distant regions

UAE v Zimbabwe A

Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs

Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai

Cultural fiesta

What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.

Crime%20Wave

%3Cp%3EHeavyweight%20boxer%20Fury%20revealed%20on%20Sunday%20his%20cousin%20had%20been%20%E2%80%9Cstabbed%20in%20the%20neck%E2%80%9D%20and%20called%20on%20the%20courts%20to%20address%20the%20wave%20of%20more%20sentencing%20of%20offenders.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERico%20Burton%2C%2031%2C%20was%20found%20with%20stab%20wounds%20at%20around%203am%20on%20Sunday%20in%20Goose%20Green%2C%20Altrincham%20and%20subsequently%20died%20of%20his%20injuries.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%26nbsp%3B%E2%80%9CMy%20cousin%20was%20murdered%20last%20night%2C%20stabbed%20in%20the%20neck%20this%20is%20becoming%20ridiculous%20%E2%80%A6%20idiots%20carry%20knives.%20This%20needs%20to%20stop%2C%E2%80%9D%0D%20Fury%20said.%20%E2%80%9CAsap%2C%20UK%20government%20needs%20to%20bring%20higher%20sentencing%20for%20knife%20crime%2C%20it%E2%80%99s%20a%20pandemic%20%26amp%3B%20you%20don%E2%80%99t%20know%20how%20bad%20it%20is%20until%20%5Bit%E2%80%99s%5D%201%20of%20your%20own!%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Schedule:

Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles