Staggerlee79

Hi all,

I wonder if you could help. So in December I left my position at a school in the UAE. Said school is a subsidiary of a major oil company in he UAE . I left because i couldn't stand the behavioural issues in the school . Did a runner after term finished in December. School have emailed me today informing me they want back all my housing allowance and furniture allowance, over 60k aed. They are threatening to take me to court if I don't pay.

I'm pretty sure a court order of the UAE would only effect me if I was living there or have aspirations to travel there or connect to another country via the UAE or other gulf state. How correct would I be in those assumptions?

jam25mack

True, think they have somewhere between zero and F All chance of getting it back from you in a UK court.

Did you just run though and leave the flat and all the furniture? Or did you run then inform them you had left and where they could find the keys?

Also, did they not owe you any kind of gratuity?

Meow

A few points to note.

No gratuity is payable until someone has worked a full 12 months (or five years if someone breaks a fixed term contract) and there are also penalties for breaking a fixed/limited contract early.

If housing and other allowances are paid up front by an employer and the employee leaves part way through the year, the employee is liable to repay the portion pertaining to the time not worked.

It is very hard for a UAE company to get monies from someone outside if the UAE but it's not impossible. Also bear in mind that if they decide to register a police case for monies owed legitimately then you cannot come back to the UAE or you'll be arrested. Transitting is a grey area as if for any reason you have to go via passport control (say for a lengthy delay) that will also result in arrest.

DXBtoDOH

Am I the only person shaking his head and wondering why someone couldn't keep their mouth shut and put up with spoiled brats for six more months and thus avoid a major headache? Why make your life so complicated?

Sorry for sounding judgemental but I've worked jobs I absolutely hated in the past (awful boss, awful coworkers) but kept my head down and waited till the time was right. No matter what you think, the time does fly by.

As you can see I'm no help to you. But I've been told by various sources (meaning overheard from a right git in a very loud bar) that companies/banks won't really chase after debt unless it's a major amount and yours isn't. You'll still be added to a registrar of absconders so never attempt to fly through the ME again.

Staggerlee79

Wasn't as easy as spoiled brats unfortunately. Many examples but I'm afraid each one is more boring than the last so won't list them.

Thank you all for shared knowledge. Never will I fly over, around or anywhere near the Persian gulf.

iggle

hmmm So you made it till December..

You had 3 months untill Easter (break) then another 2 months...Sounds like you bottled it. I am not going to berate you for that, i think everyone can admit that they have thought about throwing the towel in and flying home.

Anyway, my advice (a) pay them back (b) don't ever come back to ME/GCC again - even for lay overs, and when i mean ever....I mean 40 years down the line i don't want to be reading about you in the daily mail with a sad pout!!!