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-   -   Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages (https://britishexpats.com/forum/middle-east-60/multiple-packages-per-family-primary-teacher-packages-921982/)

AdiB Feb 11th 2019 11:45 pm

Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 
Hi,
As per a recent post, I've been offered a secondment to Dubai with my company. Given I'd have a package including allowances towards housing/ schooling/ transportation/ relocation, plus annual flights home and medical cover for the family, is anyone aware of anything that would prevent my wife (Primary School teacher) from also getting a full teacher's package as part of moving out if she secured a job in advance (i.e. to give us two housing allowances, etc.)? I've seen in online research that there may be restrictions on multiple packages per family, and my wife would then be seen as a 'local hire' instead (with the package reduced accordingly - but would still include school fees for up to two kids, as far as I understand). This "one package per family" didn't quite make sense, so thought I'd pose the question on here.....

Would appreciate any input on this (plus any input on the typical elements within a teacher's package). Thanks!

reddiva Feb 12th 2019 3:37 am

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 

Originally Posted by AdiB (Post 12635801)
Hi,
As per a recent post, I've been offered a secondment to Dubai with my company. Given I'd have a package including allowances towards housing/ schooling/ transportation/ relocation, plus annual flights home and medical cover for the family, is anyone aware of anything that would prevent my wife (Primary School teacher) from also getting a full teacher's package as part of moving out if she secured a job in advance (i.e. to give us two housing allowances, etc.)? I've seen in online research that there may be restrictions on multiple packages per family, and my wife would then be seen as a 'local hire' instead (with the package reduced accordingly - but would still include school fees for up to two kids, as far as I understand). This "one package per family" didn't quite make sense, so thought I'd pose the question on here.....

Would appreciate any input on this (plus any input on the typical elements within a teacher's package). Thanks!

My understanding is that of yours, if you are getting it all then your Wife will not or vice versa

jam25mack Feb 12th 2019 5:37 am

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 
Yup, as far as I know you can't double dip.

scrubbedexpat141 Feb 12th 2019 7:42 am

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 
You can double dip, as long as your company is willing to sign and stamp that you don't get a housing allowance.

AdiB Feb 12th 2019 9:46 am

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 
Thanks all - appreciate it.

carcajou Feb 16th 2019 9:06 am

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 
No double-dipping. You won't get two housing allowances or two sets of flight allowances. Teaching wife very likely to be classified as a "local hire."

Millhouse Feb 16th 2019 5:38 pm

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 
What if she isn’t under your visa?

carcajou Feb 16th 2019 10:36 pm

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 

Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 12638072)
What if she isn’t under your visa?

Not possible, I don't think. The excellent Arab grapevine will out that the husband is present and working. I think, also, somewhere along the line it would come out - like when, as a single female, they give her an allowance for a certain type of apartment and she comes back and reports she's got a bigger one in a different price range and what that means. All those housing officers know where Westerners congregate and how much those apartments should cost. Also don't underestimate the temptation of the fellow Westerner, in the same situation but not getting to double-dip, to dob the happy couple in.

scrubbedexpat141 Feb 17th 2019 3:40 am

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 

Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 12638072)
What if she isn’t under your visa?

There are plenty taking double.

You can lose a good, long serving employee because you take away big chunks of their package, or you turn a blind eye to them not informing you or the lies about their husband not getting housing.


archie159 Feb 17th 2019 5:28 pm

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 
I don't know why people keep posting answers about which they clearly know nothing. Of course it is possible to get both these sets of allowances if they are paid direct to you (and your wife) as part of your monthly or annual payments. Clearly what cannot happen is two organisations both trying to pay your rent direct to the landlord, as some companies used to do in the dim and distant past. You can both get annual flights also - my wife gets annual flights via my job, and also via hers (which does not offer flights for the rest of the family, just for her).. The main elements you cannot get twice are visas and medical insurance (which is linked, in the system, to your visa). Some cheapskate companies will claim they don't need to pay the accommodation allowance element of one package if they know the spouse also gets that element (especially if they are not providing the visa); it then comes down to a negotiation - will you take the second job without getting that aspect of the package, how much do they need you etc. A single company employing both spouses might also try the same; a local group I worked for before often did this, but if the spouse refused the job then often they would back-down and provide the full package to both, as long as the group really needed both people.. But if anyone tells you "it is illegal to get 2 sets of accommodation allowances", as I have seen people say on this forum, tell them to stop talking rubbish,

carcajou Feb 17th 2019 8:42 pm

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 

Originally Posted by archie159 (Post 12638421)
I don't know why people keep posting answers about which they clearly know nothing. ,

So then why are you posting?

I didn't read anyone here saying it was illegal. Just highly unlikely.

I knew a lot of teachers in this situation, and I don't know of a single one who successfully double-dipped. There are too many ways to get tripped up, including in the interview when they ask you if you have a spouse who is already in the UAE (and this is one reason why they ask that).

Sure, maybe one can fly under the radar but in teaching not likely. Maybe you or your spouse did it, fine but it isn't common and OP should not bank on being able to do so in his calculations.

scrubbedexpat141 Feb 18th 2019 6:15 am

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 

Originally Posted by carcajou (Post 12638491)
So then why are you posting?

I didn't read anyone here saying it was illegal. Just highly unlikely.

I knew a lot of teachers in this situation, and I don't know of a single one who successfully double-dipped. There are too many ways to get tripped up, including in the interview when they ask you if you have a spouse who is already in the UAE (and this is one reason why they ask that).

Sure, maybe one can fly under the radar but in teaching not likely. Maybe you or your spouse did it, fine but it isn't common and OP should not bank on being able to do so in his calculations.

It's genuinely not that uncommon.

dominoman Feb 18th 2019 6:33 am

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 
Depends on your company. Mine doesn't allow you to have company housing if you already get it from your wife, but they will pay you the full housing allowance in cash instead (which is perfect of course)

DXBtoDOH Feb 18th 2019 6:37 am

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 
It probably comes down to the type of package.

There are two kinds of packages.

The first is the package that is for all practical purposes a lump sum salary but with breakdowns into base salary and benefits, and the benefits are just accounting numbers. For this package it makes no difference whether you're single or married, with kids or not. You may get a "housing allowance" but so what? It's just a number. They're not taking it away from you if married. They don't care if you spend every penny of the housing allowance or only spend half of it, it's your money either way.

The second, and the more old fashioned one, was the package with a proper base salary, and clearly defined benefits (housing, schooling, transportation etc) that varied on whether you were single or married or whether you had kids. And those aren't the packages that allow doubling up because they're use it or lose it benefits. If a spouse is getting a 250k housing allowance from his company they're not going to give you a housing allowance, because you don't need it. Same with school fees. Your spouse gets full school fees covered, they're not giving you another set of school fees on top because you don't need it. And they want receipts for everything. And if you only spend 200k for housing, you're not keeping the remainder of the allowance.

Most people working for more local employers such as government ministries, most of the schools/university authorities, Emirati companies, are going to have the traditional package approach.

Methinks most of the confusion on this thread stems from what people mean when they talk about packages.


Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 12638591)
It's genuinely not that uncommon.


scrubbedexpat141 Feb 18th 2019 7:10 am

Re: Multiple packages per family + Primary Teacher packages
 

Originally Posted by DXBtoDOH (Post 12638601)
It probably comes down to the type of package.

There are two kinds of packages.

....

Methinks most of the confusion on this thread stems from what people mean when they talk about packages.

Dunno, don't really care. It happens, that's the main thing.

An individual in our company just turned down signing a letter for someone to say he doesn't get housing allowance, which I disagree with, because we don't have a policy so depends on the individual.

Now his wife is going to lose the apartment they get provided as a benefit. Seems to me like a shitty thing to do on behalf of both companies, regardless of how the packages are structured. She was offered a job and a package for doing it, that includes (for example) 15,000 a month salary, 5,000 flight annually and 90,000 worth of apartment (for sake of argument), totalling 275,000 or an equivalent of 22,916 monthly. You got married? Your husband gets a housing allowance as part of his 30,000 a month 'package' which is split into many allowances just to maintain the 60/40 split for gratuity purposes? OK, we're going to take 33% of your package away.

If schools don't like doing it and spend time and effort to catch people out who do retain both then they should probably look at the way they treat their staff. My package is split into allowances and nothing is provided, nor do I get asked if my partner gets housing - it's nothing to do with my business what else I get provided. If my partner worked for Emirates should I get a lower flight allowance or no flight allowance at all because I can get cheap trips?

Roles have salaries / packages / benefits attached to them as part of the total reward for that job....not the prospective candidates currrent or future marital / family status.


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