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What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Old Jan 15th 2013, 4:28 am
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Originally Posted by weasel decentral
Offer me a job and I will see what happens

This is my case only now as I am negotiating internally with the company but out in the big bad world I would be forced to deal with all in packages etc

Perhaps the strangest thing between me and Desert Dubliner is the idea that we have proper costings etc. after a few years knocking around the ME I still have no idea how the hell we make a profit (and that's starting from a profit margin of 35%). The tried and tested formula as far as I can see is that we have no idea what we a re really doing but at the end if there is no money in the bank we go and beg the client for more
One thing I've noticed in my new role is that our (only) client tells us the charge rate and what the maxmimum is they can pay the candidate. Only if the client agrees to a greater charge rate can they get more salary to play with....which hasn't happened as far as I am aware of.
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Old Jan 15th 2013, 5:57 am
  #47  
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Some companies provide allowances and/ or company housing

Eg; an employee could look like his/ her house is costing 40% of his basic salary (judging by current pricing levels), though it's costing their allowance which is actually 20% of his/ her salary, but it's really only cost the company 10% on top of the salary.
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Old Jan 15th 2013, 6:23 am
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

~15.5% for rent, DEWA (getting robbed at the minute for some reason) and a decent TV and tinternet package.....
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Old Jan 15th 2013, 9:44 am
  #49  
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Your salary + all benefits what you are being paid. if this was the UK you'd be taxed on salary + all benefits in kind. No matter what you call it, how you split it, your total package is effectively what you are being paid, or what your employer is paying to have you working for them.

I'm not answering the question. There are two earners in this house, neither of whom are salaried.
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Old Jan 15th 2013, 12:56 pm
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Originally Posted by commander
No featherbed package?
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Old Jan 15th 2013, 7:59 pm
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

The package system is just there to reduce your gratuity - discuss
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Old Jan 16th 2013, 12:07 am
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Originally Posted by Autonomy
The package system is just there to reduce your gratuity - discuss
I don't get gratuity. Don't make an assumption everyone does.
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Old Jan 16th 2013, 3:06 am
  #53  
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Originally Posted by Autonomy
The package system is just there to reduce your gratuity - discuss
Yes I mentioned this before that the allowances will kill your end of service payment plus if your bonus is based on X months pay then it will affect this also.

The ways some of the companies try to build up your salary with allowances and all sorts means that the basic pay can be surprisingly low when you look at it properly.
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Old Jan 16th 2013, 3:34 am
  #54  
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Originally Posted by commander
I don't get gratuity. Don't make an assumption everyone does.
It's a UAE law, I assume your contract is from somewhere like the US?
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Old Jan 16th 2013, 3:35 am
  #55  
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Originally Posted by weasel decentral
Yes I mentioned this before that the allowances will kill your end of service payment plus if your bonus is based on X months pay then it will affect this also.

The ways some of the companies try to build up your salary with allowances and all sorts means that the basic pay can be surprisingly low when you look at it properly.
It would be interesting to know if this ruling still stands....

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/court...ml?tab=Article
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Old Jan 16th 2013, 3:53 am
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Originally Posted by NorthernLad
It's a UAE law, I assume your contract is from somewhere like the US?
I know it is the law. Yea, I'm on a US expat contract however I have also signed a JAFZA contract in order to have a visa...so surely that contract is valid for gratuity.

Actually we were discussing this very topic yesterday. I need to dig out my US contract.
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Old Jan 16th 2013, 4:04 am
  #57  
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Originally Posted by Autonomy
The package system is just there to reduce your gratuity - discuss
Yes and no.

Originally Posted by commander
I don't get gratuity. Don't make an assumption everyone does.
Featherbed my arse

Originally Posted by weasel decentral
Yes I mentioned this before that the allowances will kill your end of service payment plus if your bonus is based on X months pay then it will affect this also.

The ways some of the companies try to build up your salary with allowances and all sorts means that the basic pay can be surprisingly low when you look at it properly.
Very true, but it can work out nicely too.

Most people want a bit more money to work overseas....fair enough.

It's a harder life. It's tough on your knees and your missus doesn't want to be away from her sister Pat, although she loves lording it over her thinking she's better.

You want more cash, but you've not really thought about shit properly, have you?

You get an offer of 50,000 AED all in
30k basic
12.5k Housing
2.5k flights
5k car

You have just beeen offered 60,000 sterling a year. Tax free. That is the same as earning 91,760 in the UK. PLUS, you have your house and car and flights home paid for.

You probably don't know what gratuity is when you sign up. But you've got a mate over here now who says you're getting stiffed on allowances so that they don't pay you as much gratuity. You get all upset. You start thinking that it's unfair and you deserve more. The guys in Waxy's all claim that their whole package is just basic salary. Cue a strop, over a bonus you didn't even know about when you signed the contract and moved here.

Realistically, there are bucket loads of people out here commaning 45-55k a month who in the UK have zero hope of ever earning 90,000+ a year. They need to not worry about gratuity and just be grateful that average in the UK is still a big salary over here.

In my eyes the gratuity is a tidy little bonus you get, but not something to get too excited about. I used the little I got from my last co. to go towards this years rent loan.
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Old Jan 16th 2013, 4:21 am
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Originally Posted by Scamp
In my eyes the gratuity is a tidy little bonus you get, but not something to get too excited about. I used the little I got from my last co. to go towards this years rent loan.
Bit shortsighted - especially if you are with the same employer over five years. That can make a very big difference on a very nice lump sum payment.

Also - your argument is that best not to worry about gratuity as most new arrivals in Dubai didn't know about it beforehand and also that most people are under qualified and overpaid here... well that's encouraging....
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Old Jan 16th 2013, 4:22 am
  #59  
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Also - even on most salary only contracts it will still break it down into allowances, even though in reality they get paid a monthly salary... simply to reduce gratuity.
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Old Jan 16th 2013, 4:44 am
  #60  
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Default Re: What percentage of your salary do you spend on rent?

Originally Posted by NorthernLad
It would be interesting to know if this ruling still stands....

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/court...ml?tab=Article
That ruling was for that case only. It is not relevant to anyone else as the UAE does not have the concept of legal precedent. If you wanted to make the same clain,you would have to make your own case in the courts.

Commander said earlier that he does not get a gratuity. It can be waived if both the employer and employee sign a contract to that effect. Usually done where the employee is receiving another benefit of some kind to 'compensate'.
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