# Banned for life from all GCC?



## iggyb

My HR rep has threatened to ban me for life not only from the UAE but all Gulf states (GCC).

Until recently, I taught in the UAE for one of the gov education orgs.

I gave a 1-month notice I was leaving per the contract. 

The company then froze my Feb. pay, required I settle all outstanding debt using savings, and would not give an answer as to when I could expect my last paycheck - except it would be some time after I finished working (and had left the country).

I got a job offer in Saudi Arabia for which I had to apply for the visa from within the US, and it did not make sense for me to continue living off savings if the company was not going to settle up on my last day of work.

So, I left 2 weeks early without going through the visa cancellation process.

I owe no money:

My rent was paid in advance through June. The rental contract had a 2-month penalty clause if you break it. The 4 months I had left covered that and more.

I settled up with my rental car agency - paying for Jan and Feb as well as the 1,000 Dirham penalty for leaving the contract early.

When I arrived in the US, I wire transferred money to my UAE account to settle what little credit card debt I owed.

The company should have no debt against me: 

The Feb. pay covered the relocation allowance they gave when I arrived. I would have had 900 Dirhams left over. They also never paid me back for the taxi from the airport or health check they were supposed to return. 

But, after I turned in the required notice, the HR tried to send an email to payroll telling them to charge me for all sick days taken. 

My immediate supervisor noticed it and asked why. HR came up with a lame excuse saying she thought all 6 sickdays were taken consecutively without a doctor's note - which would have resulted in owing for them.

I didn't buy it. You don't naturally assume someone took all sick days in a row and any record of work she might have looked at would have shown when the days were taken. 

I offer that as a way to show you can never tell exactly what HR is going to do or how they figure things.

I believe I have no outstanding debts within the UAE.

The only thing I've done was leave the country without going through the visa cancellation process - and leave 2 weeks earlier than the 1-month notice stated in the company contract.

But, HR sent me an email saying if I didn't return to work Sunday, they would have me banned for life from the UAE and any GCC nation.

Anybody know of an appeals process in case they do try to do this?

I have tried googling for immigration information about an appeals process but have had no luck.


----------



## stereo.11

I'm sorry to know about your situation. I think your HR is talking about filing an abscond case on you - which results a permanent labor ban in UAE and possible in other gulf countries whenever any of these countries get to know about the case. And it would be tough on your side since you haven't completed the final 30-days notice - which can be a strong proof for your company to file a runaway case on you.


----------



## iggyb

I contacted the immigration department in Dubia:

The reply was that the company can ban me from the UAE for just leaving without notice - regardless of whether I left debt behind or not - but - the ban doesn't go beyond the UAE.


----------



## jojo1989

i used to work for qatar airways and i went on trip to south africa were i was drugged and stollen and i had to go to the hospital coz i was really sick and i was kept there for 2 days and upon returning to doha my company didn't support me , but they drugged tested me and i came positive. and i was terminated from my work and sent away from the country . and now i have work offer in dubai and I'm scared to travel there coz i don't wanna travel all the way there and find out that I'm banned from entering the country


----------



## nonoa

Some companies are just fickle. They use threatening tactics to try to "retain" staff. I just don't get it. And like you found out, they try to scare you with the law that they make up, knowing a lot of people get scared and believe it and are uneducated about the local regulations that pertain to them. Even if you owed a million dirhams, the ban does not extend beyond the UAE. However, for large sums, it has been known that some countries will cooperate to detain people.
In your situation, you could have told them you would file a complaint with the ministry of labor. The company would have probably backed down.


----------



## aloneinalain

You can check with the UAE embassy or a travel agent and they can tell you if you have a ban. Good luck.


----------



## KhalidAbuDhabi

I second to @aloneinain you must check from embassy your status and clear up your mind. I do believe and stay on the same page with you that some companies do this just in order to stress the employee which is very inhuman act, i had seen the same in my old companies but i hope the best for you.


----------

