# Redundancy Advice



## Doc76 (Jun 5, 2013)

Hello - hope someone can share with me their knowledge or experience on redundancy packages in Dubai. There seems to be nothing in the UAE labour laws on this for an unlimited contract.

I've been with the same company for 13 years (a large multinational) - I worked in the UK for 11 of those and in Dubai for the last 2 years. I have been told that my responsibilities will move to a shared service centre outside of the UAE and my role will no longer exist. I have received nothing in writing yet and this was just a conversation with my manager. 

I'm looking for other roles, but should I need to take the package, what can I expect? Would it be wrong to expect the pay out of:-

Accumulation of home leave ticket to date
EOSB
Repatriation
Redundancy compensation based on my 13 years service

Anyone go through a redundancy here in a smilar situation? And stories or feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks
Doc


----------



## Bigjimbo (Oct 28, 2010)

I doubt you'll get EOSB for the full 13 years unless you have an uncommonly good employer. You should get home leave pay and flight money, and repatriation.

Good luck


----------



## HarryUK (Oct 14, 2012)

Doc76 said:


> Hello - hope someone can share with me their knowledge or experience on redundancy packages in Dubai. There seems to be nothing in the UAE labour laws on this for an unlimited contract.
> 
> I've been with the same company for 13 years (a large multinational) - I worked in the UK for 11 of those and in Dubai for the last 2 years. I have been told that my responsibilities will move to a shared service centre outside of the UAE and my role will no longer exist. I have received nothing in writing yet and this was just a conversation with my manager.
> 
> ...


There s no such thing unfortunately as redundancy in Dubai, so it is classified as unlawful termination which carries 3 months compensation as a maximum. So this is what you should expect from your employer if they utilise best practice. Your tenure is only 2 years, although a continuation of service within the company the UAE labour law will only recognise the 2 years. 

My company would honour the EOS + flights, not sure you repatriation is warranted. 

Best of luck


----------



## skyrookie (Jun 3, 2013)

Check the law...

They are required to repatriate you. 

UAE LABOR LAW


----------



## vantage (May 10, 2012)

you'll get two year's worth, not 13.
Did the Company sort you out for the first 11 when you moved out here? technically, you were moving to a new contract.
Legally, per UAE law - you only get what you've accrued here in the UAE.
What does your contract with the Company say about years of service?
If there give you UK statutory minimum for the previous 11 years, then that is only worth about as much as 5 magic beans and a rusty can. £400 ish per year's service.


----------



## xgbqbmyd (Jun 3, 2013)

HarryUK said:


> There s no such thing unfortunately as redundancy in Dubai, so it is classified as unlawful termination which carries 3 months compensation as a maximum. So this is what you should expect from your employer if they utilise best practice. Your tenure is only 2 years, although a continuation of service within the company the UAE labour law will only recognise the 2 years.
> 
> My company would honour the EOS + flights, not sure you repatriation is warranted.
> 
> Best of luck


Yes, there's no such thing as Redundancy as a valid reason for dismissal. You're into Unlimited contract and there's no 3-months salary compensation, only gratuity + flight.
Best thing you can do is to file a complaint with the Ministry of Labor in case you're company won't push any of this compensations.


----------



## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

Doc...Sorry for your situation. This thread should be required reading for all the people who are thinking about how great the tax free income here is. It all sounds great until we see that the protections offered us by paying taxes also don't exist. Best of luck.


----------



## ziokendo (Jan 7, 2012)

Doc76 said:


> I've been with the same company for 13 years (a large multinational) - I worked in the UK for 11 of those and in Dubai for the last 2 years.


Unless you have been just "seconded" to UAE, after the first 11 years you would have formally resigned and terminated your employment in the UK to come here, right ?

So I am pretty sure that in UK they should've paid you all your EOS benefits as per law and employment contract back then, if they didn't you are probably still entitled to claim them ...

Then you've begun a new work relationship here and are entitled just to 2 years severance in UAE.


----------



## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

fcjb1970 said:


> Doc...Sorry for your situation. This thread should be required reading for all the people who are thinking about how great the tax free income here is. It all sounds great until we see that the protections offered us by paying taxes also don't exist. Best of luck.


 This is the reality. Those who think that a country can provide social services without levying any kind of taxes on income are day dreaming!!!!! This was covered in several posts.

I just hope you don't feel uprooted OP. I think the whole UAE long term residency a huge fallacy when you rely on salary alone.


----------



## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

ziokendo said:


> Unless you have been just "seconded" to UAE, after the first 11 years you would have formally resigned and terminated your employment in the UK to come here, right ?
> 
> So I am pretty sure that in UK they should've paid you all your EOS benefits as per law and employment contract back then, if they didn't you are probably still entitled to claim them ...
> 
> Then you've begun a new work relationship here and are entitled just to 2 years severance in UAE.


After 11 years in the UK there would not have been any EOS benefits - they only exist here because there is no government pension scheme.

Now that you are here, your UK employment is totally irrelevant to your current situation in the legal sense but morally they should reward you more as you have been with them for 13 years.

You simply now need to focus on getting as much from your existing employer as you can, for your loyal service to the company over 13 years - but bear in mind they may only pay you what you are legally entitled to receive after 2 years on a UAE contract.

Remember to be very careful on any paperwork that you sign - especially so if it is in Arabic and you don't have a proper translation.

Best of Luck.

Cheers

Steve


----------



## ode17366 (Nov 29, 2010)

Doc a quick question are you over here on a UK contract with your existing company. I was just made redundant and as I was a secondee from UK they had to treat me under English Law so you need to check that


----------



## ziokendo (Jan 7, 2012)

Stevesolar said:


> After 11 years in the UK there would not have been any EOS benefits - they only exist here because there is no government pension scheme.


In my home country you have both, a EOS worth roughly 1 month of salary for every year served (regardless if you resign or you get fired, so I got it when leaving for Dubai), and 6 month to 1 year employment support in case you get fired, so - for some reason, obviously I was ignorant of the uk system - I was under the impression that in UK would've been the same. 
I apologize for confusing the OP, to who I address my good luck :\


----------



## Doc76 (Jun 5, 2013)

Thank you all for your responses. It's been helpful as I now know I can't legally claim compensation for the 13 years, I will ask for compensation as they did move me out here and now they have changed their mind. 
I am on a UAE contract, so have no more ties to my UK one....
I still have no word about it, but I will update you all as if it's good or bad news, If it's bad news, I will make a stink as my colleagues back in Europe who have been around for lesser times are getting nice packages.


----------



## Bigo (May 22, 2013)

Doc76 said:


> Hello - hope someone can share with me their knowledge or experience on redundancy packages in Dubai. There seems to be nothing in the UAE labour laws on this for an unlimited contract.
> 
> I've been with the same company for 13 years (a large multinational) - I worked in the UK for 11 of those and in Dubai for the last 2 years. I have been told that my responsibilities will move to a shared service centre outside of the UAE and my role will no longer exist. I have received nothing in writing yet and this was just a conversation with my manager.
> 
> ...


the first 11 years are not counted for UAe experience. you will get end of service for 11 days 5 days for first year and 6 days for the second worth of salary. if you passed 5 years in UAE then you get a month for each year. Also what ever vacation days you have left from this year. and a ticket back home for you and family. in addition to any bonuses in case you are legible for it. also some companies pay you 3 month full salary for being redundent. but not all...sometimes they find ways to avoid this. However if your company is in freezone then you get nothing because freezone do not follow labour law its the company law and its totally up to the HR. sorry to hear this man hopefully you will find another job.

Good luck


----------



## xgbqbmyd (Jun 3, 2013)

Bigo said:


> However if your company is in freezone then you get nothing because freezone do not follow labour law its the company law and its totally up to the HR. sorry to hear this man hopefully you will find another job.
> 
> Good luck


I don't know those other Free Zones but DMCC is an exception as it follows the entirety of the UAE Federal Labor Law. I had a Labor dispute with my previous company before (DMCC) and solutions were based entirely on the UAE Labor Law.

If you're exactly not sure of where your company in Free Zone stands with regards to Labor Laws, ask and do research.


----------

