Employer cannot extend Probation

UAE Labour Law on the probationary period states 3 months from the time an employee is taken on board, to be extendable to maximum 6 months. Beyond 6 months, an employee is considered a confirmed employee.

In the event of an employee being transferred to a different company, within the same group, an employee cannot be set *again* on a new probationary period. It the continuation of services with the employer / company. › Continue reading

Women split on Gulf maternity leave policies

“Women in the UAE are split over whether working mothers should receive a longer period of paid maternity leave, with some critics warning employees could abuse child-friendly policies”, said Arabian Business.com on 23rd November 2011, Delegates at the first Arabian Business Women’s Forum.

Women in the Gulf countries are entitled to less than two months of paid leave after giving birth as compared to  six month stretch offered in many Western states. › Continue reading

Staff injured on duty cannot be fired

So you are trying to get away with the medical treatment expense on work-related accidents ? You possibly cant !

An employee who suffers injury while on duty will be entitled to all official benefits while receiving treatment and remains off-duty. The company has no right to terminate an employee deeming him unfit to work unless the medical report, at the end of treatment period. › Continue reading

Sick during annual leave? Get extra days off

Emirati Woman bags the best Human Resources award of 2011

The stars of the Middle East’s hospitality industry were recognised for their dedication and achievements at the Hotelier Middle East Awards on 19th October 2011. Five hundred hotel professionals gathered at the Al Johara Ballroom at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai for the seventh edition of the Hotelier Middle East Awards, held in association with Ronai. Hoteliers from some of the world’s best hotel chains were named among the winners, including Jumeirah, InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt, Marriott and Movenpick. › Continue reading

Employment contract termination due to medical illness. Is it legal ?

Employers are happy with their employees when they are physically fit and can deliver the desired output. What happens when there is a medical issue? Is it easy for *selfish* employers to get rid of the employee who is physically unfit, or can perhaps be patient until he recovers and is back to work ? What does the Labour Law say ?

Article 124 / Chapter VII

The above-mentioned article under UAE Labour Law clearly states that “An employer may not terminate the service of a worker for lack of medical fitness before the worker exhausts all the periods of leave legally due to him. Any agreement to the contrary shall be null and void, even if concluded before this Law comes into effect”. › Continue reading

Do you pay bonus or commissions ? Be ready to pay higher Gratuity

We now see UAE Gratuity law slightly changing and UAE lawyers now predict a surge in disputes over end-of-service employee payoffs after a Dubai court ruled commission should be used in the calculation of gratuities (as per Arabian Business.com / 28th June 2011).

Also, in one of its ruling, the Court of Cassation said “all that a worker receives as emolument, whether in cash or in kind… including his monthly commission,” should be used to calculate gratuities, Emirates 24/7 reported. Dubai courts have been ruling in favour of employees who received regular commission for some time, said Azzam. › Continue reading

Are u a good Interviewer ?

So you interview a candidate who is trying to impress you, rather sell himself ? Are you *also* not trying to sell your company to him? Do you actually know the tips of conducting an interview ? If no, not sure, then you must read this.

Have you gathered the enough job details / description ? If not, you should. We HR Managers, should know the job description, more than anyone else should. Get in touch with the Line Manager, as the job description must have undergone a few changes as compared to the earlier one. Understand the job, personal specification, based on which you will conduct an interview. Remember the competencies you are looking at, as your STAR questions will be based on that. Yeah, will get there too !

I am skipping drafting the advertisement, assuming you all are awesome at it. Perhaps, can cover this sometime later. Oh wait, shorlist process is also not to be mentioned here, lets just concentrate on the interview. › Continue reading

Valuing our employees more does not mean that we value our customers or the bottom line any less.

The role of ego-less leadership in empowering success.

There is a general consensus, from the boardroom down, that employee engagement is a good thing.  We know engaged employees are informed, empowered and more committed to the values and success of the organisation for which they work, and significant thought, time and effort is put into discussing and developing employee engagement strategies.

It seems we are full of good intentions.  However, the fact remains that the overwhelming majority of us feel persistently alienated from the organisations that employ us and the ideal of an engaged, empowered workforce seemingly remains little more than a lofty ideal for the majority of today’s leaders.  › Continue reading

62% of UAE firms plan to hire in 2012

If you are wondering whats going to happen to the job market in 2012, then here is the answer. More employment opportunities are likely to open up in the UAE with 62 percent of the companies planning to hire in a year’s time.

Over the next three months, 21 percent of companies in the Gulf state will be ’definitely hiring’, with a further 28 percent ’probably hiring’. The majority of these jobs are likely to come from the private sector, the Jobs Index survey conducted by Middle East jobsite Bayt.com and YouGov, a research and consulting organization said.  However, over the next year the figures look more promising with the private sector still providing most of the jobs.
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