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waterbaby
Posts 89
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05/05/2011 12:34:24
Thanks badidea for highlighting this. I hire a maid via an agency and am happy with her. However, I was thinking of halving the cost by paying a maid who cleaned for the previous tenants where I now live. I believe the miad is a live-in maid for someone else.
Naive as it may sound, I didn't realise the implications of doing it this way either for me or for her sponsor (not bothered about the maid as she will know she's not to work for anyone else so if she chooses to that's her lookout) but now that I do, I have put that idea out of my head. I would not want to put someone in the position that you and your husband were in.
I was also considering a live in maid sponsored by my husband for when my baby is born, however until the laws and procedures change, I think I'll just stick with my existing maid coming in via the agency!
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wickedangel_78
Posts 1060
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02/05/2011 02:40:40
AmyAus82 wrote:
Do you pay taxes to live in this country? No. The G'ment pays for the infrastructure from the G'ment money, from national money.
Who said so? Building & community owners pay an anual service charge to the government for their services, & those charges are included within the rent but it's not mentioned. Each community in Dubai paid for the new roads, metro, public comunity services & garbage removal within the community. Property owners have to pay an anual service & comunity charge & the amount is not fixed & it keeps changing.
So yes we do pay taxes, nothing is free. There is also the community charge within the electricity bills in Dubai. In Sharjah we pay 2.5% of the anual rent to the municipality & those are also taxes.
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fairycakeyumm
Posts 2858
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01/05/2011 21:58:55
100 % Agree with you there.
miss balamory wrote:
Thank you for posting your experience.
Maybe now is the time for EW to actually filter the ads that appear on the classifieds, taking OUT any which say
- maid on their 'own' visa
- maid on their 'husband's visa'
- family looking for maid on her own visa
- family looking for part time maid
- maid looking for part time work
etc, etc.
This is only encouraging illegal work..............
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fairycakeyumm
Posts 2858
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01/05/2011 21:57:38
Hi
Glad u got your money back too...and finally u can draw a line underneath it....
Yes we reported our maid as obsconded, She should be leaving the country 2morrow.
We even got a visit from the filipina mafia this evening threatening us.... their answer to it all dont worry u are RICH ...haha wish i was, well im broke now after wasting 6 k on sponsoring her.
Lesson learned i wont be getting another maid ever again.
badidea wrote:
Thanks Sandydog, it has been incredibly stressful for us, but I am glad we chose this path. I will never, ever sponsor a maid in the UAE again... ever...
Fairycakemum, I just went through this thread and read your posts.. I am saddened that this has happened to you also but please do not tell immigration that she worked elsewhere. They will know this, I have no doubt, but they will allow you to deny it in order to save yourself legal repercussions. Simply say that she absconded and you do not know why. Also, you should consider hiring a maid from an agency for around 2,200aed per month. You will have no legal responsibility for them and if you wish, you can 'top up' their salary as you see fit. I hope this helps and wish you the best.
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badidea
Posts 5
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01/05/2011 09:05:00
Thanks Sandydog, it has been incredibly stressful for us, but I am glad we chose this path. I will never, ever sponsor a maid in the UAE again... ever...
Fairycakemum, I just went through this thread and read your posts.. I am saddened that this has happened to you also but please do not tell immigration that she worked elsewhere. They will know this, I have no doubt, but they will allow you to deny it in order to save yourself legal repercussions. Simply say that she absconded and you do not know why. Also, you should consider hiring a maid from an agency for around 2,200aed per month. You will have no legal responsibility for them and if you wish, you can 'top up' their salary as you see fit. I hope this helps and wish you the best.
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Sanddy_Dogg
Posts 8479
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30/04/2011 16:35:53
Glad you got your money back but what a shame you had to go through all that in the first place.
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badidea
Posts 5
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30/04/2011 08:49:53
badidea wrote:
I have been an expat in the GCC for over ten years, the UAE for 6 of them.
This is not my first post. I post occasionally but have created this id as the other person that I refer to in this post may be a member here too.
My family has lived quietly and respectful of the ways of the middle east.
Almost a year ago, my maid was discovered working part-time for another expat in our compound. Fortunately my husband was able to reduce the fine from 100,000AED to 50,000.
This did not spare him from court and a humiliating experience with the police. My children (who are older now) fully understand why our maid was in jail and it has affected them too.
My husbands crime: legally sponsoring a maid, providing food, accommodation and two days off per week. She, in turn, worked part-time for many other people. Our maid had been informed that she was to work for us only, no part-time or other work. We trusted her with our children, our home. She had worked hard for us and we rewarded her well for over 4 years.
My husband has spent countless hours dealing with the repercussions of her actions. I will not go into the repercussions for the other party found with her. Frankly, I don’t care.
What I can tell you is that after almost a year in the legal system, my husband has successfully sued the other family for the AED50,000. Our case is lodged and should the other party attempt to pass immigration, they will be arrested.
I write this because if this happens to you, it may take a while but you can recover at least some of your money that was lost in fines wrongly attributed to you.
(we had just renewed her so lost that money too)
Do not hire illegal maids, it is selfish and unbelievable stressful to good and honest people who sponsor legally.
update: the family in question made no attempt to repay. They attempted to leave the UAE. Husband was detained. We now have the money in our account.
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vero possumus
Posts 1258
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23/03/2011 12:56:31
Chocs01 wrote:
Of course we get taxed in the UAE! They just don't call it tax, but as Nougatness has rightly pointed out, those are all the ways in which we are 'taxed'.
we own property overseas and pay huge amounts in all kinds of taxes, and yet we only ever go there for a couple of weeks a year, and the other property sits empty ALL year...lol....
here there are no taxes.
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vero possumus
Posts 1258
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23/03/2011 12:55:08
Sanddy_Dogg wrote:
As long as she's not suggesting SHE'LL do the needful to make Sir say yes!
haha....ohhhhhhhh no
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Sanddy_Dogg
Posts 8479
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23/03/2011 11:31:16
As long as she's not suggesting SHE'LL do the needful to make Sir say yes!
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october
Posts 3716
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22/03/2011 23:00:33
We nearly got caught doing this a year or so back and decided it wasn't worth the risk. We also felt spied on by our neighbour's gateman.
So we now hire an agency maid, who a couple of weeks ago asked if she could come and work for us on a Friday. I explained how the situation works if you get caught, but dodged the bullet as I didn't want a sulky maid - and I do like her, she does a good job. So I said I would ask DH but the answer would probably be a NO. I am then positive she hinted (although I could have misunderstood her) that if I do the 'needful' he might say yes!
So the following week she comes in to work, goes upstairs a bit earlier than normal and catches DH in the altogether coming out of our ensuite bathroom! Had to laugh but felt SO sorry for her and for DH too in a small way!
Strangely she hasn't asked again about extra curricular working. Not quite sure what that says, but it's got me off the hook.
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Sugarbeach
Posts 2987
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22/03/2011 21:28:53
Thanks for sharing the story OP. I've just printed it out for the homehelp to read and explained/reiterated that it is illegal and the potential consequences for her and us.
edited by Sugarbeach on 22/03/2011
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SydGal
Posts 511
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22/03/2011 18:50:22
Yes Amy - it's pretty much the same everywhere.
A very good American friend once said "in the US, the moment you start to earn money, you're treated as a criminal"
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Chocs01
Posts 4776
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22/03/2011 18:49:40
Of course we get taxed in the UAE! They just don't call it tax, but as Nougatness has rightly pointed out, those are all the ways in which we are 'taxed'.
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NOUGATNESS
Posts 331
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22/03/2011 18:47:30
Tax by stealth - overpriced rentals, no free schooling, no free medical care, no part time job for my kids (until recently), no legal way to have a home office, false traffic fines, expensive internet, water and electricity.
Would rather pay tax and know what I am paying and that everyone is benefiting from the taxes from low to high income.
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AmyAus82
Posts 3431
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22/03/2011 18:26:48
Do you pay taxes to live in this country? No. The G'ment pays for the infrastructure from the G'ment money, from national money.
You will say 'we pay Salik' 'we pay visa fees'?
Do you not pay these fees in your home, tax paying countries? Yes. There are fees for visas in UK/US/Aus - everywhere. You pay road tolls to cross bridges. There is paid parking. You pay everything there that you pay here.
So when they make rules for this country, thus encouraging more people to come and get jobs (rather than giving available jobs to maid already employed) it's their business to do so - you don't pay anything to live here - you don't have a say in the situation.
SydGal - isn't that the case in Australia? You can't do anything unless the g'ment gets something from it?
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AdviceSeeker
Posts 2239
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22/03/2011 17:34:15
gleekfamily wrote: Baloo wrote: SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!??! How about this: wife living with the husband in the same house/appartment/studio but wife is sponsored by her employer and not by her husband or the 'landlord' .... does this count??  I think the distinction at this point needs to be repeated (as vero possumus has already stated) that maids/drivers are not under the same visa status, immigration or labor laws as typical expats are. This in itself clearly means there are different sets of rules. So to compare the two situations isn't really applicable.
Yes, Maids/Drivers are under "domestic worker" status not "employment" status....
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gleekfamily
Posts 3621
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22/03/2011 17:30:47
Baloo wrote: SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!??! How about this: wife living with the husband in the same house/appartment/studio but wife is sponsored by her employer and not by her husband or the 'landlord' .... does this count??
I think the distinction at this point needs to be repeated (as vero possumus has already stated) that maids/drivers are not under the same visa status, immigration or labor laws as typical expats are. This in itself clearly means there are different sets of rules. So to compare the two situations isn't really applicable.
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busybee2
Posts 10392
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22/03/2011 17:03:22
Teabag wrote:
Baloo - I'm not touching that one!
I have another point though -
What about the maid who are legally sponsored but have hubby living in maid room with them, who does odd jobs/car cleaning etc in return for being allowed to live there - is this not also payment in kind?
See what I mean by grey areas??
technically they are not allowed they have to be sponsored as a driver or something else to be living under the same roof, anybody under the same roof has to be sponsored by the family
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badidea
Posts 5
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22/03/2011 16:19:22
Thank you all for your kind words. I am relieved to hear that at least one poster will stop doing this and hope that they never see the ugly legal side of this affair.
Simply put, a maid can only do domestic work for her sponsor. Sponsor them or use an agency.
As for me, I will never, ever sponsor another maid in the UAE again.
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marycatherine
Posts 1656
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22/03/2011 16:14:17
Probably, but if you and the sponsor don't tell - could you be charged? That's why I said I didn't know if the law would view it in the same light as a direct payment. In my country, (if the same laws were in place) it would still be illegal - but that's common law.
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Teabag
Posts 400
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22/03/2011 15:58:46
Marycatherine - isn't that splitting hairs?
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marycatherine
Posts 1656
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22/03/2011 15:30:10
Teabag - I don't know the law would apply to the situation you cited IF you gave the money to the sponsor who then gave it to the maid?
"This is what I am beginning to understand.
It seems to be a question of perception. One neighbour can do a good deed for another but a maid can't. Sadly it comes down to a question of status. My friends maid is here and will be bored as sin in the holidays when her family are away. Our animals play well together and she would be happy to water my garden and feed all the animals but the perception is such that it would be considered illegal.She would do it without payment but I would feel awful not to be able to thank her in any way."
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AnonDubai
Posts 9374
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22/03/2011 14:54:55
Baloo wrote: AnonDubai wrote: Baloo wrote: AnonDubai wrote: Teabag wrote:
Baloo - I'm not touching that one!
I have another point though -
What about the maid who are legally sponsored but have hubby living in maid room with them, who does odd jobs/car cleaning etc in return for being allowed to live there - is this not also payment in kind?
See what I mean by grey areas?? That is not a gray area. It is not allowed. If the husband is living with the maid, he should be sponsored by the family as a driver, gardener, etc. edited by AnonDubai on 22/03/2011 SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!??! How about this: wife living with the husband in the same house/appartment/studio but wife is sponsored by her employer and not by her husband or the 'landlord' .... does this count?? That is legal, but rare. Most married women are sponsored by their DHs and not by their employers. How can this be legal and not for a maid/driver? Anyway, most senior woman professional in our office are on the company's sponsorship ....
Because people living in your home should be sponsored by you.
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AmyAus82
Posts 3431
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22/03/2011 14:53:52
Baloo wrote: AnonDubai wrote: Baloo wrote: AnonDubai wrote: Teabag wrote:
Baloo - I'm not touching that one!
I have another point though -
What about the maid who are legally sponsored but have hubby living in maid room with them, who does odd jobs/car cleaning etc in return for being allowed to live there - is this not also payment in kind?
See what I mean by grey areas?? That is not a gray area. It is not allowed. If the husband is living with the maid, he should be sponsored by the family as a driver, gardener, etc. edited by AnonDubai on 22/03/2011 SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!??! How about this: wife living with the husband in the same house/appartment/studio but wife is sponsored by her employer and not by her husband or the 'landlord' .... does this count?? That is legal, but rare. Most married women are sponsored by their DHs and not by their employers. How can this be legal and not for a maid/driver? Anyway, most senior woman professional in our office are on the company's sponsorship ....
You can sponsor a maid and a driver and employee them both. If they are husband and wife so be it, they'll live in your home.
But, you cannot have your maids husband living with you. It's not a staff issue then. It's a family you've brought in and they should not be living in your home. One family one house rule, as I said.
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Baloo
Posts 51
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22/03/2011 14:51:28
AnonDubai wrote: Baloo wrote: AnonDubai wrote: Teabag wrote:
Baloo - I'm not touching that one!
I have another point though -
What about the maid who are legally sponsored but have hubby living in maid room with them, who does odd jobs/car cleaning etc in return for being allowed to live there - is this not also payment in kind?
See what I mean by grey areas?? That is not a gray area. It is not allowed. If the husband is living with the maid, he should be sponsored by the family as a driver, gardener, etc. edited by AnonDubai on 22/03/2011 SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!??! How about this: wife living with the husband in the same house/appartment/studio but wife is sponsored by her employer and not by her husband or the 'landlord' .... does this count?? That is legal, but rare. Most married women are sponsored by their DHs and not by their employers.
How can this be legal and not for a maid/driver?
Anyway, most senior woman professional in our office are on the company's sponsorship ....
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AmyAus82
Posts 3431
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22/03/2011 14:50:26
Baloo wrote: AnonDubai wrote: Teabag wrote:
Baloo - I'm not touching that one!
I have another point though -
What about the maid who are legally sponsored but have hubby living in maid room with them, who does odd jobs/car cleaning etc in return for being allowed to live there - is this not also payment in kind?
See what I mean by grey areas?? That is not a gray area. It is not allowed. If the husband is living with the maid, he should be sponsored by the family as a driver, gardener, etc. edited by AnonDubai on 22/03/2011 SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!??! How about this: wife living with the husband in the same house/appartment/studio but wife is sponsored by her employer and not by her husband or the 'landlord' .... does this count??
This crosses another law - one family one property. When a maid is working for you she is your employee. When she has her husband there, it is two families living in one home - against the law.
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AnonDubai
Posts 9374
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22/03/2011 14:41:12
Baloo wrote: AnonDubai wrote: Teabag wrote:
Baloo - I'm not touching that one!
I have another point though -
What about the maid who are legally sponsored but have hubby living in maid room with them, who does odd jobs/car cleaning etc in return for being allowed to live there - is this not also payment in kind?
See what I mean by grey areas?? That is not a gray area. It is not allowed. If the husband is living with the maid, he should be sponsored by the family as a driver, gardener, etc. edited by AnonDubai on 22/03/2011 SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!??! How about this: wife living with the husband in the same house/appartment/studio but wife is sponsored by her employer and not by her husband or the 'landlord' .... does this count??
That is legal, but rare. Most married women are sponsored by their DHs and not by their employers.
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Baloo
Posts 51
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22/03/2011 14:39:14
AnonDubai wrote: Teabag wrote:
Baloo - I'm not touching that one!
I have another point though -
What about the maid who are legally sponsored but have hubby living in maid room with them, who does odd jobs/car cleaning etc in return for being allowed to live there - is this not also payment in kind?
See what I mean by grey areas?? That is not a gray area. It is not allowed. If the husband is living with the maid, he should be sponsored by the family as a driver, gardener, etc. edited by AnonDubai on 22/03/2011
SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!??!
How about this: wife living with the husband in the same house/appartment/studio but wife is sponsored by her employer and not by her husband or the 'landlord' .... does this count??
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Teabag
Posts 400
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22/03/2011 14:36:53
Until you find out it's illegal!!
Going back to the original poster - I have to agree with not hiring maids illegally - what if they hurt themselves or something - the poor sponsor is responsible for them - too tricky by far.
Anyway I've put my tuppence in - I have to go do the stuff I don't have a maid for...
Editted to add:
I am not complaining about the rules AmyAus - I just want to be clear what they are!!
edited by Teabag on 22/03/2011
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