Is it legal.. | ExpatWoman.com
 

Is it legal..

166
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 May 2015 - 09:20

Is it legal for a company to constantly use the term "as per our company policy" without having ever produced a "company policy" for one to sign or at least read through?

I know, I know, I know, that business in the UAE works very differently to other parts of the world (for example the UK which is where I'm from) but making sure your employees are aware of restrictions on things like annual/sick leave is quite a basic thing.

Two incidents have happened now (one of which has resulted in 3 x days being deducted from my annual leave allowance) that would not have happened had I known before hand the "company's policy" surrounding it.

It looks as if they're basically just making rules on the spot and thinking that simply saying "as per company policy" I have to just accept it. Well why don't you SHOW me this "company policy" so I won't make any mistakes like this in the future!!! >:- (

542
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EW GURU
Latest post on 27 May 2015 - 15:37
Your working contract should be registered with the labour department. You can check on this without informing your company. Just in case !
1184
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 26 May 2015 - 23:28
Company policy cannot overwrite or contradict labour law. Sick leave is well defined in labour law. Keep on questioning him. Procedures should be written and procedures should be transparent.
166
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 May 2015 - 14:00
Thanks for the replies. The problem here is (and I knew it from the start) the IS no company policy in writing. No manual, no handbook, nothing. In fact I emailed him right after making this thread saying "Please send me a copy of the company policy so I can read through it before my meeting with you" - I'd asked for a meeting to have him explain some of these bizarre rules and regs he'd apparently pulled out of his you-know-what. And his reply? "We don't have a written policy as such, but we follow a practice" Well then what's "the practice"?! If it's the UAE Labor Law, then say so! But I know it's not because no where on that doc does it say anything like what he's been saying. Good news is I must have had an effect on him because he visited the our office earlier (about something unrelated) and said to me that not only has he decided my signed-by-the-manager sick form and hospital certificate is fine so he in fact WON'T take 3 x days of my hols, but also that he is in the process now of putting together a written company policy. Like I said, I wasn't trying to be troublesome, but I -we all!- need to know where we stand with certain things to avoid disagreements like this happening.
17
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 May 2015 - 13:05
As an employee you have the right to know about these policies & manuals. On the first day of work, HR should hand these policies,manuals in printed materials ( at least where i work) to you. As this did not happen, why don't you call HR to send you a copy of your employment manual. So should there be any grey areas, you can ask for explanations beforehand and not embark on pay deductible leaves. Hope this helps.
681
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EW GURU
Latest post on 26 May 2015 - 10:34
Its most likely that company policy is to follow the labour law, so there is probably very little you can do other than look up the labour law and see what that says about your situation. Have they refused to show you where the company policy is? If they operate a quality management system as per ISO 9001 it should be available to all staff, this is not a legal requirement though. As with anything here its best to get a clear written answers before you doing anything, do not accept verbal confirmation that you can do anything, always confirm by email until you get to know how your company works. (CYA - Cover Your A$$)
115
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 May 2015 - 10:30
There is a labor law in place for the UAE. So, that is always the back to document. If the deduction is not in line with the labor law, then it is not legal. That's what i think. You can always contact the labor office and they can confirm.
 
 

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