Babysitting for a single dad.....is this legal? | ExpatWoman.com
 

Babysitting for a single dad.....is this legal?

3
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 15 March 2018 - 18:37

Dear all,

Thank you in advance for reading my post. Any replies would be very much appreciated it.

So I've been offered a PA role in Dubai for a man who has various businesses. I am waiting the paperwork and I understand that I would need to be sponsored by his company in order to obtain the appropriate visa. As a PA my role would also sometimes require me to pick up his kids from school and babysit for him. He is a single dad (never been married, separated from his partner). Would it be acceptable for me to babysit for him and be in his house legally, bearing in mind he is a single man? Sometimes if he is back really late, I have the option of staying over. He has maids who live in, which I understand technically is illegal, as he is a single man. Anyway I just want to make sure I know the situation before I consider going ahead. Thanks again in advance.

1
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 01 April 2018 - 16:38
Hi Claudia. Where did you find this role advertised? I’m very interested in finding a similar roll if this one has already been taken. I do understand your concerns and I’m sure you have the decision you mostly feel comfortable with. I have lived in Dubai 7 years as a British expat.. always happy to answer any more q’s you may have. :)
3
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 March 2018 - 00:06
I would say DON'T and here is an experience from some years ago: a single lady neighbour in the flat above mine had a live-in boyfriend (lady Moroccan boyfriend Sudanese). One early morning - sligh...
Hi Moneybag, thanks so much for the response. That must have been so stressful for your neighbour. I’m glad she was ok and nothing further happened to her or her boyfriend. Thanks again, I appreciate you taking the time to respond to me : )
3
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 March 2018 - 23:57
It sounds like he wants to employ you as a live-in nanny/home help if I'm honest, but putting it on the company visa allowance so he doesn't have to arrange a real maid/nanny visa and go through al...
Hi Haim, thanks so much again for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it. I read that you can’t employ a British person for Home help and that only certain nationalities can be employed.. Filipino etc. however as a single man there is still no option for live in because of the Sharia law. His plan was for be on a visa via his company as a PA, but this of course doesn’t address the validity of a live in situation. I don’t know about the PRO but thanks for raising that. I don’t know the set up of his company in Dubai unfortunately but there is no HR person as far as I know. He was offering £1k a week, which is within my expectations. Thank you for the link, that’s really helpful. I totally understand and appreciate your comments about the risk, even if he seems to think there isn’t one! Thank you so much : )
61
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 March 2018 - 12:35
I would say DON'T and here is an experience from some years ago: a single lady neighbour in the flat above mine had a live-in boyfriend (lady Moroccan boyfriend Sudanese). One early morning - slightly before 5am - she had some kind of seizure and an ambulance was called in. Came with two paramedics and two police officers - male and female, I noticed the ambulance when I arrived from work (I worked night shift at Dubai airport). It was a small block with just four flats and I could hear the activity was from flat above so I went to check on my neighbour. The lady had been stabilized, was on transquilizers and they felt that she would be fine and no need to take her to hospital. . Only the female policeman was allowed in the bedroom as the paramedics worked on her coz I found the boyfriend and male police officer on the corridor leading the the living room. I introduced myself as the neighbour. The male policeman snooped around the rest of house and when all was calm, he asked the lady's boyfriend if he lived there. He had the quick mind to say she called him when the seizures started. Luckily the love birds were sober that day. I promised to stay with her till she came around and would call if anything. I was allowed into the bedroom but before they left, the lady policewoman asked me if the lady lived alone and I said yes. She never allowed a soul into her flat after that incident.
420
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 March 2018 - 09:24
Hi Haim, thanks so much for taking the time to to reply, I really appreciate it. So although there is some PA work having spoken to the guy, the main duties are actually looking after his children...
It sounds like he wants to employ you as a live-in nanny/home help if I'm honest, but putting it on the company visa allowance so he doesn't have to arrange a real maid/nanny visa and go through all of the necessary legal steps. Yes a lot of people do a lot of the things here that you're not supposed to - some get away with it, some don't, it's entirely up to you to take the risk. Does he have a PRO? He must have if he owns several companies - speak to someone in the company that has PRO/HR training before you decide anything. What is your speciality? What are your salary expectations? If you wish to be a PA I'm sure there's so many other jobs available that aren't as risky.... On this site alone there's a few that are similar... https://www.expatwoman.com/dubai/jobs-in-dubai/vacancies/parent-liaison-customer-care-officer-275566 https://www.expatwoman.com/dubai/jobs-in-dubai/vacancies/administrative-assistant-271859 https://www.expatwoman.com/dubai/jobs-in-dubai/vacancies/receptionist-271664
3
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 21 March 2018 - 13:04
As you've rightly said, it is illegal for a single man to have a female maid... and from the tone of doubt in your post I think you already know the answer. You'll be employed by his company with a...
Hi Haim, thanks so much for taking the time to to reply, I really appreciate it. So although there is some PA work having spoken to the guy, the main duties are actually looking after his children, taking them to school, feeding them etc. I said that because of the laws I would live near by however he is adamant he wants live in. He is recently separated and apparently the kids wonder in the night, so he wants someone there on call. He also goes out a lot in the evening until late, because of his work in hospitality. I’ve said it’s a risk living in. His response is that ‘it really isn’t, everyone does it and there generally aren’t any problems and that he lived with his last partner for 5 years unmarried and there were no issues’. He also said that the visa has to be sorted when I arrive. I said I can’t work under a tourist visa and I said that my understanding was that part one, the initial employment card can be issued within a week or so from the UK and then part 2 the resident part, can be applied for when I’m there working. His response was, ‘lots of people work on tourist visas whilst there having their visas sorted... He’s an entrepreneur and is clearly happy to take risks. I’m not risk adverse and I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity, however I don’t want to take unnecessary risks. When I’ve raised the issues his response is as if I’m being too cautious and that these practices are just normal in Dubai.. am I being overly cautious and missing out as a consequence? Thanks so much for any comments.
420
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 21 March 2018 - 10:35
As you've rightly said, it is illegal for a single man to have a female maid... and from the tone of doubt in your post I think you already know the answer. You'll be employed by his company with a professional working visa, so keep your role and your relationship purely professional and there shouldn't be an issue i.e. don't stay over, always go home - it's not worth the risk
 
 

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