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Did you have one of these clauses in your Expat Assignment Contract?

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1575

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 10:22

I am in HR. We don't put in clauses in our contracts that allow us to change policies and allowances at the drop of a hat, even if the law says we can. The way you are treated by a Company out here entirely depends on the integrity of your HR department and their ability to influence Management. Rotten HR, rotten policies, Good HR, Fair policies!

179

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 10:16

That's a bit harsh, QF2011, the original post said they were told to sign the lease while they were here on a reccy, didn't say they actually signed it but what you wrote was a bit rude. Anyone who comes here, at this time especially, takes a big risk. Contracts often are worth nothing no matter what's written in them.

374

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 09:43

What's the point of having a contract if this wording is put into it? It deems the contract and anything written in it as worthless and the UAE is not a country to be living and working in without a solid water tight contract. There is no protection for expats whose companies leave them high and dry and breach contract so to come having this is your contract is simply insane. You would have to be off your rocker to sign a contract with such wording in IMHO. It's bad enough that companies breach contracts that don't have such clauses in without actually signing one that does. I would suggest that your prospective new employers have re evaluated their situation here and their furture markets and decided they can't afford you at the orginal contract and really don't want you to come and if you do they will own you and not guarantee anything. This way the empahasis is on you to pull out not them, so the little **** in HR can go back to the boss and say you pulled out not having to admit he couldn't get you to come for peanuts. You signed a lease on a house? That has to be one of the most stupid moves you ever did, what were you thinking? Lucky for you it means sqwat as you don't live here so i would just tell them the lease is now invalid or refer them to your company to sort out. If you are to become an expat i suggest you savvy up a bit, no one signs a contract for a house worth thousands of AED prior to signing and agreeing terms of employment. Walk away or renegotiate your conract, if you take the one they have sent and sign you might as well book your place in Bur Dubai right now. <em>edited by QF2011 on 27/07/2011</em>

28

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 09:33

A contract here may as well be written in the sand. DH works for a large employer, who provided a comprehensive contract - this contract has been changed, without any discussion with the employees that it affects. A senior manager was heard saying 'sue us then' knowing that you have absolutely no rights and you basically have to take it or move on. DH and a lot of his colleagues would quite happily leave, but when you have uprooted a family and made some kind of life for yourself, throwing your toys takes a lot of consideration. Better you know this before you make the big move and you will not be surprised when (and I say 'when') this happens.

81

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 09:10

My DH has just changed jobs to a US company from a ME company (we are already in UAE) and we have just gone through the process of reviewing the new contract before signing and there definitely was no clause with wording such as you have described in either his old contract or his new contract. I would be very wary of such a term because it means that your benefits are not guaranteed and can be cut at any point leaving you high and dry. The job market out here is still flaky with companies still very much focused on cost cutting so just be very careful before you up and move from Aus.

223

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 08:55

This clause (written with different wording in each company) started to appear after the crisis. If you do not feel confortable with, do not sign and do not come here. Just keep in mind that this is common here in UAE.

1617

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 08:35

This is a wordier version of the clause in my contract which states "x company reserves the right to modify any of the above listed benefits at any time at its sole discretion. You will be advised of any changes as and when they occur". I appreciate you might have been messed around and don't even let me get started on how utterly incompetant HR departments here are otherwise we'll be here all day!!! The questions I'd be asking are: is this a big company and if this all goes wrong will I be able to move back home / move elsewhere? have they changed other peoples T&Cs unilaterally? did you work for the same company in Aus? To be honest, even in the UK if a company wants to change it's T&Cs (or simply get rid of someone) they can. Hope this works out for you...I've enjoyed your posts!!!

521

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 08:32

It does in effect make the whole theatre of signing a contract pointless. A contract is an agreement, the only agreement you would have is that they can do whatever the h*** they like.

44

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 08:24

Hi - the fact you are asking the question means you know the answer. Seriously that clause makes any thing offered in the document worthless. Move on life is too short.

255

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 08:23

I had something similar in my contract, I think it's pretty standard language. I just had them handwrite an amendment saying to the effect if I was (legitimately) unhappy with the changes, they would be obligated to bring me home with a comparable job at home. My company had no problem with that.

521

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 08:14

My DH has a similar thing, just worded differently. We came here on a transfer from DH's home office which was a great place to work, staff are lovely. At the time we didn't think much of the wording, just took it as standard legality as his company had always been good to work for and would never have done anything underhand, so we had no reason to be concerned. We have since found out though that here is just like a completely different world, the staff are horrible and use any and very underhanded means to try and con you out of your entitlement, even lie, anyone would think it was coming out of their own pocket. My advise would be if you can't trust them now that will not improve when you get here.

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