Switching jobs in UAE? Don't forget these 6 things

Changing jobs in UAE can be tricky with contracts involved. Tread carefully to avoid the ban.

Dubai has abundant opportunities for expats relocating to the city for better pastures. While working with a company, there might always be the temptation to take up a better-paying job. But you need to be careful before switching jobs as it may invite a ban. 

Understand the technicalities of entering into a limited or unlimited contract with your employer before signing one. Also, pick your job carefully after extensive research as switching jobs might not be as easy.

We address the top 6 concerns to be considered before switching jobs in the emirates:

Get an NOC from your employer

After the completion of a limited contract of two years, both the employer and the employee have to agree on termination and non-renewal of the contract. After both the parties have agreed, you can secure a no-objection certificate from your current employer and submit it to your prospective employer. Also, remember that in case of conflict with your current employer, your future employer may not be able to help you in the removal of your ban, if imposed.

No ban if you finish 2 years of employment

If you signed a limited contract of two years and have terminated your employment after the completion of the decided period of continuous service, you will not face an employment ban. Further, you may note that you shall be entitled to receive your leave salary for the number of days of paid leave that were not availed by you.

More details - Planning to switch jobs? Know how to avoid ban

Terminating the contract within two years

If both the employer and employee mutually agree to terminate the contract within the completion of two years, an NOC can be issued by the employer. Considering a situation where your employer imposes a ban for termination of contract, the employee shall be liable to compensate the employer for up to half the employee's remuneration for three months. In case, the employer has breached the contract, he shall be liable to compensate the employee for three months of remuneration.  

More details -Renewed contract? Complete a year before changing jobs

Quitting within the contract period

If you quit before the completion of your contract period of two years, you will be liable to compensate your employer with an amount not exceeding your 45 days' remuneration.If the employer proceeds with an action against you, an employment ban may be imposed. It can be avoided if the employer and the employee have mutually agreed to the termination of the contract.

Importantly, it should also be noted that an employee terminating his employment before the completion of two years may not be imposed an employment ban if he has been offered a salary in accordance with his professional qualifications by the prospective employer. In this regard, it should be noted that certain professionals (ex. engineers) are exempted from an imposition of a labour ban to change employment from one employer to the other.

More details - No ban if you finish 2 years of employment

Working on an unlimited contract

In cases where the employee is working with a company on an unlimited contract, a one month notice period is enough before switching your job. The employer can also terminate the services of its employee with a 30-day notice period. If either of the parties cannot complete the notice period, then the one responsible for reducing the notice period must compensate the other party.

More details -One-month notice is all it takes to quit the job

Taking the new job while fighting the ex-employer

If the employee is embroiled in a legal battle with his ex-employer, he can take up a new offer from a different employer. You may apply for a temporary work permit, which will allow you to work with your prospective employer for a period of six months pending the litigation.

More details - You can accept job as you fight case against ex-boss

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/switching-jobs-in-uae-dont-forget-these-6-things

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Top 10 common mistakes job seekers do

Job seekers come to Dubai due to luxuries life and good growth in career. Majority of the people are unable to find jobs in Dubai due to lack of preparation.. and they have some common mistakes.

Any job seeker in Dubai who can avoid these mistakes can increase the chances of getting his/her dream job in Dubai.

1.) Wrong Choice of Month while on Visit

Most common mistake that almost most of the job seekers do is coming to Dubai in wrong month. Dubai is an Islamic country and weather is too hot. These two factors along with other factors have made job market to be seasonal job market. I will advise never to visit Dubai in month of Ramadan or near Ramadan days or Eid days. The Best Month for applying jobs is January (Year Start), December (Year End), June, July (Mid of the year). Most of the companies do hiring in these months.

2.) Unprepared and Unfocused CV/Resume

The most common mistakes that everyone does is having an unprepared or poor CV format. Many job seekers come without unprepared CV. They use such CV format that forced the employer to move for next candidate. CV should be focused. For example, If you are an accountant then whole CV should move around accounting thing. If you have a CV which can impress employers in 3 seconds then believe me you got your job. HR person are getting tons of CV on daily basis and only way to get selected is through your CV as they say first impression is last impression.

3.) Wrong Job Search Strategy

Are you a job seeker? What is your Job Search Strategy? Answer is I did not make any job search strategy. This is the mistake that almost everyone has committed. Job seekers are unaware of art of job search. They fail to get job in Dubai due to poor job search strategy. Take a paper make a complete Job search strategy during your stay. Break down it to days. A good strategy can lead to dream job. Job Search strategies in Dubai can give you better insight of correct job search strategy.

4.) Apply Online only

Job seekers depend upon only one source for applying jobs. It’s most observed Job seeker mistake. Normal Job seeker wake up in the morning go to selected 4-5 websites and apply on daily vacancies and wait for interview calls. Many recruiters do not post jobs on these websites. to get job in Dubai you should use references, social media like LinkedIn , attend walk in interview , apply on career pages etc. the best way to get jobs in Dubai is to find out companies who is your target company call them or visit them personally and drop your CV in the hands of HR person.

5.) Apply with one CV

Applying for all job vacancies with one CV is most observed and worst mistake that almost every job seeker has done. Job seekers think they have made a cv that can work with all jobs position. Job seeker should customize CV according to job requirement if there is job which demands specific skills highlight that skills. Highlighting such skill will lead to enhanced chances of getting job. Customization is necessary before applying for any job in Dubai.

6.) In active or wrong use of social Media for jobs

Job hunters are not aware of power of social media. Social media is most powerful tool for job now a day. Job hunters take fresh candidates from social media also. LinkedIn is one of them. LinkedIn is used by many top level companies recruiter. Quick advice is to create LinkedIn profile complete it and fill each and every detail. Become active on LinkedIn and Facebook Career related and professional discussion groups participate in discussion. Believe me you will be amazed to see the outcomes of power of LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media group.

7.) Lack of Networking

Networking is the thing that many of job seekers don’t use. HR person of many companies don’t advertise jobs in newspaper or online website. They pick candidates from reference. Reference can increase the chances of jobs. Job seekers don’t use networking. Leverage your network to enhance jobs chances. Referencing or networking can land you quickly on the table of interviewer. Try to increase references and expand your network.

8.) Lack of interview Skills

Job hunters don’t know how to give interview. They don’t prepare interview question. If they got any call from any company they just go for interview and lose job due to bad interviewing skills. Interviewing skills are very necessary to get jobs in Dubai. If you prepare your answer of interview before interview then you are selected for job.

9.) Apply for wrong position

I have observed that almost every job seeker in Dubai apply with one CV and on all position. This is total wrong job search strategy. To get job in Dubai you need to save time and money. Search for exact match job position and apply with confidence only for that position. Follow up the job and your chances of selection will be increase.

10.) Become Victims of Agents

I have seen many of job seekers that once they fail or see that they are not getting jobs in Dubai then they go for agents. Agents charge money with promise of giving jobs to job hunters but most of them are scam. Job seekers become victim of fake jobs giving agents. Never pay money to any job search agent before getting job in Dubai.

Source : GulfNews

Tips for Job Seekers who look for jobs in UAE

Even though the tourist visas are a good way to enter the country in order to perform your job search, it’s critical that you either get a work visa, provided you find employment, or leave the country when your visa expires. If you’re caught working on a tourist visa you can be jailed or fined and deported.

The good news is, once you find a job, the visa process is largely out of our hands. Outside of having to provide your employer with some documents, like your passport number, they’ll take care of the entire sponsorship and visa process for you.

1. Know your job market
While the emirate’s overall financial health becoming stable, not all job markets are ready to bounce back. That being said, there are some areas that are expecting to blossom in preparation for Dubai’s hosting duties at expo 2020. Some markets where job-seekers might find success include:

Legal
Finance
Marketing
Procurement
IT
Hospitality
Telecomm
Tourism

Many of the above sectors are performing so well that salaries are expected to continue to rise. LinkedIn’s MENA Recruiting Trends 2017 report goes into further detail, noting that job-seekers looking to take on the following roles within those sectors have the best chances of finding employment in Dubai :

Operations
Sales
Engineering
Business Development
Marketing

2. Check out the big companies
There are some companies that are well known in Dubai for their rigorous hiring and excellent standing as places to work.

3. Apply online
To get a better idea of what companies are hiring in Dubai, bayt.com, a favorite among Dubai job-seekers, is a good place to start.

Some other good sites for finding jobs and internships include:

Dubai Task
GulfNews Careers
Khaleej Times Jobs
Dubizzle
Naukrigulf
Indeed
Laimoon
LinkedIn
Gulftalent
Efinancial Careers

4. Consider a recruiter
Many Dubai businesses hire through headhunters. Working with an agency is very common, and is still the best way to procure a job within the emirate. Some of the best reviewed agencies include:

Jivaro Partners (marketing & communications jobs)
ESP International (conferences, events, hospitality)
MCG & Associates (PR, publishing, marketing & communications jobs)
Robbert Murray (development, construction, engineering & public sector jobs)
BAC Middle East (engineering, marketing & management jobs)

If decide to work through an agency, look for companies that take commission on the employer’s end, not yours. Be wary of recruiters that collect high fees from job-seekers: these tend to be scams.

5. Work on your CV
The single most important tool in your job search will be your CV.

Dubai’s job market is extremely competitive, and on average a recruiter will only spend six seconds checking out your resume. It’s important to avoid major CV pitfalls, like using buzzwords. “I’d rather see applicants present themselves in a more unique way, supported with facts such as targets realised, projects worked on, among others,” said Annalinde Nickisch of The Thought Factory in a recent interview with The Gulf News. Monster offers a great resource for CV tips and advice for those looking for a little more help.

6. Network
Dubai is known for hiring internally and among employee-referenced candidates. If you know someone inside the company, you’re up to 6.6% more likely to land the job. If you can’t get to Dubai for networking events, you can still network. Not only are there plenty of online communities and social media networks, you can also find specific “online job fairs” to help with the “who-you-know.”

7. Other Tips for Job Seekers
Craft your online persona. If a recruiter Googles you and only finds your old MySpace pictures, you’re unlikely to find a job. Not only should your social media networks be professionally tailored or made private, but you should also boost your SEO by creating an online resume, filling out job seeker profiles on websites like LinkedIn and Bayt, and publishing and sharing material relevant to the industry in which you’re seeking a job. The more experienced you seem in a google search, the more likely you are to stand out from the pack.

Don’t apply for jobs you’re not qualified for. Just because you’re excited about a company doesn’t mean you should apply to jobs that aren’t a good fit for your skills. Not only do these applications not typically result in a “way in,” hiring managers tend to see scattered applications as a sign of a candidate who doesn’t know what they want and lacks direction.

Be patient. It takes time to find a job anywhere in the world, but Dubai’s job market is particularly competitive. On top of the talent saturation, hiring in Dubai tends to be seasonal, meaning most recruitment takes place from January to March and almost completely stalls during the holy month of Ramadan and the hottest months of the summer. It’s not uncommon for your job search to take six months to a year-- so hang in there!

Source - GulfNews

Good luck!

How to get residence visa for your wife, children in UAE

Your monthly salary should be Dh4,000, or Dh3,000 plus accommodation, in order for you to be eligible to sponsor your wife and children.

A sizeable chunk of the working population in the UAE lives away from their family. Most of them come to the country leaving behind their parents, and some even have to leave their wives and children behind.

Sponsoring the immediate family to the UAE is a relatively inexpensive affair.

Your monthly salary should be Dh4,000, or Dh3,000 plus accommodation, in order for you to be eligible to sponsor your wife and children. If you are sponsoring your parents, your salary should be Dh20,000.

If they are outside the UAE, you should first apply for an entry residence visa, and once they arrive, you have 30 days to apply for the residence stamp.

Documents required include the typed application form, salary certificate, labour card, labour contract, attested marriage certificate, attested birth certificate of children, bank statement of three months, attested tenancy contract and Emirates ID.

The marriage certificate -- in case the marriage has taken place in your home country -- should be attested there by the relevant ministry, and finally stamped by the UAE embassy/consulate in that country. Then, it needs to be cross-attested by the relevant ministry in the UAE.

An important point to note is that for the family member's residence visa to remain valid, he/she should not be out of UAE for more than six months at a stretch.

source : http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/dubai/how-to-get-residence-visa-for-your-wife-children-in-uae-

UAE Labour Law Section 7 - Working hours

VII. WORKING HOURS

1. What are the prescribed working hours?
The maximum prescribed working hours for an adult employee is eight hours daily or forty-eight hours per week. However, the working hours may be increased to nine hours per day in the case of persons employed in trades, hotels, cafeterias, guards.

2. Would travelling to and from work be included in working hours?
No, the time travelling to and from work is not included in working hours.

3. Are breaks included during working hours?
The employee may not work for more than 5 consecutive hours per day without breaks for rest, food and prayer. However, the resting and the food will not be included in calculating the working hours. In the case of factories where people work day and night, shifts or jobs where for technical and economical reasons, continuance attendance is required, the ministers shall specify the manner in which the employee may take intervals for rest, prayer and meals.

4. In what situations does overtime exist, and on what basis is it calculated?
If the nature of the job requires overtime, the employee shall be paid overtime and the payment shall be equivalent to the wage paid for the ordinary working hours plus an increase of not less than 25% of his wage for the overtime period. However, if the employee's overtime fall between the hours 9.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. the employee will be entitled to an overtime equivalent to the normal working hours plus an increase of not less than 50% of his wage for the overtime period.

If circumstance of work require the employee to work at the place of work on Friday, he shall be given another day for rest during the week as a substitution or be paid a basic wage plus a minimum of 50% of that wage. However, the employee shall not be asked to work two consecutive Fridays unless his wages are calculated on a daily basis.

In any circumstances, overtime shall not exceed two hours in a day except where work is necessary to prevent big losses, a serious accident or to remove traces of such an accident, or reduce its effects.
The above provisions however, will not be applicable to the following persons.

Persons in a senior position, or in an administrative supervisory role, if such persons have similar authority over employees, as the authority of the employer.

Crews of naval ships and marine employees who enjoy special privileges because of the nature of their work. This does not include port employees engaged in loading and unloading and other related work.

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Courtesy : LinkedIn