‘Can I take paid sick leave during my notice period?’

Under UAE labour law, employees are entitled to sick leave not exceeding 90 consecutive or non-consecutive days for every year of service. Getty Images

Question: I resigned from my current job because I received a new offer. The company accepted my notice.

I am working my notice period of 30 days. I fell ill and was admitted to hospital. I informed my employer and the HR department and sent them a copy of my admission and discharge summary from the hospital.

There was also a letter confirming that I needed two weeks of sick leave as a result of my illness.

I have not taken much time off work due to illness over the past year. Can I be paid for my time off sick during the notice period? VA, Dubai

Answer: If someone is off work due to ill health during their notice period, this is still classed as being in employment and the notice period will be unchanged. The visa must not be cancelled until the end of the notice period.

The employee who is not at work due to ill health during a notice period should still be paid as usual and the employer can insist on the provision of a suitable medical certificate. In this case, that has been provided.

Salary is payable in accordance with Article 31 of the UAE labour law, which confirms: “... the worker may be entitled to a sick leave of not more than 90 continuous or intermittent days per year, provided that it is calculated as follows: a. the first 15 days with full pay; b. following 30 days with half pay; c. the following period unpaid.”

Assuming this period of sick leave, plus all other days of sick leave in the company year do not exceed 15 days, VA will be paid in full according to UAE law.

Q: I am planning a trip to Saudi Arabia next month to visit friends. It has been a long time since I travelled to the country.

It used to be complicated to get a visa, although I have read that the process is easier now. But I am a bit confused about the process because I have read different things.

I am French and have a residency visa for Abu Dhabi. Please advise. GD, Abu Dhabi

A: GD is correct in that there have been changes to the procedure to apply for a visit visa to Saudi Arabia and the process has become much easier for many people.

The Saudi government has introduced an eVisa to simplify the process. Anyone who has either a residency visa or a passport from most of Europe, the US and Canada, Japan, Singapore, China, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, plus a number of other countries, 57 in total, can use this new system.

The cost of the visa is 535 Saudi Riyals ($143) and the application is made via the Visit Saudi website.

This is a multiple-entry visa, valid for one year, for visits of up to 90 days at a time.

Anyone who is not eligible for this eVisa, or the equivalent visa on arrival, must make an application before travelling.

Q: Is it compulsory for children to have a car seat in the UAE? I see cars on the roads where children are standing up in the back seats, not strapped in, and it terrifies me.

Assuming there is a law about car seats, is there any way I can report people who don’t keep their children safe? CB, Dubai

A: There are laws regarding passenger safety in vehicles and these are set out in Ministerial Resolution No. 178 of 2017 regarding traffic control rules.

This legislation states that all passengers are required to wear a seatbelt. That applies to front and back seats of vehicles, and to passengers of any age.

In addition, it states that children up to the age of four years must be provided with a child seat.

Anyone who breaks these laws can be fined Dh400 ($108.90) and receive four black points on their licence.

Furthermore, the law says that all front-seat passengers must be at least 145 centimetres tall and not younger than 10 years of age.

Disregarding the law is not only illegal, it also puts children and other passengers at risk.

You can report offenders via the police apps in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the police website, or in person at a police station.

Dubai also has the Al Hares app, run by the Roads and Transport Authority, which is set up to allow anonymous reporting of road-related complaints.

Note that photographs can be taken by someone who is not driving, provided they are given only to the police and not shared anywhere else.

Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser and senior partner with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with more than 30 years’ experience. Contact her at [e-mail]. Follow her on Twitter at @FinancialUAE

The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only