I have discovered I have two employment contracts, one in English and another in Arabic. When I asked a friend to read them he told me that they do not say the same thing. The English one talks about commission and bonuses, whereas the Arabic one only has a basic salary in there. I have read that a regular commission can be taken into consideration when calculating an end of service gratuity and as I plan to leave in a few months' time I want to make sure that is used so I receive the proper amount. Which version of the contract is the one the authorities believe and that my employer has to follow? KG, Sharjah
The Ministry of Labour relies solely on the Arabic version of the employment contract that has been lodged with them, and that is what they use in the case of disputes. The employee should try to ensure that all contracts are an exact match to protect themselves, particularly when part of their regular income comprises bonuses and commission.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser with Holborn Assets in Dubai with more than 20 years of experience. Contact her at keren@holbornassets.com. Follow her on Twitter at @FinancialUAE.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek appropriate independent legal advice.