UAE Know the Law: Can my boss change my job description?

Our legal expert Yousef Al Bahar answers questions about whether companies can change terms of contracts.

q I’ve worked for a government organisation for about eight years, and when I started the workload was smaller and we didn’t need to travel to as many as seven different locations, as we do now. I’ve received no salary increase since I started. The staff were promised new contracts this year and keep being told “it’s coming”, but they have not materialised. However, the organisation has given us new job titles and new job requirements without new contracts. Is this legal? Also, my contract stipulates a specific amount for school fees but the organisation has changed the amount verbally. Is this allowed?

a The organisation should pay you your salary and benefits as stipulated in your employment contract. So if your employer pays you more than what is agreed through means of a salary increase, this is OK, but if they pay you less then you have the right to object as it is illegal. As for the change of job title, I would need more details to answer the question properly so please get in touch with Al Bahar & Associates with the new and old job titles, as well as the duties you carry out so I can better answer this.

I resigned from my job because of a medical condition but my company said they would deduct the cost of my visa and sick leave I’d taken, leaving me with 13 per cent of my salary. I refused to sign the paper agreeing to this and I didn’t agree to repaying the visa cost. The company kept my passport until they were sure I would leave the country, meeting me at airport just before check-in. Could I complain about this from abroad and is there anything that could be done to get my salary paid to me in full?

Legally speaking, yes, you have the right to claim your dues. In fact, you should have approached a labour office before leaving the country to lodge your claim. But you can now lodge your claim on the Ministry of Labour’s website and then appoint someone to state your case before the labour office and, when it comes to court, appoint a legal representative to act on your behalf.

Yousef Al Bahar is an advocate at Al Bahar and Associates Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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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.