"Can I work with my wife's residence visa in Abu Dhabi?

My wife was offered a position in Abu Dhabi and was told that I could be dependent on her work visa. However, her employer says that I will not be able to work with her visa and that only a woman can work with a husband visa. Is it correct? If I do not take a job, can I live normally in the UAE or are there any restrictions? ID, Abu Dhabi

This is indeed correct. Although the wife sponsored by her husband is allowed to work if she has a "no objection letter" from her and the employer provides a work permit, this is not allowed in the opposite way. All employed men must have a visa provided by their employer, who then acts as their sponsor. If the husband does not work, he may reside in the UAE in the same manner as any other sponsored dependent. The only restriction is that it can only be used with his own visa.

I am a teacher in Dubai and my school schedule allows me to teach each period of time, three days a week, without interruption. Is it legal? Students arrive at lunch time to work on projects, so there is literally no time for a break of more than eight hours in a row during the working day. ES, Dubai

ES works for a private school. It is therefore subject to the directives of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE) and the labor legislation of the United Arab Emirates.

United Arab Emirates labor legislation specifies the number of hours of work a person. Clause 65 of the bill says, "The maximum number of usual hours of work for adult workers is eight hours a day or 48 hours a week. continues: "The daily hours of work shall be adjusted so that the worker does not work more than five consecutive hours without rest, meal and prayer intervals, the total duration of which shall not be less than one hour. These intervals should not be included in working hours. "

Although a career often requires long hours, it is not correct for anyone to work more than five hours without a break, especially when he is responsible for children. ES should raise this issue with school management. If they do not take steps to improve the situation, he can choose to follow up with MoHRE and file a formal complaint.

I left my company. The work came with housing but they sent me back and I had to go to court, causing me to spend a lot of money. May I ask the judge to charge the company for any costs up to the cancellation of my work visa and my departure? LC, Dubai

There are two problems here. If a company provides accommodation to an employee, UAE labor law determines how long the employee can stay in accommodation. According to United Arab Emirates labor law, the employee must leave the office no later than 30 days after the cancellation of his visa, as specified in Article 131: "If the employer provides housing to the worker, the must leave the accommodation within 30 days of the date of termination of employment. "Although the employee may choose to leave at any time during this period, the employer is not allowed to require anyone to leave before the end of this period of time. 30 days In this case, the visa will remain valid during the legal proceedings and has not yet been canceled, so that the accommodation must always be available for the use of LC.

In the case where an employee sues an employer in court, the employer must pay the costs of the labor tribunal, regardless of the outcome of any claim, as the plaintiff employees are exempted from paying the fee by law. As to whether additional costs incurred by the individual can be claimed, this decision is up to the judge in each case. LC may apply for reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with the action against its former employer, but there can be no badurance that such expenses will be approved by the judge.

Keren Bobker is an independent financial advisor and senior partner at Holborn Assets in Dubai, with more than 25 years of experience. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @FinancialUAE

The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided solely for information purposes.