Dental Assistant in UAE - no contract signed!

gabrield, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2010

Hi, I am a Male Registered nurse in my home country and go here to UAE on tourist visa, I tried to find a work here and finally got one. In a Dental center. Due to difficulties in finding a work here because of my profession and my gender, I grab this one opportunity. I undergo 7 days training of some exposures to dental setup and most of distributing brochures. Because it is a small clinic with 4 rooms, I will be working as a dental assistant, receptionist and cleaner in the clinic. I go out of clinic to distribute brochures of our if we have less patients.

I payed for AED 3,500 fee for the half of my employment visa to be process. AED 1,500 of that is salary deduction on monthly basis. All the offers of the company is only on a verbal basis, no formal contract letter was given to me until now that I have the employment visa and working on the clinic. My salary is, which I and others think, below minimum AED 1,300 now that I don't have the license as dental assistant here, but after having the license it will increase upto AED 1,700 for 9 hours of work including all allowances (house rent, electricity,water,gas,transportation and food), still below the minimum wage. Salary will increase upto AED 2,000 basic for 9 hours after a year (the employer just said).

I am now in 2 months of working in this company, but just got the employment visa and do exit last September 2. My licensure for dental assistant is on process now.

Now I am not that happy the way I work because it is too much work and the attitude of the employer is also not good. But still thankful compared to others working here.

The employer said that employment contract is 2 years (renewable), residence visa is 3 years, 1 month leave, free salary and airfare after 2 years with completion and all the payments that was stated above.

The problem are

-We don't have any contract signing because all was done on verbal basis only, does it mean that I can leave the company at any time?

-What will be the advantages and disadvantages of this?

-How can I avoid labour ban if I want to quit this job? is it through working on Government or Free Zones?

Any suggestions, opinions and facts informations are very well appreciated, and I am happy to share it with others. Thank you so much and Godbless us all!