Sponsorship or Monstership?

I will preface this blog with the acknowledgement that many ex-pats in the Middle East are happy to be there and feel fulfilled and valued by their various employers.  Many companies - both domestic and foreign - treat their employees well, adhere to contracts and are reasonable in their demands. 

.....However!
Heaven help you if you get caught up in the web of deceit and lies of a company who is more concerned with impressing foreign owners,  bottom lines and personal accrual of wealth, who consistently turn a blind eye to safety, ethics and integrity.  Back in their home countries - whether it be Germany, Australia, etc -they would never be able to get away with the slimy business practice they consistently mete out while they are far from the watchful eyes of shareholders, government regulators, human rights laws, and college/association ethics committees.

From personal experience, I can tell you that it is numbingly frightening not to get paid on time, or to have rent monies withheld until they deign to pay you, whilst living in a foreign country.  Waving written and signed contracts under their noses are not of any concern to them. Statements and details in black and white triplicate, stamped with company logos and sealed in wax make not the slightest whit of difference.  
Try going to a lawyer! Finding one who speaks English is nearly impossible and when you do they shrug their shoulders and state that you are living in an area operating under sharia law.  Very difficult to prove your case, and even more rare to having findings in your favour - never mind the months and possibly years it will take to wend it's laborious way through the system.   So the attitude that prevails amongst these corrupt and dishonest companies is "Catch me if you can" and "Let's see who has deeper pockets".

In the last few months of our stay in Qatar we dealt with the following:

• A contract that stated the recipient would be paid in US dollars, which was changed to Euros (when the Euro sank) and then to local currency in the end.
• A contract that stated that there was long-term disability and medical insurance (it turned out that it only worked if you were from the home country and previously employed by them in the home country) - and for awhile we lived there without coverage until we could arrange our own.  
• All other employees wives, as long as they were from the home country, were included in the medical insurance - but not us - we had to pay an extra 400 Euros each month for the privilege. 
• Insistence that we put the rental agreement and lease of house arrangements in our name- that way the company is off the hook if you leave prior to the end of your contract. (Home country ex-pats were excluded from this arrangement).  
• Rent was paid late and we were even asked to fund it.
• Salary was paid late two months in a row, with no explanations and no communication as to when it would be paid
• Vacation was denied even though it had been written into the contract 
• Obligatory purchase of a cell phone for company use
• Working hours were from 7.30am to 6pm, for six days per week, and you were expected to work overtime on a regular basis.  Taking time off for medical/dental appointments was frowned upon.

The final straw? Being told to hand over passports to the company so that they could change it to a single entry exit visa.  This woul mean, in effect, that the company would have absolute control over whether you leave the country or not.  Single exit visas require a company letter documenting their approval that you leave the country. Without that letter you are unable to leave!!!!  

And so began a stealthy retreat to extricate ourselves from their clutches.