Questions & Answers
Employee's obligation to pay employment related costs
My ex-employer asked me to pay back my visa, medical, agency hiring costs, apartment (it was apart of the package) and vehicle cost (also apart of the package).
Now, they are pestering me to pay back the apartment costs with PDC’s, but my visa has been cancelled and I'm now in the process of getting a new visa with a new employer.
Do I have to pay anything back?
(Further information: I was on a limited contract which I worked the 30 days' notice period and terminated my contract early, and the apartment isn’t owned by my ex-employer, so he is sub-letting to me)

Dear Sir/ Madam,
Thank you for getting in touch with me on this.
Please note that you are not liable to pay any visa or medical related costs to the employer. Further, agency costs are not recoverable from you as the employer has a direct contract with the agency.
Under any circumstance, the agency has to demand costs if any, and the employer cannot 30-day on behalf of the agency.
As for the apartment, if it is mentioned in your labour contract that employer is providing housing then you don't have to pay for the apartment. Do not issue any PDC's as there can be a misuse of it.
As rightly mentioned by you, since the employer does not own the apartment, there is no legal ground for him to make such demands.
I suggest you get yourself a work visa from the new employer and do not pay any attention to the demands of your ex-employer.
If the issue persists, then you can file for harassment against them.
You can get in touch with me on 052-945731 or email on hari@alnassaradvocates.com for further discussion.
Regards,
Hari Wadhwana