Sharing Is Scaring
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Retired expats still want to work, but6 can’t Max 43º Min 30º FREE www.kuwaittimes.net NO: 15832- Friday, June 7, 2013 Sharing is scaring See Page 2 Local FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 2013 By Ben Garcia and Nawara Fattahova Many buildings are rented only to families but the Suhail from Bangladesh is also a tenant living in a managers often close their eyes to the law and accept three-bedroom apartment in Farwaniya. He has four chil- simple knock on the door of her two-bedroom bachelors anyway. However, the recent security checks dren. One room is occupied by his children and the other apartment at night throws Malee - a girl from and intermittent raids on flats has raised an alarm for room is for the couple. One room was vacant, so he “Athe Philippines - in a state of fear. She starts to many families who share their flats with bachelors. Alvin gasp and her heart beats faster until she sees who the from India shares his flat with a compatriot to save some nocturnal visitor is. Malee thinks it is the police wanting to money. He rented the flat for KD 310. His friend rented raid the apartment which she shares with a male col- one vacant room for KD 120. Alvin draws KD 400 as salary league and a friend. Sharing accommodation with people from his job as an executive chef. He has two children of different genders is forbidden. with his Filipina wife. To save some money, a close Kuwaiti Malee has a reason to worry. Col Adel Al-Hashash, PR friend sponsored his mother for a working visa, enabling and Moral Guidance Director of the Ministry of Interior, them to save some amount for a housemaid, and this warned about mixed accommodations, saying it was enabled his wife to work and help him tend to the family’s against Kuwait’s public morals. “Strangers from opposite needs. The combined family income now is KD 650. genders should not be living under one roof as this may “The problem is that even if you try to be frugal, it is expose them to legal vulnerabilities. It is not acceptable difficult to live on the remaining KD 460. I need food, I behaviour in our community, and those who live this way need to pay tuition fees for my children. I have to pay a may face sanctions,” he told the Kuwait Times. monthly amortization for my house in Kerala. So by the Hashash also noted that raids on apartments would end of the month, I have no savings left at all. What is continue on a daily basis. “The raids covered all the areas worse is that I cannot have anyone else in my flat,” he said. thought of sharing the apartment with a compatriot. He and were aimed at checking any illegal activity. The police Teresa, a Filipina, got a flat in Salmiya for KD 300. She has a small cellphone business. “The amount I saved by have the right to enter an apartment but they should have works in a salon and has been drawing a KD 250 salary. sharing the flat was divided among my family and my a search warrant for the purpose. In case a resident refuses She is thankful that at times, she earns more than KD 100 wife’s family back in Sylhet. They needed our support, so to open the door to the police, then they could be in trou- extra as tip from her customers. Her husband, a Filipino sharing a flat meant that some families could survive,” ble. The police is doing their job according to the law, so who works as a taxi driver, is able to bring home KD 250- Suhail stressed. people should not be afraid,” he added. “In case of any 300 but this is an erratic source of income, and sometimes Since the government doesn’t allow sharing accommo- abuse of authority by the police forces, the people can is less than KD 200. They have two children. “If I dation, the KD 250 salary cap for a family is already a big always complain. And of course it’s always better to have pay the whole amount for my flat, what is question. But let’s say that some family’s combined a lawyer. Also, each case is different, and it depends on left for the family? So, the only way to income is KD 500 since the wife could also help. the person mostly. Police’s treatment could be different survive in Kuwait is to accept boarders. Here is the simple math. Consider that a fami- with those who have a record of criminal behavior,” con- So I am sharing my flat with two fami- ly pays KD 300 per month for a flat, then it cluded Hashash. lies. My share comes to KD 100 and the would leave KD 200 as the remaining To sponsor a family in Kuwait, the salary cap imposed rest is paid by the two families. Yes, amount. What if the family also has two by the government is KD 250. However, no accommoda- it gets crowded but this is the children? Food expenses for them tion is available any longer for the said KD 250 amount. way to survive in Kuwait,” said would be KD 150, leaving only a That is why many individ- Teresa. measly KD 50. In such a case, one uals opt for shared accom- better forget about sending them modation, which is illegal to school since the school here yet widespread. Most also charge a gargantuan amount buildings only accept cou- for providing education. ples with marriage certifi- cates, but in order to help them cope with the sky- high rent, they propose a solution by subletting their space. Local FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 2013 Kuwait’s my business Conspiracy Theories The language of personality No Turkish delight By John P Hayes [email protected] By Badrya Darwish eople get hired all the time because of who they not for the same reasons. Employees often think employ- know, what they know, or what they can do, and ers don’t care about them, or they purposely make jobs Pfor those reasons companies are plagued with per- unsatisfying, or they’re just in it to make a profit. sonnel problems. “What’s wrong with him?” asked a However, my experiences have shown me that employ- [email protected] Filipina who had just told me about her non-performing ers want to do the right things, but they often don’t employee. She had such high hopes for him because he know how, beginning with not knowing how to speak looked good, he was pleasant, and had a college degree. the employee’s language. And I’m not talking about “I’ve taught him everything I know about selling,” she speaking English, Japanese, French or Arabic. I’m talking here are you going this summer? insisted, “and I’ve shown him everything I do to succeed, about speaking the language of the employee’s person- Schools are nearly over and the ones and yet he can’t sell. I told him he’s going to lose his job ality. that did not close yet will soon end the and now I don’t care. What’s wrong with him?” “He can’t Would anyone argue that all people are different? W hear you,” I told her, to which she snapped, “There’s Even people with the same friends, the same education, school year. Heat has started rising and so have nothing wrong with his hearing!” But she couldn’t hear and the same skills are different. So when an employer the dust storms. Meteorologist Issa Ramadan has me, either. I wasn’t talking her language any more than makes a hiring decision based on who someone knows, predicted until mid-July the Al-Bawareh - what in she was talking her employee’s language. And that’s what they know, or what they’re capable of doing, the the local term means dust storms that take place what was wrong. The job and the employee were mis- mismatch often occurs because they overlooked the every year in this time. Naturally, we will have an matched, and there was nothing she could do about it employee’s personality. In spite of everything that’s now except fire the employee. “Do your employee a good about the employee, the lack of knowing how to exodus from Kuwait. huge favor,” I told her. “Let him go. You’ll be doing your- speak to the employee results in a bad situation. The This time I am seriously thinking where will self a favor, too.” Filipina who asked what was wrong with her employee people head, since for the last three years we Employers often think they can fix a mismatch but might have asked what was wrong with her that she have been hit by Arab Spring (actually it is now they can’t. They’ll waste countless resources, especially couldn’t motivate her employee to sell and succeed. Or the Autumn Spring). Nevertheless, it is hot, dusty time and money, trying to make a bad situation better, she could have simply faced the fact that she had select- but until they speak the employee’s language they won’t ed the wrong person for the job. After I told her what to and there are no schools. Most people have holi- get the desired outcome. And it’s a monumental task do, to fire the employee, I also advised her never to hire days and they have few places to think where to because most employees seem to be mismatched.