Assistant confidentiality, NDA and access what to agree before the first login

Clauses to discuss with a UAE lawyer

A confidentiality clause in the employment contract, or a separate NDA signed with it, is normal for an assistant role in Dubai. What it says and how enforceable each point is depends on the contract and on current UAE rules, so take this list to a lawyer rather than copying a template from the internet.

• What counts as confidential: business information, finances, clients and partners, family and household details, health, travel, property, photos and anything marked private
• Who may receive it: nobody outside a written list, and inside the household and the company only the people the task needs
• How long it lasts: during employment and for a period after leaving; ask the lawyer what period is realistic and enforceable
• Devices and accounts: whether the assistant works on a company phone and laptop, what happens to data on personal devices, and that all access is returned at the end
• Social media and public comments: no posts, stories or comments about the employer, the family, the home or travel, including "anonymous" ones
• Conflicts of interest and side work: whether the assistant may work for others, and the duty to tell you about any relationship with your suppliers or partners
• Personal data of family members and staff: how it is stored and shared; ask the lawyer how UAE data protection rules apply to a private household and to your company
• Consequences of a breach: what the contract says, and the fact that a clause is a deterrent and a basis for action, not a technical control; the controls are in the next section

Access tiers: email, calendar, bank, documents, passwords

Decide access per system, not with one "trust" switch. Three tiers are enough for most owners. Start a new assistant at tier 1 and move systems up the ladder as described in our guide on what to delegate first.

Money: the one rule that prevents most problems

Most costly incidents with assistants are not theft. They are a transfer made in good faith on a fake instruction, a card used for a "small" item that grew, or a payee changed by email. One written rule covers all three.

• No transfer without a written approval from you for that exact amount and payee; a WhatsApp message counts if it is yours and the number is verified
• Any change of bank details from a supplier or a contractor is confirmed by a phone call to a number you already have, never to the number in the email
• A card for the assistant has a monthly limit, approved categories and receipts collected weekly; the statement is reviewed by you or the accountant
• Urgent requests "from you" to pay somebody are treated as suspicious by default; the assistant calls you back on a known number
• Household cash, if any, is a fixed float with a simple log; top up against receipts, not on request
• Review the rule with the assistant on day one and repeat it in month three, when routine makes people relax

What to log and review

Logging is not surveillance of the person. It is a record that protects both of you if something goes wrong and makes handover possible.

• Payments: date, payee, amount, purpose and who approved, in one sheet that you or the accountant see monthly
• Access: a list of every system the assistant can enter, at what tier, and the date it was granted; review it quarterly
• Documents handed over: originals, cards, keys and devices, signed in and out
• Decisions made within limits: a short weekly summary of what was booked, ordered and paid without asking you
• Contacts: suppliers, contractors, schools, doctors, with notes, in a shared file that stays with you if the assistant leaves
• Recurring tasks and how they are done: the handover document, written from month one, not in the last week

Offboarding checklist

People leave for normal reasons. If the access list above exists, offboarding takes an afternoon; if it does not, it takes weeks and some things are never found.

• Before the last day: a handover session on the recurring tasks, open items and the renewal tracker, written and signed off
• Access: delegate access removed, shared vault entries rotated, two-step verification codes and recovery options checked on your accounts, the work mailbox forwarded or archived
• Cards and money: the assistant's card cancelled, the cash float counted, the last statement reconciled
• Devices and documents: phone, laptop, keys, access cards and originals returned against the sign-in list; data on personal devices removed as agreed in the contract
• Contacts: suppliers, schools and contractors told who the new contact is, so instructions from the former assistant are not followed
• Paperwork: the exit steps for an employee in the UAE, visa cancellation and end-of-service, handled by the employer as the contract and current rules require; see our guides on the employment contract and on probation and notice
• A short exit conversation about confidentiality: a reminder of the clause and of what stays private after leaving

How we help

TLNT is a hiring consultancy. We help you define the assistant role with the access tiers written into the job description, find and assess candidates with a practical skills assessment that includes a confidentiality scenario (a supplier asks to change bank details, a journalist calls, a family member asks for a document), check references on discretion and prepare the offer. The contract and NDA wording is for your lawyer; we give you the list of points to raise. You make the hiring decision and agree the terms with the candidate yourself; the person is employed directly by your company, the employer sponsors the visa and we give you a step-by-step checklist.

Our fee is fixed for each role and agreed before the search starts. A 10% prepayment of the fee starts the search, the rest is due once the person has started work. If it does not work out, we find a replacement free of charge; the period is set in the contract. Consulting and CRM projects are priced after a free review.