Who is being unreasonable?

Alanna!

Hi. I was asked by my employer to go to America for 6 months with no trips home or additional pay. I said I didn't want to go but that I was prepared to go for maybe half that time and now I'm being told that unless I go I'll never get a promotion. I know there are tons of people unemployed and that I'm very lucky to have a job but I just think my employer is being a little unreasonable. Just wondering what people think.....

Vanbis

Alanna! wrote: »

Hi. I was asked by my employer to go to America for 6 months with no trips home or additional pay. I said I didn't want to go but that I was prepared to go for maybe half that time and now I'm being told that unless I go I'll never get a promotion. I know there are tons of people unemployed and that I'm very lucky to have a job but I just think my employer is being a little unreasonable. Just wondering what people think.....

If your single and on your own with no family i would jump at the chance. Yes you would miss your family and friends but 6 months would be pass very quick. It could open up further opportunities in amercia for you?

ronkmonster

Will they be covering accommodation and flights?

Eoin

You're not being told you'll get in trouble, just that you won't get a promotion. And promotions often come at the expense of having to go above and beyond.

I wouldn't expect extra pay (although you should look into the tax situation - if you go for long enough, you might be able to get a rebate on your income tax), but I probably would push for one trip home and want to know exactly how the expenses will work.

helimachoptor

Op, unless you have kids i'd take their offer. Its a great experience working abroad.

síofra

Seize the opportunity! A trip to America or a potential promotion in the future doesn't happen every day. It's only for six months and even if you miss home, you know you'll be coming back and that will give you consolation. Maybe explain to your employer why you are reluctant to go and maybe you'll reach a compromise. Best of Luck:)

Beruthiel

Also, make sure you have good medical insurance.

Eoin

Beruthiel wrote: »

Also, make sure you have good medical insurance.

Very good point.

seamus

Alanna! wrote: »

Hi. I was asked by my employer to go to America for 6 months with no trips home or additional pay. I said I didn't want to go but that I was prepared to go for maybe half that time and now I'm being told that unless I go I'll never get a promotion. I know there are tons of people unemployed and that I'm very lucky to have a job but I just think my employer is being a little unreasonable. Just wondering what people think.....

I'm thinking it's unreasonable if they're expecting you to go to America and will not pay for the extra expense of being there, such as accomodation.

It really depends on your own circumstances and what the entire deal is. If I was single, no mortgage and no specific reason why it's a bad idea, then 6 months abroad would be worth the experience.

But if you have a mortgage and/or children and/or you don't want to lose the lease on your current home, it would be unreasonable for any employer to expect you to up and move without compensation.

Mr. Presentable

On the presumption you would not be out of pocket by going, if anything your employer is being open with you. She could have let you not go and strike you from the list for future advancement without telling you. At least you have all the pros and cons to work with.

At the end of the day, if you don't want to go, and are happy with the consequences of not going, don't go. Six months miserable is a long time.

Skerries

start taking orders for cheap designer Jeans and start shipping them back to people here making a tidy little profit

Eoin

I was assuming that they would cover accommodation and reasonable expenses. If you're going to be out of pocket, then yeah - they're not being reasonable. Where exactly are they thinking of sending you?

fred252

i'm not suggesting you shouldn't do it but to answer your question i believe they are being unreasonable.


in a job i had a few years ago i was asked to travel to the states for long stints. i was allowed fly home every 6 weeks or alternatively to fly someone out to me every six weeks. the per diem expenses were great too. of course accom and rental car etc. is paid by them.

Alanna!

They will pay for my accomodation and a car so I admit that is good. It will just be tons more work than what I do here and once I come back I must stay in the company for a year after, otherwise I have to pay them back the money spent on the accomodation and car. I have been told I can bring my boyfriend which would obviously involve him quitting his job so doesn't realy make sense since we have a mortgage. When I mentioned that I'm getting married soon they asked whether I'd consider getting married in America. I just think they expect people to abandon everything which is not suitable for people unless they want to go or have no responsibilities. I've also seen people having to take children out of school early for these trips which I think is unfair. I just think that I deserve a promotion based on the work I've done so far moreso than for my willingness to move abroad

seamus

Does this trip involve training or certification of some kind?

Seems very odd that they'd send you abroad to work but then expect you to stay with the company on you return.

If it's a matter of taking a six-month course then I would suggest that maybe consider asking them if you can put it off until after you're married. It would be crazy for your husband/boyfriend to quit work here for a six-month placement, so I would expect them to at least partially foot the bill for a flight every six weeks.

3DataModem

Alanna! wrote: »

once I come back I must stay in the company for a year after, otherwise I have to pay them back the money spent on the accomodation and car.

Not very reasonable. Are they training you, or employing you FFS.

lonestargirl

Has your company done this before / do they have offices in the US?

What kind of visa are they going to get you? If they want you to travel on the vwp or a B visa are you sure the work they are asking you to do falls within the (very narrow) scope permitted by these visas? What visa do they propose that your boyfriend get to live with you (hint: no such visa exists for unmarried couples). Remember it is your responsibility to ensure what you are doing is legal, not the company's.

If you spend more than a certain amount of time in the US you will be tax resident there. How are they going to pay you? Are they going to with-hold tax and pay it to the IRS? Will they pay for an accountant to do your tax returns?

Health insurance is a big issue. If they have US offices will you be able to join the company plan there? Ask what the co-pays (amount you pay at a doctor's visit), deductible (amount you pay before insurance kick in) and the split (you will be liable for a portion of the bill, usually 10-30%).

Eoin

Alanna! wrote:

once I come back I must stay in the company for a year after, otherwise I have to pay them back the money spent on the accomodation and car

That's a load of crap - those are expenses that are part and parcel of sending someone abroad to work and shouldn't come with conditions like that.

Alanna! wrote:

I just think that I deserve a promotion based on the work I've done so far moreso than for my willingness to move abroad

I suppose that nobody here can really comment on that one way or the other, but I don't really see it as being inherently unfair that they're saying that you've a better chance of promotion by doing this.

It's the other conditions I'd be checking out.

Alanna! wrote:

When I mentioned that I'm getting married soon

What do you mean by soon, and when is this proposed trip? Also, where in the States are they sending you?

lonestargirl wrote:

Remember it is your responsibility to ensure what you are doing is legal, not the company's.

The OP should confirm that what they're doing is legal, but I would say it's absolutely the company's responsibility to arrange it all (though I think we're saying the same thing).

lonestargirl

Eoin wrote: »

The OP should confirm that what they're doing is legal, but I would say it's absolutely the company's responsibility to arrange it all (though I think we're saying the same thing).

It's up to the company to sponsor a work visa. My concern is that if they tell her that the work falls under the remit of the vwp or B visa and she enters the US under that impression and it is subsequently found not to be the case she is the one that faces a ban from the US not the company.

Eoin

lonestargirl wrote: »

It's up to the company to sponsor a work visa. My concern is that if they tell her that the work falls under the remit of the vwp or B visa and she enters the US under that impression and it is subsequently found not to be the case she is the one that faces a ban from the US not the company.

Yep - I think we're saying the same thing then - the OP should make absolutely sure that what the company is arranging for her is above board.

lonestargirl

Eoin wrote: »

Yep - I think we're saying the same thing then - the OP should make absolutely sure that what the company is arranging for her is above board.

Exactly. I would just be concerned if they haven't done this before that they don't understand what is required from their end.

qwertz

I have been in a somewhat similar situation years ago. Local office sent me to work in their HQ in California on a tourist visa. Initially it was for training but when that came to a conclusion they told me that I am to work over there for several weeks. I told them that I cannot do that under the visa (or lack thereof).

Needless to say that they got pissed off with me for daring to tell them that they failed to get me the right visa. I left the company shortly after.

OP, it's up to you to make a call on this. Given your curcumstances I would recommend against it unless they offer something that makes you happy. They probably won't since they already threatened you with the no-promotion thing.

I certainly wouldn't agree to the one-year clause, that's ridiculous.

And what several other posters said, make sure you get 100% cover on the medical side. No compromises.