Some VERY bad news around the corner, hold on to your hats (or should that be towels).
39 replies (most recent on top)
EAP is going very soon, being done quietly. Not widely known..yet.
JHAH, yes it should go. A friend of mine moved to another hospital but now this is discouraged. New employees don't even have the option. JHAH is a money maker with their incompetent young doctors. Dangerous game. I won't complain when it goes. Piece of g4rbag3. Can't wait to get out of s-hole
JHAH is going bust too…
Repat was cut for all employees, not just new hires so there's no reason that EAP wouldn't follow the same course of action.
From hearsay, the EAP reduction only applies to new hires. Those under the old EAP programme will continue as they are.
What I'm told is it will be lowered to around $18K per year to align with OK max. The current at around 48K will be gone forever. Many expats will just quit, it's an enormous pay cut.
Hard to believe they’d get rid of EAP OOK. If that happens, then most western expats with kids will have to leave - there’s barely not enough capacity at IK schools currently. Maybe it’s only for new hires?
EAP OOK is being abolished. You heard it here first. K4 Schooling is also now out of pocket, that includes the camp school - YOU have to pay!!
Good luck to all those who remain.
EAP OOK is being abolished. You heard it here first. K4 Schooling is also now out of pocket, that includes the camp school - YOU have to pay!!
Good luck to all those who remain.
Sounds like sour grapes, still feeling the shame, sad way to live life…
Peasant? Thobe (@1ma+1jqxmqtjw) I returned to the greatest country in the world a millionaire thanks to the Aramco US Payroll. Don't hate me for for becoming rich doing a job that your fellow thobes couldn't do. Just remember, the reason Aramco pays expats 10x your salary is.....that is the only incentive Aramco has to bring talent to your backwards litter box of a country.
Salam Peasant, may you enjoy the return to your home country, in shame.
Hi thobe! (@1m2+1jqxmqtjw)
Isn't there a sink somewhere with your name on it? Your feet need cleaned!
Your cousin/wife will be upset with you if she smells those stank things.
You will be feeling it soon enough, the leaving in disgrace, being the unclean, and enjoying the unsympathetic stares by your fellow countrymen who are frankly only thinking to themselves, glad it was you, and not me…
The only good thing about getting rid of all the expats in Aramco is......the laying off the lying HR expat recruiters in Houston and the UK.
I really hope that people don’t quit their job and go work for this terrible company. You guys can’t believe how bad the culture here is.
I just know it was the company violating Saudi labor law that got them in hot water. They've spent too many years thinking they're above the law, and the arrogance is catching up with them. It was US and Global payroll expats suing in Saudi from what I understand.
They'll ask you to sign a document saying you won't sue and it will have a dollar amount on it. It's the only amount you'll see in writing in the whole process. It won't hold up on court from what I've heard.
To be frank, I wish more people who left would go public with their stories. It might help those of us who are still here. I'm fortunate to really enjoy my job most days, but I've heard some horrible stories. If you need to layoff people, fine. But do it with dignity and treat people with respect.
I know of one long-term expat on US payroll that sued in Saudi and won. Before this, I always thought this was the exception to the rule, but it sounds like it is becoming more of a norm. If you do sue, please come back and let us know if you won or lost....and why. Help out your fellow expats.
I’ve heard of Americans suing in Saudi.
Please...tell me more about this lawsuit. Americans in an American court, suing ASC or some American manifestation of Saudi Aramco?
There's a reason a ton of the people let go last year sued. I also heard they won. The company is great at following policy when it suits them, and twisting it whichever way they want when it doesn't.
Make sure to write down the phone numbers and emails of everyone in HR as well as keep in contact with people you can trust.
You will be handled according to current policy, however, your understanding of current policy might not be exactly correct. That is where most problems/ issues lie. It is not always what you think you know.
If US expats are let go, do they get the end of service payout as severance (per the policy formula)?
Regarding your money, when HR gives you the news, they should supply you with a form in which you give them your banking info OOK. If you follow the rules and transfer your money, close your bank account and turn in your iqama, Aramco "SHOULD" send your final payment after a couple months to your OOK account. If you do a runner, transfer out your money, cross into Bahrain and fly home. Your bank account in Saudi will remain active, as your iqama has not been cancelled. On the first of each month, logon to your account and transfer your money. HR is less likely to sc--w things up this way. And if you do a runner with a loan outstanding, make sure you leave enough in your account for 3 payments and once your severance hits, empty it out. It will take years for the Saudi's to pass your overdue loan to a collection agency based in India. The collection agency will email you some nasty notes but disregard them. The statute of limitations will run out before they even get that far. Just don't travel to any GCC countries again and enjoy the additional money for the pain and suffering caused by Aramco and their corrupt/misleading means of recruiting you to that giant litter box.
Probably not a problem moving your funds out of KSA...but you should position and prepare yourself for any contingency...expect the unexpected. There is a first time for everything right? You will sleep better at night. Perhaps he was referring to the monies you might be owed by the company for your severance and exit etc...Those issues can suffer from misinterpretation and policy changes.
I am ok with whatever outcome...better to leave on ur terms but life is life. Someone mentioned difficulties moving money out of KSA - what did u mean? I never heard of any issues with that...but anything is possible in this marvelous place.
When I approached my masters a week ago about this, they all said mafi mishkala, you are good, we are a family company. But, I saw this before by others who were suddenly and in some cases extremely surprised they were let go. The statements made were we really fought hard for you, but it was the business line’s decision and out of our hands… believe nothing, trust none and get your preparations in order.
Wow! I knew that it was going to be bad and brutal there during that time. Just never got any info. Sorry for your difficulties but actually not that surprised that it devolved into chaos quickly.
@f4+1jqxmqtjw
Covid event is the 2020 layoff of which I was part. Got laid off only to spend 4 months in Magic Kingdom before I could fly away. The minions from HR were callingn every other day to ask the same question "¿When are you planning on exiting the Kingdom? " To which the response was "As soon as air travel is open to my destination"
Should handle your money so that you have minimal amounts locally. Just enough to get by. As far as getting your exit money...hope for the best prepare for the worst. I'm sure things will get handled according to policy, whatever that is these days.
If that's what I think, good luck getting your money out of the kingdom.
Summer layoffs so that kids can this time finish the school year here, then you have time to get home, family settled, kids in school etc. Good luck everyone!
COVID time = mass layoffs due to market crash and negative oil prices. With tariff wars, and tumbling oil prices, are we expecting similar situation? Maybe not quite as bad.
OP, if you have specific info, please share.
No one is surprised. Since the mass layoffs last year, I've been expecting more. I'm ready if it happens. I've quietly been getting rid of things, and I've got my exit plan in place. They treated those people horribly, and I want to be out and done within a few days if my number is up.
What do you mean by COVID event? I had left just prior to COVID. I'll bet it was rough working there during that period.
With tumbling oil prices we might see another COVID event?
IMO...It has always been just a matter of time. And has been accomplished already to a large degree. Has it not?
Oh great oracle, as you know so much, why don’t you just tell us and spare us the fu--ing suspense?