Different Location
Let's start with:
I AM EXTREMELY grateful for the chance to work as a pilot. I worked as an instructor for a while and was in a bit of a rut, and now I'm very happy to get the chance to fly a MEP aircraft doing very interesting work.
I will remain vague for the sake of protecting my anonymity.
I currently live in City A.
I got offered a job which was supposed to be based in City B.
These two places are 8h drive apart, meaning that I accepted the fact that I needed to move away from my family.
Training dragged out, and after I signed my contract, I was told I needed to be ready to relocate to City B at a moment's notice, but without a firm date. When I reminded them that I lived 8h away from City B and thus needed at least a few weeks notice so that I could find somewhere to live they "compromised" by essentially saying they would pay about 5 days worth of overnights at city B. Not sure how I could find somewhere to live in 5 days, especially if I was supposed to work during that time.
So you might ask, why not just move straight away to city B?
Well, first off, to maximize the time with my family before I left. But also, because training was being done at City C, which was right next to City A.
In the end though, I thought that I might get a call at any second to move to City B, so with a lot of effort and negotiating, I was able to rent a place in City B without actually going to see it.
Well, it's been almost a month since I rented this place in City B, and I've just received some more news.
Turns out the company may actually want me to move to City D, which is exactly halfway between Cities A and B.
But since I got offered the position which was supposed to be based in City B, I have committed myself to an external, and very important project in City B. I'm vital in this project, and it can't be done without me. It was perfect, because I could work in the project when I'm on standby, and would simply turn up at work whenever I got called. I could then go home to City A during my few days off.
Now, though, If I go to City D, I will be unable to help in the project on standby, will have to choose between seeing my family and helping on the project on my days off, AND will have to be paying for THREE rents for a while, which I just cannot afford.
And no, I cannot simply quit this job. I need the income, and I need the flying. Second of all, If I quit in less than two years, I'm bonded for 5000 (insert a currency where that's a lot of money).
If however, I were to somehow find another job, that got me to stay in City A or B, could I argue that I shouldn't pay for the bonding since the contract was for being based in City B, and now they're wanting to base me in City D without ever having started work, and could thus be construed as being employed under false pretence? The contract specifically states City B based.
I want to do this job, it's exciting and a great opportunity, but they've been so uncertain about things and what's going to happen. I was supposed to start over a month ago, but I'm still waiting, and I don't even know where I'll be living at a moment's notice! Pretty stressful. I can easily cope with last second work trips, but this is a whole new level.