I wrote a great spiel and then the connection dropped out and I lost it all.
Hi Fox3snapshot. Long time between hearing your voice again!
Brocky - The payrise only went to those on the payroll at the time which does nothing for the 12 new arrivals this year. The 8 or so SA's who were coming diverted to Abu Dhabi I believe.
The payrise doesn't cover the rate hikes and for those new arrivals, it's a loss compared to the offer made 6 to 12 months ago. Rents are close to double quoted by the recruiting team and as I said, school fees for those with kids are on the up and up.
I accept that rent rises can be unpredictable but not passing on the payrise makes me srcatch my head. Pay is dictated by race here, not experience or the fact that we all do the same job
(we should all be on the same pay) Couple that with the fact that they changed the contract from a basic salary of 3000OMR to something like 1690OMR plus allowances, reduced the payrise by about 40% as it was based on basic salary only. I was reluctant to sign when I first read the ACTUAL contract but what do you do after you have spent money to get here and packed up your family and travelled half way around the world?
On the other side of the coin, I live in a local suburb with the locals and they are very friendly and generous. I have had tea, coffee and dinner with them and they can't do enough for you. If anything too friendly. In a world of so much hurt - I don't mind
It is a wonderfully different place and will do for now but the rises in costs and the exchange rate is killing us in the short term, the package is ok but nothing to sing about. I am lucky in that I am not sending money back home; If you you were, then think twice. The lack of payrise has left a sour taste in the mouth of quite a few and it won't take much for people to move on at short notice if things don't change.
I'm honest. I'm here for the money and it's a bonus to experience the life here and the chance to travel further abroad. The people I work with are great but no different to anywhere else in the world and it's fun learning the language and making them laugh when I stuff it up
But money talks and so do feet.
