Anyone else facing possible job relocation to EU country as result of Brexit?

[juneau]

DH works for a company based in an EU country. He's worked for them for years. Of course no one knows what is going to happen now as a result of Brexit, but in the office talk is rife about certain operations being relocated and he came home yesterday saying that his boss has been sounding him out about possible locations for us to move to. Dublin, Amsterdam and Frankfurt were mentioned and DH asked me how I'd feel about any of those destinations.

Is anyone else in this boat?

[Daytona79]

No but sounds exciting, I'd love to go and live abroad for a while .

[Mistigri]

Amsterdam is supposed to be a good place to live, and good for English language education too if that is important to you.

[juneau]

Thing is, DH and I have both lived OS before and we moved back to the UK (my home country), in order to 'settle down'. We built a house, our kids are in school, etc. In my 20s I'd have been really excited, but now I'm just really sad. We've put down roots here, our kids love their school, we have friends and a really good life here. I don't want to move

[citroenpresse]

Mistigri I live in Amsterdam. It's lovely. But the tax office is not. grrrrr

[citroenpresse]

But our lovely Polish neighbours who have only been here for a couple of years are very worried indeed. She works for a British company, HQ in NL, and no idea what might happen next.

[rainytea]

I know a lot of people doing long commutes due to companies shutting down or relocating (oil and gas, not Brexit related). So, family live in UK, affected partner/spouse flies from The Netherlands to London for four days, or Ireland to London. It's not ideal, but depending on the ages of the children and how near exams they are, it's the best option for them. The cities you mentioned all have v good transport links.

[SnowBells]

All of those places are perfectly nice, juneau.

[juneau]

Yes rainytea, I think we'd try that initially if this job relocation happens. Its not ideal, but its probably better than uprooting all of us and possibly having to sell or rent out our home. Our DC are still primary age, but tbh I just can't face another international move, knowing no one, not knowing where anything is or how to get things done, having to get to grips with another language, another set of bureaucracy, etc. If we remain resident here and DH just works there Mon-Fri (or less, if he can swing it), I'm sure that would be easier and we can always go and stay there in the holidays.

[OddBoots]

DH's job will be going to an EU country as it can't legally be done outside the EU but I think that will have to mean redundancy as the ages of our children make it hard to move (DS who has ASD going to University in 2017 and DD currently in Y8).

[juneau]

Yes, I know snowbells its not a bad list of places at all! Its just that I don't want to move.

[UnderTheGreenwoodTree]

Yes. DH works for an US owned securities trading co in London. He does IT, he's not a trader.

Things are very uncertain - at the moment things are going on as normal. However, if we lose the single market/city passport, I can't see how they will stay in London.

It's all very fun to say we could move to another country- and we frequently talk/muse about it. His job could move to the USA today, if he so wished. But we are settled in the UK - we have a dc about to start gcse's, another about to start secondary, and one settled at primary. We have a house, a supportive family network, a dog and cat. Our life is here.

It's very different choosing to move/work abroad - not so fun to be forced to.

[WalrusGumboot]

Could your dh find another job?

[rainytea]

OP - am totally with you on the reasons for not moving!!! I don't think it's possible to fully understand what it's like to do international moves (especially one after the other) unless you've gone through it.

We might be in a similar situation in a few years and also considering the idea of commuting. The idea of DH being away from the kids (and them away from him) all week saddens me, but making another international move with no job security (so definite move afterwards to who knows where) is too much for me now. And I used to be adventurous, independent traveller to places others wouldn't think of going alone as a woman!

[UnderTheGreenwoodTree]

Could your dh find another job?

For us, the answer is we don't know, possibly.

If the shtf, and we're out of the single market/city passport, then London will no longer be the financial capital of Europe. Companies will be moving, jobs will be lost/moved. DH's worked in IT in the financial sector since 2011 - before that telecommunications (also at risk from brexit). So who knows.

[FrancisdeSales]

OP I totally understand - we lived in Europe for 6 years and are now in the US. DH now is self employed and we have another company here. We are planning to settle permanently after our moves. I would hate to move again now our 3 kids and us are settled. We went back to a city we knew because at 47 having to find new schools new friends, new Dr, dentist etc etc feels me with dread instead of excitement. Even our 15 year old says all her American friends want to travel but she is ready to stay in one place for a while. Families need stability. I also want to just enjoy my life and not be feeling temporary all the time.

I also agree there is a big difference between choosing to move and having no choice.

[Okkitokkiunga]

We might be but that is choice at the moment. DH is an EU national and I am a SAHM. We always planned to retire in his home country but now we think we should probably go now because of schooling etc. However with his job there is the possibility of a move to Italy as he works there about 20% of his time anyway. We've already done 2 international moves so I know what's what now. So on one hand it isn't as daunting as it could be but at the same time I'm. Thinking I don't know if I can be bothered with all that again.

[juneau]

I hear you Okkiko. Its not just the international move, in many ways that bit is the easy bit, its the getting a whole new life sorted out when you arrive. Knowing no one, so having to start from ground zero with friendships, having no support locally so being isolated, having to find a new doctor (who you can communicate with), possibly learning a new language, finding new schools for your kids and helping them make new friends, all the hideous bureaucracy of involved (that goes double in Italy btw - I've lived there twice and never managed to open a bank account or get a mobile phone contract. I was told I was a 'persona sconosciuta' i.e. an unknown person, because I'm not Italian ).

Well fingers crossed for all of us that Brexit won't mean distressing and unwanted upheaval to our lives.

[juneau]

Could your dh find another job?

Maybe, but we don't know. The worst case scenario is that in anticipation of Brexit a large number of companies currently based in London relocate to within the EU and lay off thousands of people, leading to a massive glut of job-seekers. If that's the case then no, I very much doubt my DH would be able to find another job, so relocating would then be the lesser of two evils.

[STIDW]

Many of my clients (high tech SMEs ) made contingency plans before the referendum to relocate to the EU if the result was in favour of Brexit. Some of them have already applied for EU grants to relocate & for research in the EU because they want to recruit from the EU & can't afford to wait until the current uncertainty is cleared up .So that means at least jobs will be moving if not personnel.

[crazyhead]

I think we'll move voluntarily for a bit (prob US). feels like a good time to develop a fairly international-looking CV, to be honest. But my kids are really little so easier. What national suicide this all is!