work trip not what it seemed :/

[biokult]

Accepted a job of which international travel was involved, was very lucky in that I had a couple offers, which I turned down for my current position. Country is considered unsafe, however the insitute I would be based at is in a tourist-y area which is why I was comfortable agreeing.

Things have been very rushed due to lack of staff, and feel like my queries are not being answered.

My current dilemna is thus: a member of the team mentioned they would be based at a certain site, which was not the area I had expected to working in. I would then be expected to commute there via taxi, or "maybe collegues can drop you". I said no problem, assuming that if it was part of their company the area would also be fine.

Have since looked up the area and it is dodgy AF, yougov strongly recommend avoiding this and similar neighbourhoods. If you must go there you should have a local guide/security. Cabs will often refuse to pick you up from there due to high crime rate. I do not want to rely on collegues I do not for lifts in case they let me down and I am stuck.

I have agreed to the trip, although had this detail been made clear I would've said no. I feel like no precuations have been put in place, or discussed with me.

Please help me navigate this. My sister & her partner (who I live with) are being incredibly unhelpful, telling me to quit on the spot and no job is worth my life or being assualted etc etc. Obviously this is true, but I also want to maintain good working relationships and ideally not be unemployed!

Pretty pissed off tbh, anyone been in similar situations?

@Heythere13

I’m guessing jo’burg

Either way - if a “reputable” English company as you say it is - are they really going to put up a lone female in such a dangerous place?

Maybe read Op's posts?

My reply will probably sound flippant but, you can’t do the job if you’ve been murdered can you? If the risk is genuinely that high then don’t take it. You had several other offers, maybe one of them is still looking and, if they’re not, you’re clearly a desirable candidate. Don’t risk your life just because you’re worried about being unemployed for a couple of months.

My Dad worked in a global company and would do similar length trips to that country. I believe he had a driver from the hotel to the office. Others had security. Those who lived there lived in gated communities with security.

If you don’t drive then suggest to your manager / Hr that you require a driver to get you to from site. Do not rely on taxis or colleagues.

I agree with your sister tbh!

Unless your employer can answer all your questions satisfactorily, I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

Mexico

Same point applies

I think I would share the official advice with them you have found which advises against going and take the line that obviously you’re not able to go to that work location

Mexico City is fine as long as you take reasonable precautions. Ie don't stay in Tepito. The regular taxis are not trustworthy, but nearly everyone uses uber.

Mexico has changed a lot over the years. I wouldn’t disregard the warnings.

Email your HR and manager to explain all your concerns and ask for a breakdown of exactly what precautions they have in place to keep you safe and ensure your continued safety throughout. Make it clear that travel booking is only to go ahead upon completion and acceptance of this.

What city is it? I lived in Mexico for a while.

What will you do if you go and can't get a taxi back then?! Point out the safety issues with references from online and ask what measures they have in place to keep you safe. If they don't have then decline saying why. No job is worth your life.

Not pompous to value your own safety. A few years ago we had two seconded female teachers from South Africa working at our college. At the end of their contract, the black lady said she couldn't wait to get home; the white lady said she had enjoyed her time so much in London because she felt safe.

My husband has worked a lot in South America. He always insisted on a driver. But something happened to his driver who didn't turn up once and he ended up in a taxi. The driver initially said that they'd take visa but then insisted on taking him to a cash machine! He had been fairly jetlagged but cottoned on to what was happening. He grabbed his luggage and rushed into a nearby fried chicken restaurant. They were really great and got him a proper taxi and sent him on his way refusing any payment at all. It turns out that the area is notorious and it wasn't an accident at all that his driver didn't turn up. Apparently the police are in on the whole deal.

I don't trust taxis much either. In a "developing country" as a toddler I lived through what must have been a harrowing experience for my parents. They were tourists and took a taxi which drove into a completely dark underground garage. My father who was very well travelled - ex merchant navy - had thoughtfully seated himself behind the driver and immediately got him in a chokehold with a burly forearm and told him unless he reversed back right then he was going break his neck. Apparently, the driver's comprehension of English improved in a flash and he couldn't rerverse out of there fast enough while babbling some unlikely story about changing cars in a darkened underground garage in the middle of a taxi trip. He probably thought my father might just finish him off once we got out of the garage.

Nothing on this earth would make me do what your company are suggesting you do - travelling as a lone woman in an area that most taxis won't even go to. I would be looking for another job because I don't think they sound like reasonable people who take care of their staff.

I used to work for a charity which operated in developing countries. Staff members who travelled had kidnap and ransom insurance, and I’m sure hostile environment training. And all sorts of risk assessments. I didn’t work in that department but even when I travelled to a considerably less dodgy part of the world I still got all sorts of briefings and instructions on staying safe - it was part of their responsibility to us as employees.

Your employer sounds pretty cavalier - if certainly hope it’s a mistake as opposed to anything else, but I think you’re right to ask some searching questions and for a lot more information before you head to the airport!

OP, granted it was some years ago but as a lone female Intravelled all over central and South America, including Mexico, without incident. Granted, I was careful generally and speak Spanish fluently but it is nowhere the awful, awful place the foreign office would have you believe. There is huge poverty in Mexico and you will struggle to avoid it as a rule of thumb. I honestly would worry too much. You will find the employees will look after you and ensure that you are safe.

Suspect your manager is so desperate to hire that they pulled a bait and switch on you. I’d tell them this isn’t what I signed up for and there’s no way I’m going on this trip.

I agree with most of the posters.

Remember, get everything in writing. The risk assessment, why they are ignoring F.O. advice, insurance details, emergency company contact number (then ring it at 1 a.m. to see if it works) handgun training details (will get their attention if nothing else.) Also talk to anyone in the UK office who has worked there.

P.S. how good is your Spanish?

I also think working for a large reputable company would put you more at risk of kidnap. They have the money and incentive to pay ransom.

My father who was very well travelled - ex merchant navy - had thoughtfully seated himself behind the driver and immediately got him in a chokehold with a burly forearm and told him unless he reversed back right then he was going break his neck

I grew up in a very shitty part of Mexico City, and I can vividly remember my oldest sister (who was fifteen at the time) holding a knife to the throat of a taxi driver who tried to take us off somewhere. If she hadn't done that, God knows what would have happened to us. That wasn't an isolated incident either, far from it, and I was a local who knew the people, areas and language.
I've lived in the UK most of my adult life, the thought of having to hold a knife to someone, and be prepared to use it is unthinkable to me, here and now.

This is just the thing, not being sexist, how many women would be able to do this quickly and effectively enough? To see the situation developing and be prepared to use a weapon/violence? That's quite a huge mental barrier to pass, even if you are able to without having a weapon turned back on you. It really is a different world, and if you aren't used to getting yourself out of situations you would just be a sitting duck.

In a lot of areas the police won't help you, and locals are unlikely to either out of fear of what will happen to them or their families if they get involved.

OP please listen to me. I am Mexican. In fact I live 45 mins away from the border. No way in HELL would I go to Mexico. Haven't in over 16 years. The crime is far wars then what's reported.

If they're asking you to do the risk assessment yourself (which seems crazy) surely you can essentially put in everything you've said and come up with the judgements that travel to these areas will only be safe with a personal guide or buddy colleague or a different work location etc, with your research to back it up.

It’s very poor that your company aren’t treating this seriously and being proactive about your safety and what the arrangements are. I’d take this as a very bad sign.

A male friend had a similar experience working for a UK organisation in Bogotá. Very flimsy idea beforehand of what the travel and security arrangements would be when he got there and told to get taxis. He was robbed at gunpoint by a ‘taxi driver’ 3 weeks into his time there. Locals he got to know afterwards were aghast that his employer had allowed him to hail taxis and basically said he was lucky he wasn’t a woman as he would surely have been raped.

Also have a close female friend (black British female) who was very nearly abducted by a ‘taxi driver’ while working in Kingston JA. Her employer had told her that taxis were perfectly safe, but she was foreign and working for the University which meant she was seen as wealthy. The driver took her off her route, locked the doors and wouldn’t tell her where she was going. She started screaming and luckily a truck driver saw her and cut the car off from turning off road. The driver startled and let her out, then sped off. The truck driver called the police who told her they would never advise a foreign female to take a taxi alone in the city.

I’m not trying to scare monger, but honestly, if your company isn’t taking your safety seriously I wouldn’t take this job.

I’ve been to Mexico on a work trip as an alone woman (met people there but alone for parts of it)

A few questions -

• has your work given you HEAT training?
• will they provide you with a work phone that will work at all times? Including data.
• will they arrange that someone meets you at each point (incl airport as carjacking is a risk on roads between airport, so ideally you’d not do that stage alone if feeling unsure)
• if so, can you arrange to speak to that person beforehand for some reassurance?
• re carjacking, but you should know this if you have had HEAT training, you need to keep windows closed at all times. Ideally travel with other locals in car so you don’t look conspicuous. Ideally travel in a prearranged car for eg by the company or hotel, not an Uber

‘ yougov strongly recommend avoiding this and similar neighbourhoods.’

This is the beginning, middle & end of this matter.
The terms & conditions that you agreed to were not correctly presented to you & as such no longer stand.

If UK Government advise to UK citizens is that these areas are unsafe, then why would you begin to entertain this.

Plus I would not trust any organisation that dodged any query, however trivial, about my own health & safety, let alone even suggested that I work or be based anywhere formally considered dodgy.

You say that you turned down a good offer of another job.
Email them now & ask if the situation is still vacant.
Likely they still want you & will be relieved not to go through another set of recruitment costs.

Sorry also to say if you work is sending you on this trip without any internal security protocols, not having sent you on HEAT training, then you should not be going. Your work also has to have clear protocols about checking in with you daily etc, clear action plans on what they do if anything happens, proof of life protocols. That’s regardless of whether it is Mexico or any other high risk destination. They don’t know what they are doing if they don’t have systems like that in place (is it an NGO?)

I think someone else said above that FO guidance is likely scaremongering - definitely true in so many instances. You’d probably be fine, but you need to know what to look out for and general security protocol. However doesn’t negate the fact that your work sounds like they have no duty of care towards employees travelling.