Expats' holidays - different rules or CF?

[Huromjuicemaker]

My colleague and I are expats we have been working together here for years. Their family is "back home" and mine is with me here. My colleague is a department manager and I am in overall charge of the factory but I can perform my colleague's role and they can to some extent step up to mine. We try to arrange our holidays so that they do not overlap and we can ensure continuous coverage. We both report independently to the top management of the company.

Colleague has just unilaterally decided to extend their 6 week holiday to 2 months and because I need to go home for a family event (a) there will be no overlap/handover, (b) the start date for my own holiday is pushed back while I continue to work up to the last minute.

Although I have sympathy for them wanting to see their family and know it must be hard to be separated for long periods of time AIBU for thinking this is unprofessional and CF behaviour?

Expat = working temporarily in a foreign country with no intention to stay there long term

Immigrant = somebody who has moved to a new country with the intention of staying there.

Permanent nationality
Immigration visa

Wowza people

thank you.

It includes EE people as well. Never an expat, always an immigrant

@AvanGelist exactly.

We were expats in the Far East in the 90's on postings with my husbands company and for specific projects lasting approximately 1 year each.

It was pre children. Usually children move from one International school to another and follow the Bacalaureat school year.

All paperwork, visas, work permits, vaccinations, house packing, storage, etc were handled by HR.

Wonderful way to move. Seemless!

To me - your the boss. So you say no sorry you need to be back for X date as agreed or you can extend to y date but not 2 weeks as that does not provide the required cover.

If they do not turn up there would be consequences- leave without pay etc...

Exactly - that's also why expat is a bit of an exclusive term it's possible to mix only among your own group.
My former company was a large MNC, people relocated to various countries of their own volition. The company pays nothing except for visa and maybe temporary accommodation costs. Same salary as their local counterparts.
An expat package is different and covers everything moving costs, international schools flight home etc. Hefty salary on top.

It had nothing to do with colour - expats came from regional offices so you'd have, say Chinese or HK expats in Vietnam. British (not white) expats in Germany. And so on.

*major regional offices that should say... So like regional head offices

the residence visa has your job title/status on it. If you're not working it will either say housewife or student. visas are valid for a variety of periods depending on your status but you cannot have permanent residency. it has not and will never be offered to us.

I'm not going to post my residency visa onto mumsnet :) but you can rest assured, the 90% of the population that is not local in the country I live in is referred to as expats. from the rulers to the media to the residents and locals themselves.

I know where you are and yes.
Also essentially impossible to gain citizenship

You've come on to rant but haven't checked the circumstances of your colleague's request? All you need to do is reply to management and say "Just a reminder that I have leave booked from XX to XX so you are aware there will be an overlap here?" and leave it to them to manage. Why are people so unwilling to communicate these days?

Your colleague has not unilaterally decided to have a longer holiday, they will have agreed this with the “top management” that you both independently report into. If they are happy with your colleague having leave and you at the same time, that is their prerogative. It is none of your business when your colleague that does not report into you, takes leave.

I have lived overseas twice, the first time it was to a Caribbean country and there was no possibility of ever progressing to permanent residency or citizenship, didn’t get to vote etc, there the overseas workers were generally known as expats.

The other time I went to Australia as permanent resident and then citizen, nobody used the term expat there.

That is a standard type of contract for expat workers. A ‘10+2’ means work ten months and then two month’s leave. When we were expats we negotiated a (5+1 )x2 as the DTs were infants and we wanted family to see them more often. It was not a suitable place for elderly visitors.

You don’t have to be working to be an expat, just living in a foreign country on a temporary visa.

*months

Same experience with dh’s former company pre kids very late 90s / most of the noughties. Including multinational expats. We were only in various European countries so mainly Europeans, Brits and Americans but the China office for example had Expats from all over the world.

I would heavily push back. I’m surprised at the number of people voting yabu. One of the things about being an Expat is that you can’t go to everything. And it isn’t your responsibility that your colleague’s family in the uk. That is their choice. And they should not expect you to bear the consequences.

Hmm, is your colleague officially required to cover your leave? It sounds as if your role is 'above' theirs. So fine for you to cover them, but slightly different for them to cover you. Are they paid extra for covering?