Advice on moving abroad for work

[Mummy578485]

I've asked for a temporary transfer to one of our offices abroad which had been agreed. It involves a promotion and a moderate salary increase. The renumeration package includes flights and sending belongings.

We're at the stage now of drawing up the final contract. I'm going to make I sure I have continuity of service and health care and I was wondering if there's anything else I could be asking or checking in my contact? As the transfer is my request I probably don't have a huge amount of leverage (I already negotiated the higher salary), but my managers are very reasonable.

Think about how you will define equivalent salary - is it exchange rate at the time of move? A salary that allows you to have the same standard of living in the UK as in Singapore (this can be calculated by certain consulting firms using cost of living, tax rates etc). Also how will you define equivalent or better job eg is it based on title? Do you have a grading structure in place?

Another thing to check is if you will have to repay relocation costs if you take up the break clause. Similarly, might be worth checking if you have to stay with the company for a certain period of time in order not to repay the relocation costs.

OP, I fully understand how it might be disappointing if you had to come back to your original post, but tread carefully so that you don't leave a sour taste with your managers. If I allowed an employee to go to SG at company costs, with a promotion, at their request, even though it isn't critical for the employee to be there, my superiors would be majorly hacked off if I told them the employee now wants written guarantees that they can keep the higher status and job when they come back. This is because we can't predict if there is a need for that job in the UK in the future. If we did put in such guarantees and it turns out we don't need them in that role in the UK after all, we would be looking at a redundancy situation.

Thanks, I appreciate the advice. Maybe I will talk to my manager first. I do want a written guarantee that I can preserve my position and salary after the whole term. But maybe if I wanted to come back prematurely I could ask that I return to at least the same position/salary as my original one. So that I keep the door open to a more senior position if they think I deserve it.

And I should be in mind that if we are all so unhappy after one year than we have to come back then I'll be happy enough to come back my original job.

I do think that if there's the budget for it then my team will be happy to have me back - we're always overstretched as we are.

Don't forget health insurance for the whole family. Song hospitals are excellent, but can be pricey! I had appendicitis as an expat our there and was very glad I could just rely on company health insurance to pick up the tab (as I was wheeled to the hospital Finance department to provide a credit card on my way to surgery...!)

You might be being unrealistic if you want an absolute guarantee for them to hold your job open for three years tbh.

Just with the school thing, you mention it's not an issue and you have a toddler, but don't forget primary school application deadlines are in the January before the September your child will be four, so if you've not even gone yet and you plan to be out there three years it might become an issue.

Also you should decide what to do if you and your partner split and one wants to stay and one doesn't. There's a lot of heartache and issues when children are involved in international relationships that break down.

Not nice to discuss or have a contract with your partner but very important

Define equivalent salary - is it exchange rate at the time of move? A salary that allows you to have the same standard of living in the UK as in Singapore (this can be calculated by certain consulting firms using cost of living, tax rates etc).

Good point. Would defining it at the exchange rate at the time of negotiation/move be sensible? Our initial negotiations was in £, the formal offer was in SGD and the exchange rate was not in my favour! Trying to quantify standard of living is quite hard because we will have to make lots of adjustments based on what we can let our UK home out for and where we end up living in Singapore.

Also how will you define equivalent or better job eg is it based on title? Do you have a grading structure in place?

No grading structure. Current role is entry level but new role is managerial. The new job is specific to Singapore and won't exist in the UK office when I come back so something new would have to be created for me (which has been informally agreed to but it depends on the direction the company had taken in that time). I will have to have more discussions and negotiations before I return. But I would expect something at least similar in seniority or possibly in a very different direction/department. I realise there is a chance I won't be satisfied with the role they offer on my return and that is fine, I would move on in that case.

don't forget primary school application deadlines are in the January before the September your child will be four

Omg, really? Not considered this at all. 😑 Doesn't it depend on where you live? Would I have to put in a late application?

a late application when I get back I mean. The good schools here are in unsurprisingly oversubscribed but our house is in the catchment of a good one. I could time our return to fit in with school applications or free up our house from renters before January, maybe send DH and DS back early.

Also you should decide what to do if you and your partner split and one wants to stay and one doesn't.

Wouldn't even know how to broach this 😥.

as I was wheeled to the hospital Finance department to provide a credit card on my way to surgery...!

Thanks for the heads up - good to know what to expect!!

If your property is in the UK then they have the first right to tax the rental income - so you will both need to complete a UK tax return

RE exchange rate, I don't think you need to agree on the rate right now but have it agreed how it will be set eg average of the last 6 months' exchange rate prior to your move back to the UK.

Thought of one more thing. Make sure your SG contract recognises continuous employment from the UK. This is important for redundancy, employer benefits etc on your return.

”The good schools here are in unsurprisingly oversubscribed but our house is in the catchment of a good one. I could time our return to fit in with school applications or free up our house from renters before January, maybe send DH and DS back early.”

Definitely. If your local schools are oversubscribed you don’t want to do anything to reduce your chances. It probably seems a long way off now but it comes round quick!