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hostile salary negotiations (please help, my neighbor is distressed!)

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GoldinGlitterPunk

271

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 01 February 2011 - 00:18

and I thought the days of us sleeping with blackberries under our pillows were over...oh wait, I quit working so at least mine are.

1184

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 01 February 2011 - 00:14

Also (this is my own question) for my friend and all of you. [b'>WHY WHY WHY are they still responding to emails if the work day is over[/b'>? Is Dubai a place where working hours aren't always respected (will my DH be a slave to his blackberry?) Because it is expected of everybody.... and NO! working hours are rarely respected. In most companies you are expected to work way more hours than you are contracted to. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but yes, your husband will be a slave to his blackberry no matter how many good intentions he has! :( ehmm... just received a work email 5 minutes ago... and to make it worse.... i have responded it....

858

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 23:44

Also (this is my own question) for my friend and all of you. [b'>WHY WHY WHY are they still responding to emails if the work day is over[/b'>? Is Dubai a place where working hours aren't always respected (will my DH be a slave to his blackberry?) Because it is expected of everybody.... and NO! working hours are rarely respected. In most companies you are expected to work way more hours than you are contracted to. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but yes, your husband will be a slave to his blackberry no matter how many good intentions he has! :(

1184

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 23:21

Also (this is my own question) for my friend and all of you. WHY WHY WHY are they still responding to emails if the work day is over? Is Dubai a place where working hours aren't always respected (will my DH be a slave to his blackberry?) Hahaha, because the whole country is addicted to Blackberry!!

1184

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 23:20

HR always messes up everything. Show me a company without HR, I wanna join them. She should call her future boss here and ask him about what is going on. Depending on the reaction she gets she should make a decision: If he steps in and sorts it out fine, if not or hesitant, go for London. Good luck. Okay, so she's sat here (looking over my shoulder!) and she followed earlier advice and emailed future boss ccing HR guy. She explained the salary differences+time limits+no further communication and received a prompt email and text message back saying that they were unable to get approval for the slightly higher salary but that since she is entitled to 50 days of holiday, she can cash in 10 and achieve the higher salary (or however many she wants). HR guy has also asked to speak tomorrow at 8am. I feel like it might take too much time for her to get all required documents in a timely manner. How possible is it for the company to rescind her offer just because? (or am I just being overly paranoid--it's just if I was being treated this way, it's how I would feel). Sorry, I did not read back. Honestly, things work differently here. Especially with local companies. It is not that outrageous or surprising as it seems. And true, by law everyone has 30 calendar days of holiday, so 50 is something extra. Also for each public holiday they have two announcements: 1 or 2 days off for private companies and usually 3-5 days off for government. That is also extra... Get everything in writing, for sure. Otherwise it is a good adventure and if the numbers meet and she feels like trying it, she should, at least I would. There is always an option to move back to the UK any time. Edit: Ok, I see now that she had been here before. So she knows the place. <em>edited by dentro on 31/01/2011</em>

GoldinGlitterPunk

271

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 23:19

Also (this is my own question) for my friend and all of you. WHY WHY WHY are they still responding to emails if the work day is over? Is Dubai a place where working hours aren't always respected (will my DH be a slave to his blackberry?)

GoldinGlitterPunk

271

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 23:06

HR always messes up everything. Show me a company without HR, I wanna join them. She should call her future boss here and ask him about what is going on. Depending on the reaction she gets she should make a decision: If he steps in and sorts it out fine, if not or hesitant, go for London. Good luck. Okay, so she's sat here (looking over my shoulder!) and she followed earlier advice and emailed future boss ccing HR guy. She explained the salary differences+time limits+no further communication and received a prompt email and text message back saying that they were unable to get approval for the slightly higher salary but that since she is entitled to 50 days of holiday, she can cash in 10 and achieve the higher salary (or however many she wants). HR guy has also asked to speak tomorrow at 8am. I feel like it might take too much time for her to get all required documents in a timely manner. How possible is it for the company to rescind her offer just because? (or am I just being overly paranoid--it's just if I was being treated this way, it's how I would feel).

SarkySue6236658

212

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 22:58

While I don't know, it may be why she's upset. She's being treated unfairly and unprofessionally - both big red flags. Sorry, in that she was either treated better or perhaps similarly and was unhappy as a result of the latter. edited by marycatherine on 31/01/2011 yep big RED FLAGS!

1184

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 22:53

HR always messes up everything. Show me a company without HR, I wanna join them. She should call her future boss here and ask him about what is going on. Depending on the reaction she gets she should make a decision: If he steps in and sorts it out fine, if not or hesitant, go for London. Good luck.

GoldinGlitterPunk

271

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 21:25

While I don't know, it may be why she's upset. She's being treated unfairly and unprofessionally - both big red flags. Sorry, in that she was either treated better or perhaps similarly and was unhappy as a result of the latter. edited by marycatherine on 31/01/2011 Yes, I agree. I feel like they might be taking advantage of her gentle personality--which is really disgusting to me.

1759

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EW EXPERT

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 21:20

While I don't know, it may be why she's upset. She's being treated unfairly and unprofessionally - both big red flags. Sorry, in that she was either treated better or perhaps similarly and was unhappy as a result of the latter. <em>edited by marycatherine on 31/01/2011</em>

GoldinGlitterPunk

271

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 21:18

Tell her to take the London job. I think she should take the London job too, but she says this job is her dream job and the people she would be working with are people she's academically admired for years. Let her read these responses.........and then make up her own mind, you've done what you can. Just one thing, has she ever been to the UAE, for longer than an interview or a holiday? I know she worked in Dubai from 2002-2005. (no idea what she was doing though).

1340

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 21:14

Tell her to take the London job. I think she should take the London job too, but she says this job is her dream job and the people she would be working with are people she's academically admired for years. Let her read these responses.........and then make up her own mind, you've done what you can. Just one thing, has she ever been to the UAE, for longer than an interview or a holiday?

1759

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 21:11

Sorry, an offer letter with a "range" is not an offer, it's a negotiating starting point. She's being played no matter by whom. Take the London job.

GoldinGlitterPunk

271

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 21:08

Tell her to take the London job. I think she should take the London job too, but she says this job is her dream job and the people she would be working with are people she's academically admired for years.

GoldinGlitterPunk

271

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 21:04

No this isn't a last man standing or waiting until someone blinks and verbal or email - neither is worth the paper it's written on until there IS a letter of offer or intent with a signature on it. Tell her to take the job in London - if they're playing silly bug gers with her now before she arrives, it's not going to get better if she ever gets here at all She was given an offer letter before salary negotiations with an expected range of salary in the letter. She has been assured by her department head that they want her and are excited for her to join.

SarkySue6236658

212

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 20:52

If they want they would have sorted it out by now, the only reason HR is stalling is because they have been told to and there is no budget approval for her recruitment.

1340

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 20:47

SS62 is right, if they are messing her around now..........UAE employment law is.......shall we say, law, but not as we know it, Jim.

SarkySue6236658

212

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 20:45

Tell her to take the London job.

858

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 20:26

When she says 'everyone wants her there', what does that mean? If she means the boss of the department she will be working in, then she really should give them a ring and explain what is going on, that she is being told verbally one thing and another on email and being given impossible 'take it or leave it' deadlines and see if they can intervene. It may be that HR is playing both sides in the hope of getting the salary down or even possibly getting someone he knows in that wasn't their first choice (sounds far fetched I know, but it isn't!) by telling the boss that this person (your neighbour) is being awkward about the salary and they should go with someone else... Worth a shot if she really wants to work in the UAE.

610

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 20:22

Just a v quick reply as I'm supervising tea ........... When my DH was offered the job here (for a semi govt owned co) his boss interviewed him in London (after a telephone interview) and at that stage DH began salary neg's ...... his boss gave him verbally a figure that DH was happy with, then when the official offer letter came through a couple of weeks later from HR (a couple of weeks later yes!!) the letter stated the salary at 20% less ....... DH jumped onto the phone to the HR dept and basically negotiated and got his salary back to what was originally verbally offered. I think it's just the way here, they'll get away with what they can .............. Hopefully your friend can make them see what's she's worth and all works out ok.....my tip is just to tell her to at least have a go back at them!! Good luck to her! x

1759

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 31 January 2011 - 20:20

No this isn't a last man standing or waiting until someone blinks and verbal or email - neither is worth the paper it's written on until there IS a letter of offer or intent with a signature on it. Tell her to take the job in London - if they're playing silly bug gers with her now before she arrives, it's not going to get better if she ever gets here at all

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