dinger24

Yes I concur, a freind recently recieved his gratuity in less than 14 days, ufortunatley it was paid into his German account and not his UK account by JPA. So it was quick but not what he had requested.

DAVIE_MAC

One of the guys at our place (SSgt) left and for reasons I don't know either human error for not changing bank details or what it was...but JPA paid his gratuity to his EX WIFES ACCOUNT!!!!!

As they were going through a messy divorce you can imagine how difficult it was asking her for a cheque to repay the money...as he has gone I don't know what the outcome was...nightmare! You just see her saying I will pay you back @ £10 a month as I have spent it....

dinger24

ooouch!

woz718

My hubby and I are also considering the move after having spent 2 years at BATUS. The dilemma we have is he has been offered a posting for his last 2 years back to BATUS. We initially saw this as a golden opportunity to do some more research out there, do some job hunting and and make the final decision that Alberta is the place we want to be. Now though, we are a little unsure as it would mean leaving at the end of the posting, coming back to UK to no house and no job and wait until the gratuity clears. Plus, immigration is all so much harder now without a job. Sadly, the Canada we fell in love with 6 years ago has changed so much and it now seems nigh on impossible without a job offer to get out there. I'd be interested to know what other ex-mil are actually doing for jobs out there. Hubby would be looking at transport management having been in the RLC and working as a Bde Master Driver. I would work in HR or recruitment.

Cheers, Woz.

dexdaw

We landed in March this year and I'm still in the RN (24 years and counting. Were using the 2 years in 5 rule to retain our permanent residence until our daughter has finished her A levels. My intention is to stay in the UK until i'm officially out (and therefore have my gratuity in hand, overcoming the tax issues) but to try and do my evt's as work placement in Halifax while looking for a house to rent. Sounds ok in theory, anyone see any problems?

marcustandy

Does your surname begin with Wa?? If so, you are probably very close to me at work! If hubby is at work tomorrow I can give him a call with quite a lot of info, especially the key bit of info he needs!!

If not, PM me instead.

marcustandy

I'm sorry but I think you've 'lost sight of the woods because of the tree's'! I was trying to avoid this thread becoming too much 'about me' and my situation but I feel the need to answer your post.

Mismanagement of manpower may well be the case but a higher level than my pay scale. I can assure you that 'six on, six off' for 3 op tours i.e. 3 winter tours on the bounce was not of my making!! Maybe that is the 'mismanagement' that has led to me having so much leave to carry over etc. I also lost 26 days of ALA (leave) last year as there simply wasn't time to take it!! I didn't see single day of the first REN leave entitlement and the second one had to be extended twice for me to have any chance of getting any of it!! You know, I don't even blame my OC (well, not for most of it) because of how much we get hammered.

Consequently, I find myself well into my 'resettlement entitled' period with lots of leave; certainly not through any mismanagement of leave (on my part).

I'd be interested in how you would 'manage' someone in my position. Having been posted to Germany for most of the time since 2001, let alone the time that the Army has had out of me since 1986, I fail to see how I am an unavoidable burden upon my unit if I don't come to work for 5 months.

My conscience is clear; I have made (or more accurately, my family) plenty of sacrifices for the job along the way. Example - just back from Iraq, not yet finished POTL completely, wife due to give birth to our third child, no-one to look after the other two kids and I am sent on the RQMS course, something that was "non-negotiable"!!

It is true that there will be a gap in the unit during my last five months. I am the RQMS and my right-hand man (well, woman civi) handed her notice in on Friday due to hubby being commissioned and posted. There isn't anyone at this time to replace me; does that mean I sacrifice my leave/resettlement and future prep and planning? Of course not. It's not as if my leaving is news to them; it's been in the pipeline for well over 22 years!! The fact I have recently rejected any further extensions doesn't make a difference.

To be blunt, I feel that the system owes me this time to fully prepare for life after the MoD. That prep time should not be at the expense of my family's stability i.e. a move away from this 'foreign country at taxpayers expense' so as to 'free up my billet'. No, I will be staying put, the kids will continue in the same school to the last possible moment, yes I will continue to be paid LOA and will have all my owed time for myself!! Furthermore, thanks to Davie's link, I will probably be staying put in my quarter after my official last day and deal with the 'Damages for Trespass' when the time comes!!


Thanks for that bit of info. We've pretty much decided to stay put until after the gratuity is paid.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As an after note, I do have a dislike for those in 'management' positions who focus entirely on impressing their seniors (and getting promoted) whilst trampling all over those below them. Having worked for an OC who's mantra was "Leave is weak and stress is for losers!" I have felt the pain. I have, by the way, also felt the pleasure when said OC was reeled in, told the error of his ways in no uncertain terms and moved on!!

Don't lose sight of the fact that you are supposed to 'work to live, not live to work'.

dinger24

Hi Woz
Not sure but I think I meet your husband when I was at BATUS last year doing Opfor, anyway that doesnt matter. This is just how I see it and I am sure others on here will either shoot me down in flames or agree?
Personally I would stay out there for the 2 yr post as you say you can job hunt, house hunt and all that good stuff, you can also open a bank account and establish a bank history, car insurance, electrical goods and all the other little bits and bobs. Your husband asks for his last 6 months back in the UK in an army quarter, you renew UK passports etc and sort out what your shipping back out with you. You wait until the gratuity is paid in the UK account then move over.
As for employment, I am looking at trucking, I would prefer home most nights but you have to go with the flow! I suppose I will get to see more of the place as well. I would like to do transport management as well but I am going as a truck driver until I get PNP, I might even stick at it as I cant stand the ground hog day of 9 - 5.

Mrs Miggins

Hi!

We landed on Friday as PRs, but arrived initially on WPs and a study permit in the summer of 07. Study permits (I was the student) have an open work permit attached, which means my OH could work for anyone. Luckily, he's a helicopter pilot, and got work straight after his conversions were done. It cost about 7k in all to convert and that was with an IFR.

We took his Arranged Employment Offer, and after 2 months put together the application for expedited processing, which we didn't get sorted and sent off until the March of 08, by the April we had our Med requests, and the rest is on the time line. The gratuity was processed in about 5 days.

We have had some ups and downs, but all in all have no regrets and would do it all again in a heart beat.....for us a challenge has been leaving the security of the military wage, but the bonus has been having a life that's in our control.

Follow your dream guys, it's well worth it, and as for bringing kids up, the city that we live in Southern Alberta is AWESOME! And no, its not Med Hat lol!

All the best
Mrs M x

DAVIE_MAC

I have looked into Transport Management courses for Canada sort of along the lines of our CPC but they just don't seem to do it.

Most of the companies or guys I have spoken to have been drivers then dispatchers for the companies and moved up the ranks that way I have never come accross "Transport Manager" jobs for Canadian Haulage companies...if anyone has please post the links.

Also as the industry in N.America is so Vastly different from UK & Europe I would think any company would have you in at the bottom as a driver to learn the ropes before even considering anyone for a dispatchers job.

I have also looked recently at the Chartered Institue Of Logistics & Transport (CILT) qualifications and joining to maybe enhance employability but they are worthless in Canada as they are not recognised by the companies or the industry....again that is what I have been told.

Personally I would take the 2yr posting to Canada. At least that way as Dinger said your on the ground, you can House hunt, Job hunt, network, travel and visit other areas if Alberta is not for you, Store your furniture in Canada for arriving back then collect it as your hardly gonna ship it back to ship it out again at your own expence. You now get your last move paid for so the MOD should pay for it to be moved within Canada.

Gratuity should be through within 30 days. Hubby flies back gets paid it then flies out again you could stay with friends on Holiday. Have a rental lined up for when he arrives back then move in.

Maybe not all the above could be done in that sort of order but at least you have the options.

Also his resettlement could be done in Canada again if he ahs no course he wants to do then find a job and use his 7 weeks GRT as a Civvie work attachment....foot in the door and all that.

Also JSP 534 says:


0515. Training and CWA Undertaken Overseas.

agr

Firstly let me make it clear that I in no way underestimate the sacrifices you have made throughout your service career. There is no reason why your conscience should not be clear, and I was not suggesting otherwise.

I would not allow you to save up all your leave to the end of the year. I would require you to start burning up leave from the beginning. In my experience, posts from which someone could be spared for 5 months have all been taken as savings measures.

Well technically it could. I don't see how your CO, faced with a 5 months gapped post, would allow you to save up all your leave for a year. I would call that mismanagement, unless in fact your role is not important and you can be spared - but I don't think that's the case. And the rules do say that 7 weeks resettlement is only available to those who can be spared. I'm not suggesting that's morally right (in fact,it isn't) I'm just explaining the rules.

Of course the 'system' owes you. That's why it provides 7 weeks of resettlement training (if you can be spared) and 4 weeks terminal leave. That has always been in your terms and conditions of service.

If by 'foreign country' you mean Germany, then we are talking at cross purposes. I was addressing the situation of someone posted to Canada for a final tour. If you've been stationed in Germany for years on end then of course it makes sense to do your resettlement there. I don't believe that's generally the case in Canada.

Me too, although I'm not sure how this is relevant.

This is exactly the kind of mismanagement to which I referred. In my experience, the failure of leaders to get their people to take leave makes a high op tempo much worse than it would otherwise be. That's how large leave debts are accrued. And that's why I've always sought to prevent it from happening - including to those reaching the end of their service.

dinger24

I am not taking sides here, however in my case I went for the first resettlement interview on a Mon and on the Wed I was moved Company and flown out to Afghan the following week! I have not taken any leave this year and missed 10 working days from last year. Each person is different and the CO or the OC probably doesnt want you to save up your leave but if your in demand then they have to make a decision. More and more people in the army are having to give up days leave for work, operations, exercise and courses. It is clear we are overstretching our manpower and the lack of recruitment and retention is causing the individual to miss out on his entitlement. If your entitled then take it! The day after you leave the army, or any of the services the powers that be couldnt care less about you! As far as I am concerned I have less than a year left and I am taking every opportunity I can for me and my family to help my move into my new career.

agr

Can't argue with any of this. My point, way back near the beginning of the thread, was that if someone was posted to me for a final tour abroad, then I would not allow him/her to save up all his leave until the end. So it's not wise to assume that being posted to Canada for a final tour means you get 5 months off at the end. I don't let people save up a year's leave because things happen and they end up unable to take it. Then the problem of outstanding leave gets passed on to their next unit - and that's mismanagement. That's all.

dinger24

Yes
I understand this. I very recently had a friend who, cried and cried for his last 6 months in Canada, but they set him out and he was employed. He got his entitlement but that was it. No favours, personally I think he was thinking more with the bit in his pants than the bit under his hat!
Lost touch with him which is a pity as he has moved to Med Hat, Alberta and could have been a good source for me and others.

marcustandy

Perhaps 'my bad' if I didn't make this clear earlier in the thread but this is pretty much the case with regard to my situation. I explained to the boss that I wanted to take all of my entitlements 'in a oner' and he was okay with it. It also means that one of the big G4 projects earlier in the year will have my undivided attention.

In this case it suits all concerned, however, that is just a bonus and even if it didn't work out, I would have expected to take all of my entitlements as it suited me. Every one else in my branch has in times past!

Absolutely!! As I said previously, I lost 26 days in one year. Whenever any of my kids even slightly mention any thought of joining the army I/we do the utmost to steer them away from those thoughts! If it was 10-12 years ago I would've probably have encouraged them but not now - no way!

Again, totally correct and I know of two clear examples of this (day after you leave, you're forgotten)!



Hopefully, I haven't come across as awkward/abrasive with anyone posting in this thread, it's just that I really do believe in the service being far more flexible with those, who after giving 20+ years, are in a vitally important stage of their whole life.