scrubbedexpat005

Hi everyone

Just wondering if anyone who has made (or is in process of making) the move can give me some tips on telling the boss that you are emigrating?

Did anyone ask for a career break, rather than resigning outright?

Just by way of background I actually have a very good job here in UK, but I am Canadian and want to move back with my now PR approved husband!

Look forward to any advice you can give!

Bali2010

Well my circumstances might be totally irrelevant to yours but this is how I did it.

Pending internal restructure
Considered if I would get VR & tested jokingly - answer No so did not ask for that
Waited until the restructure was completed & I was placed in a role & got a line manager who I trusted better than the alternatives
Mentioned to line manager that I was considering a range of options for career progression, including working abroad (this is true BTW, but helped dilute the intent)
spoke about need to have my work experience assessed to even see if it was possible to get a visa
explained i might still not go, but am keeping options open
asked for discretion

now, the line manager is a really nice guy and whilst he said he did not want me to do anything to leave & would have preferred to not sign the letter he did.

I did not say things like, well I aim to be out in 12 months, or there is a likely max wait time of 3 yrs or anything like that, as at the moment if the work looks so unlikely I might never follow through

he did ask about age limits etc, but as there aren't any set limits, there isn't a deadline for when to move

had it been a different line manager then I would have gone the HR manager route & asked for discretion.

Given you already have all your docs & am not going through what I have, then I know that at my place we would not allow career breaks, though keeping them sweet & not burning bridges would help for the 'just in case I come back' scenario.
Also, not leaving in the middle of a key pressure period would help that too / transition replacement etc.

Bali

jericho

Unless you have a very good reason to tell them, I dont see why you'd want to.

I didnt tell my employers a thing until I resigned, having received my LMO and booked my flights.

Bramley

My hubby didn't mention anything about emigrating at work till the very last minute...he gave a months notice with him being works manager so there was a smooth handover and that was about it. I wouldn't worry too much about telling your boss, I think you'll find they'll wish you all the very best for the future and also wish they were going with you

Good luck

cov-canuck

Our situation was a little different - I'm a Canadian citizen, so sponsoring my husband was more an exercise than a concern about whether or not we'd get in.

I did not attempt to hide the fact that I was planning to leave, and was up front with my time scale. I wanted to give the company the courtesy of knowing my plans. Despite working my a$$ off, and harder than anyone else, I was denied the annual salary raise that every other employee got (and I'm not exaggerating). When I questioned it, I was told that since I was leaving in a couple of weeks, they didn't see the point...except I was leaving in 9 months, not a couple of weeks, hadn't given notice, etc. Needless to say I did NOT work my a$$ off after that, and it completely soured my experience at the company.

Having been through that, I wouldn't tell them again.

Novocastrian

Since about 1978 I've always been in a position to hire my own associates.

I've switched countries three times since then (four in total) and each time I got itchy feet I hired someone in good time who I felt could replace me. Then I mentored them into the job and when finally I did decide to quit, recommended them to my boss to take over.

This has meant that I have maintained an excellent relationship with all my previous employers.

It also means that I'm a prodigiously capable talent spotter.

Alberta_Rose

I applied for a new job when my emigration process was already underway.

I explained at my interview that if things went according to plan I would likely be in post for 12-18 months max, but also explained my reasons for wanting the position. (I had been working in a very narrow field and wanted to broaden my recent work experience to make it easier to find work over here.)

I just felt it better to be honest so they had the option of accepting me on those terms. My manager (who had interviewed me) was still surprised when I eventually handed in my notice though. "So you really ARE going to Canada!"

It's just how I do things. I went for a previous job interview and announced that I'd just discovered I was pregnant I still got the job though!

Reidies

We applied for PR in 2007, but didn't get accepted until Nov 09, I didn't tell my employers until Jan10 when our visas arrived. I gave them 4 months notice even though my contract stipulated 3 months. Got a very positive response and worked my socks off until the last day!!!! ( which was quite am emotional day!!!). Three weeks until we land.......

abaddon

Hi,

I had quite a unique situation at my place and have juggled getting a job offer from a Canadian company with arranging voluntary redundancy with my current employer here! I finish here on May 28th and start my new job on June 28th. I'll tell that story another day I think, I just wanted to give my 2p worth of advice for your situation.

Without knowing how "off the record" you can have conversations with your boss, I would play it safe and try and get independent info. Find out if a career break is on offer at your company, get info on how to go about arranging a career break, basically get all the info you can (maybe privately from HR). If you decide a career break would suit you, then approach your boss and say you want to give Canada a go and would like a career break. You say you have a very good job here, so I think this has advantages in keeping some options open in the future.

If you have a set moving date, then it would be nice to prepare your current employers in advance of your notice period - I don't think you would have anything to lose and just "good feeling/relations" to gain.

If you don't have a set moving date, then I would be very wary of letting your employer know that this is your plan. Every workplace/situation is different, but I think that no matter what people say, their thinking and decisions on your progression/future will be affected by knowing your ultimate plan is Canada. If your plans are not that concrete, my advice is to not say anything - you know your situation best, but think long and hard if you are in this position.

Hope that helps!

el_richo

Don't tell them. Call in sick and have a Dr sign you off for 12 months due to stress. All the while, you enjoy your first 12 months in Canada earning two wages, and if you don't like it just fly back and go back to work.

Sorted


.

JET747

I just told him the truth. He had to sign my work experience sheets for immigration anyway.

I told him taht I was applying for residency. This would then give me an option for the future. I told him that if we have it it gives us 3 years to make a decision before the residency rule deadline.

Now that I have it told him that we have decided to look for work and then emigrate. I have informed him all the way along so that he was kept in the picture and I have been transparent and honest. He respects this, which is good considering that BP may very well be asking him for a reference this week. It also gives him some time to think of who to promote when I leave.

It is not as if you are leaving for a competitor or company down the road. I have always maintained that this move is designed not for work reasons but to better our lives as a family and gives our children the best opportuinty of success for the future - - our beliefs.

This policy I adopted from the start has held me in good stead, what have you to lose, they can't sack you because of it !
(not legally)
JET

T-Pot

I told our HR officer as I had to get a letter confirming how long I had been in post, she then told my manager (who I didn't get on with).

Job done!

Almost Canadian

Depending on how long you have worked for them they could legally sack you. Even if, in theory, they could not sack you but did, what are you going to do? Return to the UK to attend an Employment Tribunal hearing? I think not.

Souvy

A mate of my brother's was sacked on the spot when he mentioned it to his boss. Not sure what his employment status was.

JET747

If you tell your employer that you are applying for residency how can they sack you ?

Then again I have been lucky where I have always worked for global oil/chemical firms, I am not too sure what the terms and conditions of a local buisness are, but would find it totally unreasonable on anyone.

JET