scrubbedexpat141

I have a few people trying to get out of Oman because of NOC issues.

Not very clear but along the lines of; if you give an emlpoyee an NOC you cannot replace that role at all / with another expat.

Still, got a juicy Commercial Manager role over there at the moment if anyone is keen?

OriginalSunshine

NOC thing in Oman is very clear

All expat contracts are 2 year contracts. You must fulfil that contract. If you don't fulfil it you can give X months notice, but then you have to leave Oman for 2 years out of the country.

If you don't fulfil the contract, want to move to a new job, you need to ask your current company for an NOC.

They can choose to give an NOC or not.

However, if they give an NOC, they basically reduce their entitlement to expat positions by the number of NOCs given out. So either they Omanise that position or they lose it.

So most companies are not giving NOCs. So most expats who do not want to complete 2 years on the contract, because, pooh, little piddly things like getting paid on time, or even perhaps fussily even getting paid at all by All-About-Ahmed and brothers LLC, have to leave Oman and are not allowed to return for 2 years.

For big companies it is less of an issue as they tend to treat expats better, employees don't want to leave, but those that do will also be unlikely to get an NOC, since even the big companies don't want to replace qualified expat with Distinctly-Average-Ali.

scrubbedexpat141

Thanks OS. Very helpful.

OriginalSunshine

welcome petal

OriginalSunshine

as an example, we are relocating out of the sand pit as we've been here too long, and off for a lovely SEA job....

but say I was interested in your Commercial Manager role (though I'm on featherbed so I doubt I would be) I wouldn't be able to move in country, as there is no way my current company would want to localise my role (you know, silly little thing like controlling almost US$1bn might give the opportunity for erm you know ) so they wouldn't give me an NOC. so the only way I could take the job with you would be if I left at the end of my contract, so you have to get the timing right, and be prepared to leave the country if the new job falls through.

OriginalSunshine

duck, i say "so" at lot at the beginning of sentences.

need to stop that.

scrubbedexpat141

Roger that.

This is the first featherbed role I've had in I don't know how long!

Thanks again.

Millhouse

not as frequently as you mention the top-grain leather lined, goose feather stuffed package

weasel decentral

Let's try define it for construction types, what would be considered feather bed?

• Schools, accommodation, health care included.
• Decent transport like a good 4X4 or car, engine size at least 4 litres, potentially with driver.
• 3 or 4 return flights per year business class
• secretary or PA
• salary approx $20,000 per month
• maybe 45 calendar days holidays.

Is that feather bed or or would the salary be higher? Speaking about project director or senior project personnel on site or an area manager in head office.

Millhouse

I wouldn't show up on Thursdays for that. It would have to include golf or waterpark membership.

weasel decentral

Go on then, I am having a stab at what would be considered feather bed in construction. Finance city boys want that every week.

scrubbedexpat141

Construction 'featherbed' to me is:

House provided
Bills paid
Car provided
xNo flights provided (family)
School fees paid in full - up to 3 kids to age 18
Family medical
Good basic (eg: 30-40-50,000)

Makes that worth a hell of a lot of money.

40k base (for example)
20k house
5k car
3k bills
4k flights (3no for family of 4)
10k schooling (2kids at 60k each)

= 82,000 value.

weasel decentral

So similar to what I thought but half the base salary, 10k instead of 20k. What about holidays how many days?

scrubbedexpat141

To be honest it depends. Some people will do big packages like that and pay a 25k basic.

Some people / companies would rather have all the cash money to do what they want with. IE: if you're Joe Bloggs and here without the family, then why would you want to live in a huge house instead of an apartment maybe?

If you've not got kids here and a similar level counterpart has 3, he's suddenly getting c 15,000 a month more than you - save the argument and pay both the same amount cash.

Things like that are partly why I'm more likely to ring you and say 50/60/70k all in than 30k + everything.

OriginalSunshine

may be your perception, but it's not something I intentionally do

but.... there are a lot of things in my life that suck (BRCA positive, SEN children) but when it comes to my work, my remuneration rocks (as do I ), so yes, I'm proud of that coming from a 2 up 2 down council flat as a kid, I think I've pulled myself up pretty f'ing awesomely, and no internet stranger can ever take that away from me with written snark