A friend asked me whether expats are being brought back to their home countries under the premise of reassignment only to be terminated. The friend said their phone numbers suddenly stopped working. Is this happening?
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I would really love to go to Schiedam, The Netherlands for an expat assignment at Guyana Project. I saw a fellow BTC engineer assigned there too. What ranking group should I have?
I worked internationally for 18 years. Many colleagues were lobs from their hame country and were lobbed around from Chad to Sakhalin to Eckett to Malabo to Angola to Cepu, to PNG until they retired without having contributed much in their years overseas, but having saved lots of USDs, ADs, pounds, euros, or ringgits.
Maybe company is just realizing how many low performers are being picked up off the trade board by teams who are trading someone equally incompetent.
Expat assignments are tightening up to be demonstrated value added positions, unlike many of the gravy positions in the past. Affiliates are now more empowered to accept or reject expats. There is a definite political element around accepting BTC expats, even though some don't presently have the expertise required. However, that's a Company strategy to get the best of them real life experiences. The ones chosen have the personal characteristics to learn fast and make the most of it. Many of the old timers who can do it are still being used to train everyone and push for success. My opinion is that expats are finally being used more wisely now than ever.
All expats are money hungry greedy leeches.
As was said, it is a rare exception. Expats in US and EU are typically HIPOs of some type and HIPOs are not fired. As simple as that.
Some expats are sent to the host location due to their expertise...when they come back to home location, and their expertise is no longer needed, then it is bye-bye...
I'm from Europe. We've seen a number of expats coming back to their home country. Dismissal wasn't a systematic rule. Some were redeployed to different positions, others decided to leave, some refused positions they were offered (too far from their trade) and were dismissed.
It does happen especially to expats that are retirement eligible. I know of two cases in the last ten years. Both from European affliates.
I’ve seen this happen before
It’s a dirty trick, but it happens. A lot of expats can be costly so it helps to off board them from the books
Have only seen this happen once. Expat returned from Canada to US and immediately terminated without reason
No. Did not happened. Fake news.
I saw this happen last year, although expats think they are untouchable
There are some expats that were offered jobs in their expat country at non-expat local wages. If you said no, you were on the road to termination.
It is very nice to hear this good news.
I know of someone who was from UK and was sent from US home to be let go
Yes especially if the expats are from high cost countries, particularly those other than the US
yes