Temporay Assignment (Help) 1

[jobeth]

I have a temporary engineering assignment with my employer brewing at Boeing in Seattle. Does anyone have experience with job relocation issues?

I wanted just to ask if anyone has or had an exit strategy for returning back home after thier assignment was over. Do you get something in writing? My fear is being stuck out there with no plan to get back home after 2-3 years. I have a wife and four children so it's scary......Any advice?

Thank you again in advance, Bill B.




William H. Bernhart, P.E.


I work as a development engineer for AMP - Tyco Electronics located near Harrisburg, PA. I help design interconnections and electrical connectors for aerospace applications.

 

[ctopher]

I have had two friends take similar jobs, but could never return. One of them is stuck in El Paso, was suppose to be two years! I have never been in the situation, not much advise. I have kids and personaly won't do it because of them, unless it was stable full time permanent. Good luck.

 

[tygerdawg]

I agree with CTOPHER, wouldn't do it because of kids. But that choice is yours, of course.

In a similar situation a friend recommended I tell the boss "I'd love to take your assignment! But first I need you to do THIS for me..." And then submit a list of things that the company needs to do before they ship you off to Timbuktu: written contract with dates, options, travel, per diem, pay rate, cost of living, performance evaluations, housing allowance, etc etc etc. Basically everything it takes to protect your livelihood and sanity and marriage. Determine what your minimum acceptance point is before you start negotiating. If they don't do it, don't go. It might cost you a job in the long run, but would you really want to work for a company that treats you as a consumable commodity?

TygerDawg

 

[JPatten]

I have been on several temporary asignments and in my experience there are several things that always hold true.

1. The assignment always seems to be for longer than they tell you.

2. If you didn't negotiate it before you went than there is no way you will be able to negotiate it after you get there.

3. Get everyhting in writing if you can (always easier said than done).

4. Don't think that they will appreciate or remember that you made any sacrafices to go to the assignment.

5. Once you take one temporary assignment you are labeled as someone who will take all temporary assignments.

Seattle is a long way away from Harrisburg, PA. Which means that most of your trips home are eaten up with travel. Just remember while you are gone your kids keep growing and learn to live without you.


Good luck on your decision.
Joe

 

[CESSNA1]

JOBETH: Temporary jobs and the requirements are varied and all over the place. I agree with tygerdawg. Get everything in writing including your return rights and how your housing will be handled. I have a friend who did this. His company paid him travel and perdiem so he could rent a place in California. Meanwhile he rented his house in New jersey. Do you want to rent your house? or leave your family there? or let it sit vacant? One thing to consider is Seattle climate. Georgeous summers but wet
(but not real cold) in the winter. I spent October in Tacoma many years ago and we had one day of sunshine. It never really got light, just less dark and it rarely rained just misting and drizzle and occasional showers, but WET. Many people there have "DAYLIGHT" lighting in there house.

Goood luck on your choice, what ever it is.

Regards
Dave

 

[COKA]

On the other hand, if you do take the job and bring your family, other problems will come up, specially if your kids are young. It will be heart breaking for them to leave their friends. Two years later, it will be heart breaking for them when they have to leave their new friends again! A coleague of mine did just that! Brought his 3 kids to a new life. They were small - 2, 4, and 7 years old, so it wasn't too bad. The oldest just finished his first year in school, and was not very happy to leave his friends, but the other two were OK. Three years later, when his contract finished and they were going back, it really got to his two older kids by then 7 and 10. They became bitter and disrespectful and moody, and you name it... The family is not doing too good as a family right now.

I don't want to scare you, but you better take into account all the possibilities BEFORE you move. If I were in your position, I would not take the job unless it is permanent. Yes, I know, sometimes families have no choice to move and so on, but if you DO have a choice, think twice.

Good luck!

Coka

 

[controlnovice]

Good recommendations.

I ran into an issue opposite of Coka's. My friend's children didn't want to move due to missing their friends. They moved anyway (kid's will get over it right?). They actually flew some of their children's old friends to their new location for weekends (he was a VP of a large corp) 'cause they missed them so. Well, go figure, by the end of the weekend, the kids weren't even talking to each other.

If you chose not to take the assignment - do you still have a job? Two years is a long time NOT to take your family with you. I suppose because its temporary there are no relocation expenses so that makes it not worthwhile.

Also: be careful of naming companies on these posts. You never know who else is reading them. It's probably not an issue for this posting, but keep in mind for future....

 

[BJC]

See what the IRS says about temporary. I don't think 2 years is temporary to them. There is an allowable deductable expense for living away from home. The IRS has a schedule and Seattle is one of the more expensive places.
Seattle is $ 168-173 a day. See this site for per-diem rates.

http://policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtt/perdiem/perdiem.cfm?st=WASHINGTON&yr=2005

One your employer should be paying you. If the employer doesn't pay it you can deduct some of your expenses (up to the rates the IRS allows ), but not for two years ( that is the last time I did it.).
If you go keep good records and get an accountant who has experience in your type situation.

 

[haggis]

jobeth

COKA's post hit on the most important consideration....Family. I've been around for a long time and done this travelling bit in the late 60's when my kid's were infants. It didn't take me long to see that I was missing too much and it could even affect my marriage. Taking the family with you is no real solution either as kids like to grow up in familiar surroundings and can be adversely affected by moving around. If one has to work away from home for financial reasons, things can be different on the home front as it is dictated by neccessity but if it is by choice, things can go sour.

Individuals are however all different and the pros and cons have to weighed up to one's particular situation. After all, lot's of Military families survive years of a totaly nomadic lifestyle.

Whatever your decision, I wish you and your family well.

Good luck

 

[jsummerfield]

I gather that you are refering to a temporary assignment with your current umployer and not a temporary job shop agency. I am direct and have also worked contract through job shops. You can transition back to direct. I have accepted jobsite assignments, both desirable and undesirable.

You are asking about a domestic deal. Be certain that you understand the deal and how that fits with your wants and needs. Do you have small kids? I am facing an international deal to a place that I do not want to go, and single status, for one-year. This will be very bad. My choices are not pretty.

Job relocation is a serious problem. Lots of temporary work is through an agency. They locate the work and the workers for a commission, perhaps as much as 35% of the rate. Often there is no real commitment made by the client. I have heard of people accepting a job thousands of miles from home - only to find that the job was gone when the employee arived at the client company. If you change payroll centers, as a transfer, getting back is subject to the employers needs at the end of your temporary assignment.

Ask about per-diem rates, overtime pay (paid or not, straight time, ...), paid travel from point of origin, leave, etc.

Many tax issues may exist. If the assignment is short-term you can stay on expenses. If you get a living allowance it will show up on your W2 as income. Exceptions might include construction camps with temporary houseing where you cannot rent an appartement.

Does the deal include benefits such as medical?

Do you have any real choices? Do you want the assignment?

John

 

[AndrewTX]

I was in a situation at the beginning of the year where I was asked to go on what would be two consecutive temporary assigments, both for about 6 months. This was to support construction of oil and gas platforms.

At the time the assignment would have started my daughter was 4 months old. These were single status so taking my family would have been at my expense.

I did not have any written agreement about coming back to the home office, but I also had no worries as these types of assignments are common in our company. I did have a signed contract that covered pay, hours, overtime, trips home, etc.

However, the thought of spending that much time away from my family, especially during my little girl's first year of life made me decline the assignment. The company wasn't happy, but so far I've felt no ill effects from my decision.

If assignments like what you are being asked to do are relatively common, and others have taken them and come back with out special provisions, you should not really worry about your job. If this is something new, get the return details in writing. My previous company had it in their contracts that if there was no postion for you at the end of your temporary assignment, they would still cover the costs to return you to your point of origin.