I am writing my entry early this week while the experience is fresh in my mind, before it loses its poignancy.
I had mentioned earlier that I was hoping to move apartments and commented that this would be a blog entry in itself. Perhaps more than one!
It all began over four weeks ago when a notice arrived at my doorstep asking if I wanted to renew my apartment. As I had been told I'd have to stay here for a year at least I jumped at the opportunity to move. Now don't get me wrong, our building is very new, in fact it only opened in August last year. The rooms are big enough and nicely finished. The roof boasts a gymnasium and pool. However, the building is on a building site and there are eight buildings either finished or works in progress that are powered by generators. Each building has about six generators running continually. Hence there is constant noise which varies from an annoying hum to an impossible to get to sleep at night rumble. As I have acute hearing I find the incessant noise extremely intrusive, bordering on abusive.
So I signed the form saying I would terminate my contract. This meant finding a new apartment.
First step was to get my housing allowance onto my ERP. I've just realised that I don't even know what that stands for but it is all my personal information accessible online. Any changes or information sharing happens through this site. The site is used for uploading personal information, notifying of any personal changes, applying for leave, applying for visas, reporting back in after the holidays, in fact anything you want to do including terminating a lease or applying for a new lease.
So began my visits and emails to my employer. An email to housing was the first step. No response so a visit. You have to understand that things work differently here. Housing is an open plan office that you go into. Then you wander to someone's desk and start talking to them. You have no idea who does what and many of them don't speak English. If you are like me, you stand and wait or even worse, take a seat and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, until some helpful person tells you just to go over there. One visit lasts anything from and hour to three depending on the mindset of the staff.
(I have already told you this bit of the story but I will continue anyway.)
So on the first visit I wait three hours to be told it is an HR problem, not housing. So off to HR to be told that there is no-one there to help.
Next day I return to HR to find they have taken action by emailing housing as it's their problem not HR. So back to housing I go. Of course these two departments are in different buildings so I wander back over next door. So at this stage my problem is to get a housing allowance allocated.
Back at housing I wait again then finally find a new man willing to help. More time passes but eventually an Indian man loads my housing allowance. Incorrectly, of course. When I explain this to him he tells me I am Divorced therefore not entitled to the higher allowance. I ask him to phone over to HR as it was approved there but he tells me he doesn't work for my employer and walks off.
So the saga continues.
Several more visits to housing and another to HR find me with the same allowance. By this time the term is drawing to a close and housing is chaotic with people everywhere. At least 30 waiting and at times not one staff member serving. People push in and there are no systems whatsoever. You can imagine that this irritates me immensely and I just want to get in there and sort it out. Never mind my issue.
So a visit is now taking at least 3 hours, often spent standing as you don't want to lose your spot if you are close to a staff member. By now the head of housing has taken leave so no-one knows what to do. Then a lovely Egyptian man is hired and will be lucky to survive as he is currently working from 8am to 11pm to process applications. He looks as if he will have a heart attack and drop dead behind the counter, running from A-B and dealing with at least six people at a time. While no-one else lifts a finger!
One week I go in and they have put a desk out with forms for us to fill in. I get the rude lady again about my housing eligibility (I filled in the form incorrectly and was told so) who says it is now a computer glitch and not to worry (or in Arabic terminology - 'No Problem!') Just put the correct amount on the form when I apply. Ok! I am given this same information repeatedly over the next two to three weeks on subsequent visits.
The next week they have turned the desk around and blocked off the staff members so you have to yell over the counter with an office full of people listening. Still only one serving. And did I mention they shut at 2pm and we are all still at work until that time.
The real problem begins when I find an apartment and want to enter the data online. Oops, I can't because the allowance is more than I am entitled to. Another visit to HR to be told it is sorted at their end and they don't want me to go back as it isn't their problem.
'No Problem' though at housing. Just put a note for housing and it will be ok. Plus I need to tick the box to say I will pay the difference as the computer won't accept it. It seems to be a problem for me but 'No problem' for them. I have been told this about 10 times by now so I am beginning to believe it. By this stage I have emailed the rude lady and have a reply of a copy she sent to the Indian man telling him, FYA. I took that to mean, for your action. How wrong I was.
So I find my new apartment and get a letter of offer. I take this in to the Egyptian man and enter the details online along with my message to housing re eligibility & reluctantly tick the box, all the time wondering if I am going to have a hefty exit account.
Am I beginning to sound like a broken record?
Well just to vamp it up a bit there's a twist.
When you apply for a new contract you have to provide the letter of offer with supporting documents. 'No problem' you think. Ummmm....
One of the supporting documents is a clearance letter from your existing apartment. Now just to spice things up this can only be obtained once you have handed in your keys, parking remote, and have a clearance letter from the power company.
But I'm not moving for three weeks. How does that work? 'No problem.' Just bring your clearance letter in and then we will do the contract.
So off I head to the power company. Another two hour wait (hey, haven't I done this already three weeks ago? Yes, that's right!) to be told that to get a clearance letter they read the meter then disconnect the electricity the following day. You then go in and pay and the following day come back in and get your clearance letter. 'No problem'.
But I'm not moving for three weeks. How does that work? 'No problem.' Just let us know when you want it done.
So back to housing. 'No problem'. Just bring the clearance in and we'll do the contract.
Back to the maintenance man at the apartment. 'No problem'. Just bring in the power clearance letter and he'll do the apartment clearance. I feel a flow diagram coming on here to illustrate this process.
Several sleepless nights later I'm back at housing to be told by 'my' Egyptian that because he trusts me he will get the contract typed and once I've got the keys to the new place and moved my furniture to get my clearance. All very against the rules but am I arguing? NO!
Two days later he phones to say, 'Big problem!' I can't get the higher housing allowance as I'm divorced.
Well, you can imagine me by this time.
But it gets better!!!!
He instructs me to go to HR to sort it as I told him it's all sorted there. So back I go. Remembering all this is in a taxi and in work time. The lady at HR was not happy to see me and said, "Haven't you been in before? This was all sorted." Yes, I thought so too. She picks up the phone to ring the rude lady who, of course, doesn't answer. Then she rings the man in charge of the housing department and rants and raves at him.
Off I go to him and he takes me up to the rude lady (who I am sure hates me by this time and I her by the time I leave). She patiently explains to me that I don't qualify as I am divorced. D I V O R C E D! Yes, a sin here. I try to explain that I have been divorced for 30 years and the child in question is not from that husband. Even worse sin. I patiently tell her that HR has approved the higher allowance but she tells me that they don't understand housing policies. By now I am crying with frustration. Without a letter of support from the courts in New Zealand I am not getting a higher allowance. We reach a stalemate. She then explains that she wants to sort this and finds me other apartments within my budget. I tell her I have looked and they are too small as I have a 16 year old son with me. 'No problem'. Just move up higher in the building I'm in. It should be quieter. I leave totally disillusioned and ready to pack my bags and fly home.
I was so upset and emotionally drained I went home and slept for a few hours, much to my son's concern. He suggested I phone our friend, the NZ Ambassador, to see if he could help.
After a night licking my wounds and some sleep I awoke ready for battle. I phoned to say I wouldn't be going to work and headed downtown to the housing manager. He was shocked to see me again but seemed to want to help me solve the problem. Back we go to housing and talk to another woman who types the contracts. A long dialogue takes place in Arabic but I get the gist of many of the comments. From the gestures it appears the Indian man would not load the higher amount without this paper. And I can't get this paper. After much discussion I interrupt and ask would it help if I changed my status from divorced to single with a child? Apparently not. But I've since loaded that on my ERP so will see what the response is there.
Finally it is decided that this document doesn't have to be from a NZ court, they can do it for me at the courthouse in Abu Dhabi. Probably take an hour and cost under 100 AED. I had also asked about a letter from the NZ Embassy and they said that would suffice but the court would be easier.
Perhaps you'd better get a coffee about now and return to the saga after a break. I might do the same as it's been a long couple of days. Check out part 2.
I had mentioned earlier that I was hoping to move apartments and commented that this would be a blog entry in itself. Perhaps more than one!
It all began over four weeks ago when a notice arrived at my doorstep asking if I wanted to renew my apartment. As I had been told I'd have to stay here for a year at least I jumped at the opportunity to move. Now don't get me wrong, our building is very new, in fact it only opened in August last year. The rooms are big enough and nicely finished. The roof boasts a gymnasium and pool. However, the building is on a building site and there are eight buildings either finished or works in progress that are powered by generators. Each building has about six generators running continually. Hence there is constant noise which varies from an annoying hum to an impossible to get to sleep at night rumble. As I have acute hearing I find the incessant noise extremely intrusive, bordering on abusive.
So I signed the form saying I would terminate my contract. This meant finding a new apartment.
First step was to get my housing allowance onto my ERP. I've just realised that I don't even know what that stands for but it is all my personal information accessible online. Any changes or information sharing happens through this site. The site is used for uploading personal information, notifying of any personal changes, applying for leave, applying for visas, reporting back in after the holidays, in fact anything you want to do including terminating a lease or applying for a new lease.
So began my visits and emails to my employer. An email to housing was the first step. No response so a visit. You have to understand that things work differently here. Housing is an open plan office that you go into. Then you wander to someone's desk and start talking to them. You have no idea who does what and many of them don't speak English. If you are like me, you stand and wait or even worse, take a seat and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, until some helpful person tells you just to go over there. One visit lasts anything from and hour to three depending on the mindset of the staff.
(I have already told you this bit of the story but I will continue anyway.)
So on the first visit I wait three hours to be told it is an HR problem, not housing. So off to HR to be told that there is no-one there to help.
Next day I return to HR to find they have taken action by emailing housing as it's their problem not HR. So back to housing I go. Of course these two departments are in different buildings so I wander back over next door. So at this stage my problem is to get a housing allowance allocated.
Back at housing I wait again then finally find a new man willing to help. More time passes but eventually an Indian man loads my housing allowance. Incorrectly, of course. When I explain this to him he tells me I am Divorced therefore not entitled to the higher allowance. I ask him to phone over to HR as it was approved there but he tells me he doesn't work for my employer and walks off.
So the saga continues.
Several more visits to housing and another to HR find me with the same allowance. By this time the term is drawing to a close and housing is chaotic with people everywhere. At least 30 waiting and at times not one staff member serving. People push in and there are no systems whatsoever. You can imagine that this irritates me immensely and I just want to get in there and sort it out. Never mind my issue.
So a visit is now taking at least 3 hours, often spent standing as you don't want to lose your spot if you are close to a staff member. By now the head of housing has taken leave so no-one knows what to do. Then a lovely Egyptian man is hired and will be lucky to survive as he is currently working from 8am to 11pm to process applications. He looks as if he will have a heart attack and drop dead behind the counter, running from A-B and dealing with at least six people at a time. While no-one else lifts a finger!
One week I go in and they have put a desk out with forms for us to fill in. I get the rude lady again about my housing eligibility (I filled in the form incorrectly and was told so) who says it is now a computer glitch and not to worry (or in Arabic terminology - 'No Problem!') Just put the correct amount on the form when I apply. Ok! I am given this same information repeatedly over the next two to three weeks on subsequent visits.
The next week they have turned the desk around and blocked off the staff members so you have to yell over the counter with an office full of people listening. Still only one serving. And did I mention they shut at 2pm and we are all still at work until that time.
The real problem begins when I find an apartment and want to enter the data online. Oops, I can't because the allowance is more than I am entitled to. Another visit to HR to be told it is sorted at their end and they don't want me to go back as it isn't their problem.
'No Problem' though at housing. Just put a note for housing and it will be ok. Plus I need to tick the box to say I will pay the difference as the computer won't accept it. It seems to be a problem for me but 'No problem' for them. I have been told this about 10 times by now so I am beginning to believe it. By this stage I have emailed the rude lady and have a reply of a copy she sent to the Indian man telling him, FYA. I took that to mean, for your action. How wrong I was.
So I find my new apartment and get a letter of offer. I take this in to the Egyptian man and enter the details online along with my message to housing re eligibility & reluctantly tick the box, all the time wondering if I am going to have a hefty exit account.
Am I beginning to sound like a broken record?
Well just to vamp it up a bit there's a twist.
When you apply for a new contract you have to provide the letter of offer with supporting documents. 'No problem' you think. Ummmm....
One of the supporting documents is a clearance letter from your existing apartment. Now just to spice things up this can only be obtained once you have handed in your keys, parking remote, and have a clearance letter from the power company.
But I'm not moving for three weeks. How does that work? 'No problem.' Just bring your clearance letter in and then we will do the contract.
So off I head to the power company. Another two hour wait (hey, haven't I done this already three weeks ago? Yes, that's right!) to be told that to get a clearance letter they read the meter then disconnect the electricity the following day. You then go in and pay and the following day come back in and get your clearance letter. 'No problem'.
But I'm not moving for three weeks. How does that work? 'No problem.' Just let us know when you want it done.
So back to housing. 'No problem'. Just bring the clearance in and we'll do the contract.
Back to the maintenance man at the apartment. 'No problem'. Just bring in the power clearance letter and he'll do the apartment clearance. I feel a flow diagram coming on here to illustrate this process.
Several sleepless nights later I'm back at housing to be told by 'my' Egyptian that because he trusts me he will get the contract typed and once I've got the keys to the new place and moved my furniture to get my clearance. All very against the rules but am I arguing? NO!
Two days later he phones to say, 'Big problem!' I can't get the higher housing allowance as I'm divorced.
Well, you can imagine me by this time.
But it gets better!!!!
He instructs me to go to HR to sort it as I told him it's all sorted there. So back I go. Remembering all this is in a taxi and in work time. The lady at HR was not happy to see me and said, "Haven't you been in before? This was all sorted." Yes, I thought so too. She picks up the phone to ring the rude lady who, of course, doesn't answer. Then she rings the man in charge of the housing department and rants and raves at him.
Off I go to him and he takes me up to the rude lady (who I am sure hates me by this time and I her by the time I leave). She patiently explains to me that I don't qualify as I am divorced. D I V O R C E D! Yes, a sin here. I try to explain that I have been divorced for 30 years and the child in question is not from that husband. Even worse sin. I patiently tell her that HR has approved the higher allowance but she tells me that they don't understand housing policies. By now I am crying with frustration. Without a letter of support from the courts in New Zealand I am not getting a higher allowance. We reach a stalemate. She then explains that she wants to sort this and finds me other apartments within my budget. I tell her I have looked and they are too small as I have a 16 year old son with me. 'No problem'. Just move up higher in the building I'm in. It should be quieter. I leave totally disillusioned and ready to pack my bags and fly home.
I was so upset and emotionally drained I went home and slept for a few hours, much to my son's concern. He suggested I phone our friend, the NZ Ambassador, to see if he could help.
After a night licking my wounds and some sleep I awoke ready for battle. I phoned to say I wouldn't be going to work and headed downtown to the housing manager. He was shocked to see me again but seemed to want to help me solve the problem. Back we go to housing and talk to another woman who types the contracts. A long dialogue takes place in Arabic but I get the gist of many of the comments. From the gestures it appears the Indian man would not load the higher amount without this paper. And I can't get this paper. After much discussion I interrupt and ask would it help if I changed my status from divorced to single with a child? Apparently not. But I've since loaded that on my ERP so will see what the response is there.
Finally it is decided that this document doesn't have to be from a NZ court, they can do it for me at the courthouse in Abu Dhabi. Probably take an hour and cost under 100 AED. I had also asked about a letter from the NZ Embassy and they said that would suffice but the court would be easier.
Perhaps you'd better get a coffee about now and return to the saga after a break. I might do the same as it's been a long couple of days. Check out part 2.
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