Re: Bad employment situation advice needed

[Tom Johnson <johnsont -at- FREEWAY -dot- NET>]

On Monday, August 03, 1998 9:20 PM, Eric J. Ray [SMTP:ejray -at- RAYCOMM -dot- COM]
wrote:
> Name withheld upon request. Please reply on list.
>
> *************************************************
>
>
> I need some advice on a pretty thorny employment situation. For me the
> question is not whether to quit this job, but when.

<snip>

> The problem with quitting is that because I was relocated for the
position,
> I'm liable to reimburse this employer for relocation costs since I signed
> an agreement to that effect. The agreement expires in a few months, and I
> suppose I could hang on, but I'm sick of being miserable here and I may
> have the opportunity to accept an offer from a quality organization with
> better pay and benefits shortly.
>
> Can anyone advise me on the enforceability of the relocation
reimbursement
> agreement, how likely it is they will hold me to it, or how I can get out
> of it given the ridiculous circumstances? Is there a way to broach the
> subject without giving away my plans? I'm tempted to quit without giving
> notice since I'm quite sure they will screw me out of two weeks? pay, in
> accord with HR policies regarding resignation by relocated individuals.


Anonymous,

My heart goes out to you. I can't say I've ever been in a situation that
bad, but maybe it isn't as bad as it seems. I think my approach would be to
allocate two or three days to define the problem in concrete terms, come up
with a proposed solution and present that solution to your supervisor. Tell
him or her what you think it is going to take to get this project rolling
smoothly. He or she should realize there is a crisis and nobody will
survive this mess if there isn't some accountability, especially for the
developers. It may be possible to salvage the project, maybe it is time to
scrap it all together if everybody is in over their head.

I would start looking for another position immediately. See if you can get
your new employer to cover some or all of what you would have to reimburse.
Maybe you can get enough pay, over the course of a year, at your new job,
to cover the moving expenses. Biting the bullet on the moving expense may
seem steep right now, but a few thousand dollars could remove several
months of stress.

In your SPARE time, talk to a lawyer and find out about the validity of the
contract details. And please, please, don't encourage your employer to post
the job vacancy on techwr-l when you leave.


Tom Johnson
Traverse City, MI.

business johnsont -at- starcutter -dot- com
personal tjohnson -at- grandtraverse -dot- com


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