Job Discussion Forums

[Sleepwalker]

Whatever will be - this is happening now. I work with some new staff and this is how they transferred between colleges.

[veiledsentiments]

If both employers agree, one could always get around the NOC rule in the past. (I am assuming that they moved between employers, not just between locations with the same employer)

VS

[Whatever will be]

I know of a few people who have moved from Ibri and Nizwa colleges to Muscat, mainly because they couldn't stand the isolation and boredom of the interior any longer.

They are still with the same recruitment agency.
Basically, it came down to an ultimatum "Either I go to Muscat or I go (as in: leave the country)".

There is no NOC required of one stays with the same employer, which is the recruitment agency and not the actual college one works at.

[Whatever will be]

http://gulfbusiness.com/expat-workers-oman-forced-give-gratuity-noc/

Expat workers in Oman forced to give up gratuity for NOC

 Oman August 17, 2016  Robert Anderson
Private sector firms in the country look to avoid payments to leaving workers
Expat workers in Oman are reportedly being forced to give up their end of service gratuity in order to receive a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from their employer.

Times of Oman cited legal advisors as saying the practice is occurring, as companies look to avoid paying leaving workers.

This comes despite the denial of gratuity being illegal under Oman’s labour law.

Workers are required to receive a NOC from their company if they wish to switch to another job within Oman. If they fail to secure the document, the employee is banned from returning to Oman for two years.

One legal advisor told the publication that it had handled three cases recently, including one where an expat employee gave up gratuity of OMR12,000 ($31,000) to receive the NOC.

“He gave up the money and took the NOC option. Now, he will be returning to Oman in a new job,” the advisor was quoted as saying.

The publication reported that companies were even going as far as making it look like the money was paid by placing it into the employee’s account and then having them return it in exchange for the NOC.

“One Egyptian worker approached us claiming that his employer is asking him to give up his end of service benefits in return for an NOC. We talked to the employer and got the worker the end of service benefits,” Mohammed Al Farji, a board member of Oman trade union was quoted as saying.

Oman’s labour law states that workers who are not beneficiaries of the Social Insurance law are entitled to post service gratuity of 15 day’s wages for each year of service for the first three years and a month’s wages for each year after.

“If companies push workers to do so [give up their gratuity for a NOC], they should approach us. It is illegal,” Salem Al Saadi, advisor at the Ministry of Manpower was quoted as saying.

Oman has been among the hardest hit in the Gulf by the recent period of low oil prices and is expected to post a $8.6bn budget deficit this year.

[madrileno]

I've two acquaintances in Muscat who've successfully transferred to new employers.

NOCs are definitely available, now.

[Sleepwalker]

If the employers agree, the NOC has always been available

[madrileno]