Job Discussion Forums

[trapezius]

Turn her antics upside down on her head and become twice as psycho! I am serious... some people will never realize how annoying they are until they have to deal with someone as annying as them. If you are good at it, you can have her behaving (or packing) in a week or two!

If that's not possible, go to Mr. Honcho and tell him you love your job and the students, but unfortunately have to resign because living with your flatmate is taking a serious toll on your health and job performance.

If they want you, they will offer you a new place/flatmate.

Good luck!

P.S. NEVER EVER consider having a roommate beyond the age of 21, esp if you are a working professional!!!

[scot47]

If the boss were studying or working in UK or US, would he accept shared accommodation ? You bet he would not. Why should you ?

[Englishish]

Wow! Good luck for tomorrow and let us know how you get on. I guess all in all it's pretty good timing that you're at the end of your probationary period so that you have something to hold over them. Just hope you don't get one of those answers that say 'Yes, we will move you... next week/month/sometime after you sign the new contract.'

By the way, what does the flatmate do that's so bad? I'm a little bit scared by some of the things I've heard about sharing accommodation in Saudi. Is is really likely to be worse in Saudi than in other places? I actually quite like having a flatmate usually (and I'm well past the 21 age limit suggested by Trap!) I'd have thought that it would quite nice to have a housemate around, especially in a place like Saudi where there are more limited opportunities for getting out of the house. How many nutcases have you met, Cleo? Housemate from Hell stories anyone? Don't answer here. Time to start a new thread in the General forum I think...

[InterRick]

[Cleopatra]

[Citizenkane]

VS' advice about going straight to the Head Honcho is good. In KSA, almost nothing gets achieved by confining your complaints to the lower levels of admin. Particularly in a kind of 'sensitive' case like this, HR and others are going to just pass the buck and hope the problem goes away. Chances are they have no idea how to deal with it.

So see if you can get an appointment with the big guy (or gal). Be very non-confrontational and stress how much you love the job and the students (even if you dont!) but you just can't go on like this. However, be prepared to get a non-response. You are a 'newbie' and they may think you are dispensable. hopefully not, but be prepared for this.

[Hiawatha]

To the OP.

Another option may be to pay for your single housing out of your salary, while applying for other jobs elsewhere.

You don't always have to go back to your country in order to take another job, but apply outside of KSA.

[Sheikh N Bake]

A housing tangent: long before I arrived at my present employer, the latter moved its teachers to their present location, a tiny compound of less-than-stellar accommodations. Then the local managers told the newly arrived instructors that they would be locked in the compound except for a weekly bus trip to the Hyperpanda. The instructors said, uhm, well, with all due respect, SIR--we'll pass on this job after all. The management relented on the spot and now we have company cars to leave the compound as we wish...Now I just have to hope they won't dare double us up in the housing, because I foresee a shortage thereof. In that case, "With all due respect, SIR..."

[saharastars]

well done for surviving thus far!

[mrbbkk]

I would never accept a one year contract where someone else choose my roommate

I have to have my own room or a roommate that I chose.

Live and learn Sorry but ultimately you have to take responsibility for your decision to take this job in the first place

[Englishish]

Dear Apple,
Any update on your situation? Did you have your meeting? Let us know when you have some news.

[scot47]

Grown-ups do not share accommodation with strangers.

[Englishish]

[appletini7]

I really appreciated the support and suggestions from all of you when I was going through my housing crisis!

Here's how it played out:

The head honcho never got back to me like he said he would. I emailed him, called him.. and finally just went up to his office and camped out until he'd see me.

Demanding does no good here so I tried to play on his paternal instincts and actually my eyes did start welling up with tears as I talked because I was so distraught. There was a lot of back and forth and a few weeks passed with me still being bounced around between departments but finally they offered me a new apt., a ground floor flat that was horrible (dark, smelly, geckos) but I looked at it as a 'first step.'

As soon as I'd moved into this apt., I immediately began badgering them to move me again since I kept stressing that people walking by could look right in the windows and I was concerned about 'peepers' lol I thought this might be a rationale they could appreciate and that they could possibly get into trouble if I claimed that this had, in fact, occurred.

After two weeks of me complaining and making calls, I finally was offered a GREAT 1-bedroom apt. which I gladly accepted.

The lesson I have learned is: 1. nobody will accept responsibility for anything; 2. they keep giving you the run-around, hoping that you'll just give up; 3. when they finally DO do something, it will be the least they can possibly do (ie. geckos and the smell of cat urine); 4. if you keep plugging away and are a big enough PITA, things can possibly work out.

Cheers!

[veiledsentiments]