Job Discussion Forums

John Carpenter · Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 42 Location: Saudi Arabia

The short version is that I was terminated on the Wednesday, as from the Saturday so I had only the weekend to prepare everything. The toughest part was getting Arabic speakers to help me with translating but eventually it was all done and I went to the courts on the Saturday. I was told to come back in 8 days time on the Sunday and I had to inform PMU of this. On the Saturday before the court day, the Vice Rector rang to say that he had just found out about my situation and made an appointment to meet me that night. He never turned up. The 'court' was held around a table in a room and was all in Arabic and PMU was represented by Iyad who was the person I held most responsible for this situation, as his incompetence and lack of enthusiasm led to me staying for 28 days in Bahrain. He was aided by a lawyer who fortunately took over and was a most reasonable person. I was offered a settlement that included 3 months end of service pay and my September pay, but not 2 month's notice (as I was deemed to have been terminated for 'cause', ie, what i wrote on Dave's) and i did not get my expenses for staying in Bahrain. I took it and was happy to do so because they promised I would get this pay and an airline ticket and would be out in 2 days, and this is indeed what eventuated. All of this could have been avoided if the HR Department was accountable and if we could have sat down and talked it over. I was not 100% to blame but I was prepared to share the blame, and to have to constantly deal with a person who I complained about on many occassions during my stay in Bahrain was totally inappropriate. PMU needs to start putting people into jobs they can do and stop filling up important positions with friends of Issa who are not prepared to do the job, even if they were capable. I got home for my birthday and will spend Xmas in OZ for the 1st time in 10 years, and \i got my September pay, so I won and you, Iyad, will be the biggest loser.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 6:11 am Post subject:

Happy Birthday...Merry Xmas... an' change yer location...forever...

NCTBA

NukeMom · Joined: 08 Nov 2010 Posts: 17

sheikher · Joined: 13 Jul 2009 Posts: 291

"The biggest loser", Mr Carpenter, is not Iyad.

The biggest losers are your former students who've lost a quality English language instructor, and whose parents, I trust, will direct their young men to seek future education elsewhere at a campus under competent management.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Sadly true Mr sheikher... so many of the tales of woe that we hear on this board ignore the fact that the students are the long term losers.

But... Mabruk Mr Carpenter... so glad that you are out of it and got most of what you deserved. Now you can relax and enjoy the holidays at home while you search for a more pleasant job.

VS

cheapshoes · Joined: 05 Oct 2010 Posts: 24 Location: Saudi

Thanks for posting this. I have an offer from a place that isn't giving its name. I'll be asking if it's PMU.

trapezius · Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 11:26 am Post subject:

Congrats John... and Happy Birthday. Relax, and never come back here Very Happy

(except to KFUPM, I suppose)

sheikher · Joined: 13 Jul 2009 Posts: 291

To the orthopaedic specialist (above):

1. Are you attributing competent management to King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals?

2. May I suggest that that requires promotion, however covert, by Mr Carpenter's former colleagues, and students, preparatory to Semester 1, 2011?

Mia Xanthi · Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 6:56 pm Post subject:

Mia Xanthi · Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 6:57 pm Post subject:

And BTW....will anyone ever hire an "engineer" with a degree from PMU? Would anyone want to drive across a bridge designed by one?

007 · Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 9:11 pm Post subject:

sheikher · Joined: 13 Jul 2009 Posts: 291

DRY YOUR TEARS, MAMA MIA! Here is one courageous Saudi woman!

http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/saudi-judge-supports-daughter-in-rare-verdict-2010-11-22-1.319643

Saudi judge supports daughter in rare verdict

Court refuses father�s request to force daughter out of university

Published Monday, November 22, 2010

The girl had filed a complaint to the court when she was told by the Jubail university that she could no longer attend classes at her father�s request.

A Saudi court has set precedence in settling family disputes in the conservative Gulf Kingdom when it rejected a father�s plea to force his daughter out of the university for disobedience, a local newspaper reported on Monday.

The court in the eastern town of Jubail upheld a request by the unnamed girl to pursue her study at the university after she was about to be expelled at her father�s request, Alyoum Arabic language daily said.

The girl had filed a complaint to the court when she was told by the Jubail university that she could no longer attend classes at her father�s request.

�She was prevented from attending some lectures and this caused her a psychological breakdown�.she tried to reach a cordial solution with her father but he refused and insisted that she leave the university,� the paper said.

�She then resorted to court with the help of her brother�she told court that she just wants to pursue her studies and that she had never been disobedient to her father�she said that the real problem was between her father and her divorced mother and that her father was just taking it on her.�

Alyoum, which did not specify the daughter�s age, said the judge upheld her request to complete her study at the university but told her she must always obey and be kind to her father. �It was the first verdict of its kind,� it said.

YOU GO, GIRL!

007 · Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 2:05 pm Post subject:

The story makes me want to laugh and cry in the same time! Laughing

It makes me want to laugh, because the girl's father divorced her mother and wanted to revenge by just taking it on his daughter!

It makes me want to cry because it was the first verdict of its kind in the �Democratic� Magic Kingdom.!

I think Teta Mia was right when she wanted to cry! Laughing