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Going, going ... GONE (at HCT)!

 
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secretsquirrel



Joined: 26 Oct 2009
Posts: 73
Location: Next to Dick Dastardly!

PostPosted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:05 pm    Post subject: Going, going ... GONE (at HCT)! Reply with quote

Can anybody throw a little light on the following conundrum, please.

Two years ago HCT announced that no more merit pay awards were to be made. Then last year the annual increment was halved to 2%. And just a few weeks ago it was announced that there would be no annual increments at all .. now or in the future.

Have any reasons been given for this? What has been the staff's reaction?

Just kinda interested, y'see...
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Middle East Beast



Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 836
Location: Up a tree

PostPosted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 10:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Going, going ... GONE (at HCT)! Reply with quote

secretsquirrel wrote:
Can anybody throw a little light on the following conundrum, please.

Two years ago HCT announced that no more merit pay awards were to be made. Then last year the annual increment was halved to 2%. And just a few weeks ago it was announced that there would be no annual increments at all .. now or in the future.

Have any reasons been given for this? What has been the staff's reaction?

Just kinda interested, y'see...


Self-explanatory...it's HCT.

MEB Cool
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Kally Wally



Joined: 29 May 2011
Posts: 49

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 6:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The merit pay was between 0 to 4% based on the recommendation of supervisors. Some got 4%; some got 0%, and most got 2%. It came in a one off payment/lump sum and as such wasn�t a pay rise but a bonus. It was discontinued in 2009.

The annual increment is/was 4%. There was no official announcement that there would be no increments in the future. We are still waiting to hear if the missing 4% is official or whether it�s a Ramadan glitch, most think it�s the former. It was not present in this month�s pay check.The announcement will be made �soon� but don�t hold your breath.

There are cutbacks across the board in the UAE in education and particularly in construction with a lot of proposed new projects either being put on hold or cancelled.

The sheikhs have finally realised that there�s no longer a bottomless money pit available and unfortunately HCT has taken a hit.

There are a lot of unhappy people at HCT and perhaps the pay freeze will push some over the edge, but whether they�ll find anywhere better in terms of pay and benefits (for the present at least), or whether there are any jobs out there at all is the $64,000 question.

I wonder if anyone will speak up and interrupt the sheikh�s speech to air their grievances at the annual "Hootenanny"........................somehow I doubt it.

No amount of moaning on Dave�s is going to change anything, it�s either �put up� or �ship out�.
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Middle East Beast



Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 836
Location: Up a tree

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kally Wally wrote:
No amount of moaning on Dave�s is going to change anything, it�s either �put up� or �ship out�.


It makes some feel better to air their grievances, though. It also informs others about the continually deteriorating situation at HCT. If HCT causes problems for their staff, then they better be prepared to read about it later.

MEB Cool
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hootenanny... Laughing Perfect!!

I suggest that only those with ventriloquist skills voice their opinions out loud during his speech. Personally I would call in sick... (maybe a group sick-out?)

VS
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Middle East Beast



Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 836
Location: Up a tree

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd certainly rather call in sick than attend one more HCT conference. In fact, I'd rather sit in a dental clinic and have my gums scraped.

But if you call in sick, you'd better have a doctor's excuse or your a** is grass and HCT is the lawnmower. They don't take kindly to people missing those critical BS conferences.

Makes 'em look good! Rolling Eyes

MEB Cool
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It's Scary!



Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 823

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I made sure that my less-then-super super saw me, and then, I was out the door, er, underground garage!

I guess having them out at the Dubai Men's cut down on that lil' trick!

It's all a bad memory now!
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Eisenhorn



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 146
Location: HCT Land. UAE

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 4:49 pm    Post subject: Re: Going, going ... GONE (at HCT)! Reply with quote

secretsquirrel wrote:
Can anybody throw a little light on the following conundrum, please.

Two years ago HCT announced that no more merit pay awards were to be made. Then last year the annual increment was halved to 2%. And just a few weeks ago it was announced that there would be no annual increments at all .. now or in the future.

Have any reasons been given for this? What has been the staff's reaction?

Just kinda interested, y'see...


It was announced? Where?

I didn't get any notification and none of my friends were notified either. Maybe your campus got notification, apparently mine didn't.

What do you think the staff's reaction has been? Lots of grumbles, lots of complaints and lots of folks examining their contracts and looking for exit strategies.
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It's Scary!



Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 823

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have them start an HCT hate blog!

It's already been done!
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Middle East Beast



Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 836
Location: Up a tree

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 5:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How about a hate-HCT blog for each of the 17 colleges in that system? Very Happy

MEB Cool
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republocrat



Joined: 14 May 2010
Posts: 70
Location: Stuck in Traffic on Airport Road

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess that the HCT bigwigs, such as Kamali and Rudey, are reluctant to put the bad news in print, as the last time they did that somebody leaked it to the press.

How unsporting of them!!
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2buckets



Joined: 14 Dec 2010
Posts: 515
Location: Middle East

PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 1:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I haven't been to a conference in years. I just don't go, no sick note either.

What are they going to do, put a letter in my file, put it in my permanent record. I gave up believing that BS in the third grade.
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Middle East Beast



Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 836
Location: Up a tree

PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

2buckets wrote:
I haven't been to a conference in years. I just don't go, no sick note either.

What are they going to do, put a letter in my file, put it in my permanent record. I gave up believing that BS in the third grade.


I'm not sure whether you're calling the conferences BS or the consequences BS.

HCT will retaliate if you intentionally miss one of their precious conferences. A colleague was warned of such by the assistant director in Fujairah.

You vill go, unt you vill enjoy it!

HCT is like a WWII prison camp. I was once called on the carpet by my supervisor for talking and laughing with a colleague during one of those innumerable, worthless department meetings.

MEB Cool
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It's Scary!



Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 823

PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Middle East Beast wrote:
I was once called on the carpet by my supervisor for talking and laughing with a colleague during one of those innumerable, worthless department meetings.

MEB Cool


Well, I wouldn't call those meetings completely worthless!

At least you could keep your eye on the Goons who were all lined up in the front row! Laughing Twisted Evil Crying or Very sad Rolling Eyes Shocked Evil or Very Mad Confused Wink

It's an emotional rollercoster!
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