Job Discussion Forums

[disregardedknowledge]

Feel free to PM. Can anyone tell me about the ban policy in Oman? Just general info. Generally speaking, will employers provide the employee with a NOC? What is the length of the ban from Oman if you resign?

I heard a few years back, Oman dropped all banning and one is free to go from employer to employer. Do they still utilize NOCs? If so, are there any cases where employers won't provide one?

Thanks.

[Neil McBeath]

Disregardedknowledge,

There are too many questions here to get a hard and fast answer.

However, to the best of my knowledge, when Oman joined the WTO the "you have to be out of the Sultanate for two years before you can come back" clause was dropped.

I know of recent cases where people have not had contracts renewed, and have accordingly gone out and found employment with other employers.

I also know of cases where people have received offers of employment, and have then resigned from their jobs.

Provided that the employee is not breaking contractual obligations, I believe that this type of movement is entirely legal, and so the need for an NOC has gone.

[ThaneKerner]

[jdl]

Indeed, it is a conspiracy amoung the five or so main recruiters who meet on a trimester basis in Ruwi to review the upcoming strategies for blacklisting, fixing employee wages/benefits, negotiating work visa quotas, providing the worst possible housing for the least money and most importantly preparing a list of absconders for publication in the 'Observer' and 'Times'. All these decisions are then given to the English Language Development Centre of the Ministry of Manpower which 'rubber stamps' and institutionalizes whatever the 'recruiter mafia' decides is in the best interest of 'the family'.

[usa_in_gulf]

If someone does not fulfill a contract-- no matter what reasons he may have-- its a red flag.
If someone does not even give proper notice-- as spelt out in the employment contract--- that is a huge red flag. (In Oman, the employment contract "trumps" any institution's policy or the labor law.)

Think about it-- would you take a chance on an applicant who did not fulfill a contract?
Would you be willing to gamblel your money/time/reputation on him?

So, actually, a person bans/blacklists him or herself.

[jdl]

Perhaps some clarification on the relationship between recruiters/contractors and the colleges/MoM is in order.

The five or six major recruiters are awarded by the Tender Board of Treasury a quota of positions, actually work visas, to fill. The quota is or at least was somewhat evenly divided among the contractors with some adjustment based on yearly performance. The administration of the process once tenders are awarded is done through the English Language Development Centre of the MoM and Civil Service. Once staffing needs are determined though a calculation of intake enrolments using a 20 to 1 student teacher ratio positions are advertised and resumes collected by the contractor and vetted by the ELDC. The qualifications specified in the ads are determined by the MoM. ELC Directors and or HoS and staff interview candidates whose resumes meet the standard and are offered positions usually at a specific college although this is not always the case. The Director and Deans are constantly �on the recruiters� to provide suitable resumes and set up interviews in the scramble to get the better candidates. It is somewhat akin to an unregulated pro sports draft, very competitive and often cut throat between colleges.

Once hired the recruiter delivers the staff member and fades from the instructional scene while the Director becomes the� boss� even though the contractor pays the salary. The contractor deals (or not) with housing/insurance/transport/salary issues while the Director supervises the employee. The contractor will terminate a contract only under severe pressure from the college for reasons I will explain further on. The contractor appears to be at a very long arm�s length from the employee once on site.

The Director and HoS supervise staff and determine which staff can be asked to move into more responsible leadership positions or take on special critical tasks as well as to determine which staff will be recommended for non renewal. Given the severe competition for staff and the time and effort it takes to replace staff mid contract, most terminations are simply handled through a non renewal so that hiring can be done over the spring and summer in hope the centre will have a full staff in the fall. It is rare to the point of being nonexistent that an instructor would be �fired� in mid contract. This action is taken in only the most critical situations usually related to morality/conduct issues. However in such an event the Director would recommend termination. The recruiter typically would counsel against termination and would recommend a transfer to another college since the process for cancelling a work visa is time consuming and means a work visa sits unprofitable. This may also explain the three month notice clause. The contractor would never terminate a contract without pressure from the college and resists such action. It is rare that employees are terminated in mid contract since it is simply too disruptive to the college and a financial loss to the contractor. (It should be noted that transfer requests are carefully reviewed by the receiving College to determine if the transfer is an attempt to �shift a problem�.) The employee is usually reassigned internally to minimize his/her impact and the contract is left to run out. Vendetta or conspiracy fuelled early termination is just not cost effective and is avoided as is any early termination. Mid contract termination is an emergency last resort action to minimize damage to the college.

�Running� although also rare, seems to be on the increase in the last couple of years resulting in profit loss to the contractor and disruption to the college with staff �picking up the slack�, timetables being redone and students redistributed. In this case the contractor must cancel the work visa before a new employee can be placed. Since this process may take up to three months a runner can effectively disrupt a semester of operation with existing staff taking on additional duty and classes being rescheduled or students reassigned. Often, knowing that a replacement through the contractor may take several months Directors with the endorsement of the Dean may hire casual staff which is then flipped into a contract over a period of time.

So to review, the recruiter finds the staff and pays the salary and benefits, the College supervises the staff and determines contract continuation, mid contract terminations are avoided except in the most extreme circumstance because they are a major inconvenience, runners cause a serious problem for the college and staff, malicious/conspiratorial/vindictive early dismissal proceedings are too troublesome politically and practically to entertain.

[ThaneKerner]

[ThaneKerner]

[usa_in_gulf]

What is being posted here simply makes no sense--- no reason to do a runner within the first 2 months. You are still in your probationary period.

And as already pointed out, 30+ years does not translate into "good teacher"-- just means he labeled himself a teacher for that long.

[jdl]

Would that be one year's experience repeated 30 times?

[usa_in_gulf]

.... and even more than 30 times if he is doing a "runner" every two months~ !!

[veiledsentiments]

[Mojoski]

4 months in country, and jdl's analysis/description matches up with the things I know about so far. A good amount of it I don't know about personally, but it rings true, and I'm glad to have the information. Thanks, jdl.

[jdl]

You are welcome. I am happy to share the information.