My partner’s company needs people at another location and are asking for “volunteers.” The timeframe is several months at least, possibly closer to a year. This is a new situation for us, so trying to figure out what constitutes reasonable accommodations. What are basic costs they should cover, ethically or even legally? What stipulations should he ensure make it into the contract?
Context:
We are trying to decide whether it is financially worth it for us to make the move or if it’s just going to put us in a bad position. It would be an incredible experience, for sure, and we are interested. But it also involves breaking a lease, storing most of our stuff, transporting pets, etc. So, knowing what to insist they cover would be really helpful in making the decision. Seems like they might cover housing, but per diem hasn’t been offered and they are being cagey about whether the apartment will even have a full kitchen.
It’s a highly specialized field, and they are on a hiring freeze. So doesn’t seem like they are in any position to hire people over there. They are scrambling to meet a major contract deadline and need the experts here to go work there.
But they are passing it off to the employees as an “opportunity” for them, rather than they need the workers (classic). Also, it isn’t clear whether they will end up working crazy long hours and even be able to enjoy being abroad.
When my partner had completely reasonable questions about pay, housing, transportation, taxes, etc. they didn’t have many clear answers. I think they expected everyone to jump at the chance, but paying double taxes, breaking leases, storing stuff, etc. adds up to a lot. Neither of us are wealthy in any way and are trying to own a home some day.