I've been working for this company for almost six years now, started out in a European country where I grew up. About 1.5 years into my employment I had gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about a specific product this company delivers in terms of design, planning, testing and most importantly actually delivering the product to the end customer. At the same time the company saw how the North American market was going to explode when it came to these kind of products and offered me the opportunity to relocate to the US as bids were starting to pop up and contracts were won by the company I work for. I jumped on the opportunity without hesitation – “Who wouldn't want to live and work in a larger city in the US???”
A few years in I gained even more experience and got more responsibilities. I also started to get homesick and finally decided that I want to move back to my home country. Being a key resource for the company I thought that I should be able to simply transfer back. There was even an opening at the old office for a position identical to what I was doing in the US already.
The old office definitely wants me back, and we get to the point where they are sending me an offer. They decided to offer me a salary that was based on what I was making when I left the home country office with some BS average % increase over the years I had been gone, simply saying that my experience in the US doesn't really matter and not taken into account at all. They also wouldn't help with anything in terms of relocating back, even though I made the sacrifice for the company where I left all comfort of home, family and friends. So I'm expected to do the same thing but paid way less? What is worth pointing out is that the COL between where I'm from and where I'm currently living are very similar.
Started to look elsewhere and within a month I had 4 offers – all way better than what my current employer could ever imagine offering PLUS the financial help with relocating back home. I've accepted one of these offers and currently making the arrangements to return home.
I learned a very hard lesson and I wished that I saw this earlier. I thought being loyal to my employer would help me in the long run but no. I often give people the benefit of doubt but have understood now that you can't really trust anyone. Also the US is falling apart and I feel sorry for the people that won't have the possibility to simply leave.