After my last entry, a month ago, I went back to Moscow. I had to demonstrate that my flying back was not going to make me cross the 183 days tax limit and so exposing my employer again. I had good hopes: after the news that those who should know best, and are independent authorities within the company, support my case, I contacted HR with and waited for answers. And, HR confirmed that putting me on the Moscow payroll would be the most appropriate option. Or, at least, would have been.Things looked good.
Just to wrap things up, in case you haven’t read this blog before:
I’m working for a multinational, but do it from home in Moscow. My job is located in the Western-European country, where I was born and raised, and of which I’m a national. Reason to work from Moscow, also a reason to say good-bye to a lucrative contractor position and joining multinational as an employee, was that my wife is from Moscow, working and living there, just as my two daughters. We lived in “my” country for years, but collectively decided it was too boring. So we moved here. My employer, the multinational, allowed me to work from home for four years. However, last March, when I was about to move to another position within the company, they suddenly realized that there is something like a 183 days tax rule: you need to pay taxes in the country of employment, and as they do have a representation in Moscow, they should have put me on the payroll there. And they should have done that four years ago. I thought it was a no-brainer for them to put me on the payroll here for my new job: it’s possible, relatively simple and solves all problems. Obviously, it isn’t. I continued working as I did in the new job (which I was forced to accept), but since the tax issue has been brought up, my company is trying to get me to relocate back home, something which I don’t want, as I have built up a family life here, complete with a kid going to school, one baby and a wife who works full-time. In September, I was called back to the office and I flew back. Then, the fight started.
Now, if you read the first paragraph again, you may expect that things are about to be solved. Well… no.
We’re almost completely back to start again. HR decided that they’re “not comfortable” changing my contract half-way through the project. So, willing to give in at least a bit, I asked some questions. One of them being: what happens if my project is over? Will I again be forced into a job that doesn’t -at all- match with my personal circumstances?
As an answer, they started their mantra again: The Company’s Position… I’ve heard that tune many times. It’s a standard answer. The Company’s Position is more or less that I should get my ass back into the office, leave my family, shut up and do my work. That’s The Company’s Position… So, here’s the Q&A:
Why wasn’t I offered an alternative or redundancy package? The Company’s Position…
How is the company planning to keep me in the country when using my (substantial amount of) time off? The Company’s Position…
How are we going to prevent a situation like this in the future? The Company’s Position…
How do you feel about breaking your own recruitment rules? The Company’s Position…
Did you guys sleep while I was building up my life here and you all knew about it? The Company’s Position…
I read it in mails and hear it over the phone. The Company’s Position, The Company’s Position, The Company’s Position… They must doubt my ability to read or mental capabilities. So, when I told I was going to fly back home a week later than initially planned, they freaked out completely! Even though I assured them that they were not on 183 days yet… So, in a rare moment of utter creativity, they decided that calling or mailing me probably didn’t help. So they sent a letter, reiterating… indeed… The Company’s Position…
Now, if The Company’s Position would include an acknowledgment that they screwed up and that, as soon as there is the opportunity, we jointly should try to avoid a similar situation (which is 3 months away), it would still be acceptable. However, as I told, it’s a mantra and the lines don’t change. It’s like showing up in the wrong UFMS (Russian immigration service) branch office: as soon as they see a foreigner coming in, they shout: Pokrovka 42, Pokrovka 42, Pokrovka 42 (the main office), without even considering that you actually might have a question for them…!
The Company’s Position is that they want to stick their heads in the sand, ignore their own faults. They can’t use special cases like mine, right now. After all, they are letting go of 25% of the workforce, which is a lot of work for HR officials of a company with 100000+ employees. They desperately want to keep the problem invisible to the outside world, the Russian government in particular.
The letter that they sent me, I think I can interpret as some sort of official warning. That’s good, because it means they start sweating. It’s also good, as it opens up one alternative: me, bag of money, exit. They can’t fire me just like that (as for now, I’m flying back, and there is no issue), and they don’t want to, I think. But there is no way for me to know for sure. After all, I keep on hearing that mantra, again, again, again, again and again.
The Company’s Position… The Company’s Position… The Company’s Position… The Company’s Position… The Company’s Position… The Company’s Position… The Company’s Position…
Клуб Город
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