# Employment Offer from Etihad



## ArsenalFan

I am a senior IT manager who recently received an employment offer from Etihad in Abu Dhabi; i.e. I would have to relocate from the UK to Abu Dhabi. 

Not only is the salary mediocre, but I have been offered no relocation allowance. Thus:
1. For the first month, Etihad puts me up at a hotel, but doesn't pay my housing allowance during this period, so I am the one who is really paying for the hotel
2. While Etihad gives me a joining bonus of AED20,000, in reality, it is an interest free loan, recovered by Etihad by way of monthly deductions from my salary over a three year period

As you can gather from the above, my package doesn't include housing; i.e I have to find my own accomodation.

I would be pleased to hear from other people who work for Etihad. Is this standard? I thought all people relocated to Abu Dhabi from overseas would be given some assistance with relocation expenses (e.g. to buy furniture).

Any comments/feedback welcome.


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## Bounty Hunter

ArsenalFan said:


> I am a senior IT manager who recently received an employment offer from Etihad in Abu Dhabi; i.e. I would have to relocate from the UK to Abu Dhabi.
> 
> Not only is the salary mediocre, but I have been offered no relocation allowance. Thus:
> 1. For the first month, Etihad puts me up at a hotel, but doesn't pay my housing allowance during this period, so I am the one who is really paying for the hotel
> 2. While Etihad gives me a joining bonus of AED20,000, in reality, it is an interest free loan, recovered by Etihad by way of monthly deductions from my salary over a three year period
> 
> As you can gather from the above, my package doesn't include housing; i.e I have to find my own accomodation.
> 
> I would be pleased to hear from other people who work for Etihad. Is this standard? I thought all people relocated to Abu Dhabi from overseas would be given some assistance with relocation expenses (e.g. to buy furniture).
> 
> Any comments/feedback welcome.


If you think the offer is not good enough and you are doing better in the UK than stay there. Obviously you think there is more to be had or else you wouldn't be asking the question...:juggle:

BH


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## ArsenalFan

Thanks, but that hardly answers my question!


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## BedouGirl

Thing is the airlines have very structured scales, so I guess what they are offering is what your grade entitles you to. There's no real standards here as to what you should and shouldn't get. Everyone has certain expectations of course, but - at the end of the day - UAE is no longer a hardship posting. Having said that, what's to stop you going back to them to try to negotiate something better? If you have a look at our stickies, I'm sure there will be some information on there that will help you in this respect.


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## ArsenalFan

I'm still deciding whether to accept the offer, so don't want to give my details which might jeopardise the offer. The recent drop in the pound against the USD has made the offer more attractive, but who knows where exchange rates are headed.

Back to my original question: surely these are standard contractual terms that apply to all employees.


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## Jane Black

Hi there, I am an representative for Etihad Airways. Please feel free to contact your Etihad recruitment representative for further clarification on these issues, they will be happy to assist you


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## Stevesolar

Jane Black said:


> Hi there, I am an representative for Etihad Airways. Please feel free to contact your Etihad recruitment representative for further clarification on these issues, they will be happy to assist you


Hi Jane
Welcome to the forum.
I suspect you will be pretty busy over the next few years with the Etihad expansion plans and the amazing new Abu Dhabi airport terminal!
Look forward to seeing the new A380 and 787 arrivals in the next few weeks!
Cheers
Steve


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## AlexDhabi

I don't know about Etihad, but based on my own experiences:
1. It is completely normal for companies not to pay accommodation allowance while you are in the hotel at the beginning (company pays for the hotel, not you). If you are paying for the hotel that sounds wrong to me.
2. Joining bonus you have been offered is pretty meagre for a senior position. Joining bonus includes furniture allowance so would not be expecting to see it alongside joining bonus. For a senior job I would have expected a higher offer.
3. Finding your own accommodation is increasingly common.
4. Relocation allowance would effectively be the same as joining bonus so I would not expect to see the two in an offer.
5. Not sure if you understood the joining bonus correctly - normally the only reason you would pay it back is if you leave within three years(pro rata), otherwise you get to keep it if you stay 3 years or more.
6. Many companies have multiple structures in place for compensation. There seems to be a trend to move to give a net amount per month rather than breaking it down into different allowances. Singles tend to gain this way and married with kids benefit from the other approach.

Bedou Girl is right, UAE is no longer a hardship posting. Your overall package may only be slightly more than you are earning at home. You need to factor in the high cost of living to see if the offer is suitable.

I hope this helps, or at least gives you some information to ask questions.


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