a crying shame

[h2itis]

As many of you know, I am in Iraq and am scheduled to leave here in the next few days. I am over here as a contractor - I do NOT work for this company in the states, just over here, so we're kind of using each other.

Anyway, I let my company know of my intentions to leave months ago, and on April 17, I started sending them constant emails to start processing my travel accomodations and such. You see, they normally have the employee pay for it, and they pay that person back. The thing is, this company is notorious for not paying people back that are leaving here for 3,4, or even up to 6 months. As a matter of fact, it took them nearly 6 months to pay for my travel to come over here. So I told them that they would be responsible for paying for my trip home, and I also told them I don't have a credit card (of course I do, but f*ck them). I'm not interested in doing them any favors, including giving them in interest free loan...

I have asked about my travel about every other day since the end of April. I've sent emails and called, and when I did, I've received the same answers: we're processing it or "I'm making the phone call to finalize it right now..."

Well, last week, they came up with a new "International Travel Checklist" that I had to complete, and of course, since I haven't done it, they weren't able to make my recommendations (of course, they waited almost a month to tell me). Let me remind you that numerous people have left Iraq for this company, and of the eleven I asked, not one of them had to fill this thing out. No biggie. I do it. Then they want me to do an expense report. I thought it was kind of weird that they'd have me do it BEFORE I travel, but oh well, whatever. I emailed it to them and they then told me they needed me to sign it and scan it. They know scanning isn't easy to come by here, but in spite of them, I did it.

That was 3 days ago. That day, after I sent them everything they needed, I sent a follow-up email wanting the status of my tickets. You see, it wouldn't matter if it were just me, but since I am likely going to be arriving after midnight, my old lady is going to have to find someone to tend to our son while she picks me up. Nonetheless, I don't think that having concrete travel plans is a big problem. So I emailed them on Wednesday. Nothing. Thursday. Nothing. Called today. No answer. Emailed them again. Nothing. This is the same sort of thing I have gotten for the last month-plus.

I honestly don't understand the problem - this is a multi-billion dollar company full of utter morons and they can't simply make travel arrangements for someone that has fulfilled his year (without one day off) in Iraq and get him home.

I'm just venting, but I'm extremely pissed off and my patience with them is totally gone. To me, it just doesn't seem like I'm asking too much by wanting confirmed travel plans. It isn't like they have to even get me out of Iraq - I already have my flight out of here confirmed. All they need to do is get me out of Amman. That's it. Yet, they're doing nothing (they're pissed that they have to pay up front).

I'm at the point now of contacting both the company president and my congressman - I think he'd love to see how these companies are treating people...