Get back on my feet!
Donation protected
Nothing to lose anymore.
I thought a few days about telling my story here, because I was afraid of the consequences for my professional career, but now I just think: “Fuck it, I’ve literally nothing to lose anymore!”
Except Indy! :)
[UPDATE: Some people told us that our story is too weird to be true! Well, sometimes life writes stories which are way better than fiction! If anyone want prove of our story, we are happy to provide evidence! :)]
I am from a 60K job with 30% ruling to being homeless without a job within a few days. How that can happen? Continue to read….
Hired
All started 15th March this year, I was living at that time in Barcelona and working as a freelancer, when I was hired by Oracle Digital in Amsterdam to join the Oracle Digital Sales Operation. All sounded so super. A 60K job with 30% tax ruling and a relocation budget of 12.000 Euro. The only catch was, that the relocation money was managed by an external company. I had no influence how to use the money and this will become the main issue, when it’s about finding a flat in Amsterdam.
Anyhow, we flew over to Amsterdam, moved into a guest house for 150 Euro a night and started working. Wow, Oracle. I was proud, I made it into the Olymp of IT and I was really happy to join the team. I started my new hire checklist and trainings and all was fine, until ….
No payment the first month
The first issue came clear, when I got the information, that I wouldn’t get paid end of March, because Payroll closes at the 15th and they expected me to wait six weeks for my first payment.
Found a flat, couldn't rent it!
Then I found a really nice flat, it was the size and price I was looking for. I was ready to rent the flat and when I asked for the deposit out of my relocation budget, the relocation company told me that “... there are procedures in place, which forbid to use the relocation money for rent or deposit!” Excuse me please?
No deposit. Period!
Allrite, “...but how am I supposed to pay my first rent and my deposit without any payment? Amsterdam is very expensive and a decent flat is minimum 1.000 Euro a month rent and two months deposit, even if you go outside Amsterdam itself. So I need 3.000 Euro when the 30 guest house days are finished.”
I approached my manager, the site manager, the HR manager, my recruiter and payroll, but I got no feedback, except that my “half payment” appeared on my Spanish bank account without any notice or comment.
Get a loan
When I approached my manager a second time about the needed deposit for my flat, he replied “I asked management and HR, but the deposit in NOT in the relocation budget and we won’t give you any advance. Period!” and then came the useless tip to “...apply for a loan or find something cheaper.”
Maxed out credit card
To make things worse the relocation company screwed up in the meantime, maxed out my credit card and I was literally broke for weeks. I could have taken a taxi every morning to work and it would have been reimbursed, I could have dined in the company canteen and I would have been reimbursed, but instead I walked every morning to work and survived with 5 Euro a day for food.
No health insurance
To make things even worse. I am a diabetic with chronic nerve damage and pain, and without health insurance I needed to pay all my medicine myself and that is hundreds of Euros a month.
No food
I told my manager again that I am afraid that I won’t pass the probation time, because I am too distracted by all the problems and that I can’t concentrate on my work as I would do normally. Everyone knew about my situation and the feedback was useless, even cynic. For example, when I told the site manager that I am a diabetic and that my “food situation” is not very good, because of all the stress, he only replied: “...We do have free fruit every day. Get some!” and send me home, because I was looking too sick to be fit for work.
No nothing
To understand my situation you need to know that you need a flat to register in the Netherlands, then you can get a social security number and with this social security number you can open a bank account. And finally you can join a health insurance, BUT no flat, NO registration, NO bank account, NO health insurance,.... NO NOTHING, and this for weeks.
I approached my manager again and he privately lend me a bit of money and the site manager as well so that I can buy some food and my medicine, but other than that, nothing happened.
Sick
Finally the situation took it’s toll and I got very sick. Normally I do have a good control about my medication, but without the needed medicine and supplies like test strips, my health declined drastic. Finally I lost 20kg, I’ve got riple ketones and serious pain attacks.
Triple ketones mean that my body was completely out of control and that affects me physically and mentally. I wasn’t even able to call in sick properly anymore. I just informed my manager that I am sick and shut down for a few days. To make things worse, I couldn’t go to a hospital or doctor, because I had no health insurance at that time.
Fired
When I returned to work I was informed that I will not pass the probation time and that I am fired immediately. I was just informed. No one from HR or Legal actually talked to me directly. Every communication was “managed” by my direct manager.
I have a little bit the feeling that they refused to talk to me directly now, because they knew they screwed me up. Finally I was told to google the contact number myself when I asked for a direct contact in HR or Legal.
All was sorted
The irony, with my last money I managed to do the impossible and rented a flat WITHOUT deposit in Amsterdam. All my papers are in order now, I do have a bank account and I HAD a health insurance.
2.500 Euro
Also I already referred a friend of mine to the same operation and he was hired. Only for that I would have gotten 2.500 Euro referral bonus, which I can forget now as well. By the way, only this would have covered the needed money for my deposit with no problem, but now I can forget this as well.
12.000 Euro debt
Just to summarize. I had 12.000 Euro relocation budget, which was given to an external company, I had no control how the money was spent and I was NOT allowed to use it for rent or deposit! Fuck me! What is a relocation budget good for?
Screwed
Now I am literally screwed and Oracle asks me to pay the money back the relocation company has spend on a guest house and overpriced hotels, also travel expenses and whatever.
No money = No food = No health insurance = No flat = Homeless
I am at the bottom right now. Broke. NO money, NO job, NO health insurance, NO food and at the end of the month I will also lose my home. I have no benefits whatsoever. I am from a 60K job to nothing and 12.000 Euro debt within a few days.
Any comment Oracle?
Looking for a job
I am in Amsterdam and looking for a position similar “Technical Presales Consultant Cloud”, but not limited to Amsterdam. Hey, I was hired once by Oracle, so I can’t be that bad. :) Anyway, if you like my profile and skills, please consider me working for you. I am willing to take any job which “pays the rent”!
Let me know your thoughts
What would you do? Please let me know your opinion in the comments.
What would we use your support for
- Rent
- Food
- Health Insurance
Thank you for reading.
Bernd
PS: If you like to share, please feel free to do so!
PSII: If you want to support me in the meantime, you are very welcome to donate. I don’t want any presents, just a bit help to get back on my feet.
We also have a BLOG -> The VW-POLO Camper
I thought a few days about telling my story here, because I was afraid of the consequences for my professional career, but now I just think: “Fuck it, I’ve literally nothing to lose anymore!”
Except Indy! :)
[UPDATE: Some people told us that our story is too weird to be true! Well, sometimes life writes stories which are way better than fiction! If anyone want prove of our story, we are happy to provide evidence! :)]
I am from a 60K job with 30% ruling to being homeless without a job within a few days. How that can happen? Continue to read….
Hired
All started 15th March this year, I was living at that time in Barcelona and working as a freelancer, when I was hired by Oracle Digital in Amsterdam to join the Oracle Digital Sales Operation. All sounded so super. A 60K job with 30% tax ruling and a relocation budget of 12.000 Euro. The only catch was, that the relocation money was managed by an external company. I had no influence how to use the money and this will become the main issue, when it’s about finding a flat in Amsterdam.
Anyhow, we flew over to Amsterdam, moved into a guest house for 150 Euro a night and started working. Wow, Oracle. I was proud, I made it into the Olymp of IT and I was really happy to join the team. I started my new hire checklist and trainings and all was fine, until ….
No payment the first month
The first issue came clear, when I got the information, that I wouldn’t get paid end of March, because Payroll closes at the 15th and they expected me to wait six weeks for my first payment.
Found a flat, couldn't rent it!
Then I found a really nice flat, it was the size and price I was looking for. I was ready to rent the flat and when I asked for the deposit out of my relocation budget, the relocation company told me that “... there are procedures in place, which forbid to use the relocation money for rent or deposit!” Excuse me please?
No deposit. Period!
Allrite, “...but how am I supposed to pay my first rent and my deposit without any payment? Amsterdam is very expensive and a decent flat is minimum 1.000 Euro a month rent and two months deposit, even if you go outside Amsterdam itself. So I need 3.000 Euro when the 30 guest house days are finished.”
I approached my manager, the site manager, the HR manager, my recruiter and payroll, but I got no feedback, except that my “half payment” appeared on my Spanish bank account without any notice or comment.
Get a loan
When I approached my manager a second time about the needed deposit for my flat, he replied “I asked management and HR, but the deposit in NOT in the relocation budget and we won’t give you any advance. Period!” and then came the useless tip to “...apply for a loan or find something cheaper.”
Maxed out credit card
To make things worse the relocation company screwed up in the meantime, maxed out my credit card and I was literally broke for weeks. I could have taken a taxi every morning to work and it would have been reimbursed, I could have dined in the company canteen and I would have been reimbursed, but instead I walked every morning to work and survived with 5 Euro a day for food.
No health insurance
To make things even worse. I am a diabetic with chronic nerve damage and pain, and without health insurance I needed to pay all my medicine myself and that is hundreds of Euros a month.
No food
I told my manager again that I am afraid that I won’t pass the probation time, because I am too distracted by all the problems and that I can’t concentrate on my work as I would do normally. Everyone knew about my situation and the feedback was useless, even cynic. For example, when I told the site manager that I am a diabetic and that my “food situation” is not very good, because of all the stress, he only replied: “...We do have free fruit every day. Get some!” and send me home, because I was looking too sick to be fit for work.
No nothing
To understand my situation you need to know that you need a flat to register in the Netherlands, then you can get a social security number and with this social security number you can open a bank account. And finally you can join a health insurance, BUT no flat, NO registration, NO bank account, NO health insurance,.... NO NOTHING, and this for weeks.
I approached my manager again and he privately lend me a bit of money and the site manager as well so that I can buy some food and my medicine, but other than that, nothing happened.
Sick
Finally the situation took it’s toll and I got very sick. Normally I do have a good control about my medication, but without the needed medicine and supplies like test strips, my health declined drastic. Finally I lost 20kg, I’ve got riple ketones and serious pain attacks.
Triple ketones mean that my body was completely out of control and that affects me physically and mentally. I wasn’t even able to call in sick properly anymore. I just informed my manager that I am sick and shut down for a few days. To make things worse, I couldn’t go to a hospital or doctor, because I had no health insurance at that time.
Fired
When I returned to work I was informed that I will not pass the probation time and that I am fired immediately. I was just informed. No one from HR or Legal actually talked to me directly. Every communication was “managed” by my direct manager.
I have a little bit the feeling that they refused to talk to me directly now, because they knew they screwed me up. Finally I was told to google the contact number myself when I asked for a direct contact in HR or Legal.
All was sorted
The irony, with my last money I managed to do the impossible and rented a flat WITHOUT deposit in Amsterdam. All my papers are in order now, I do have a bank account and I HAD a health insurance.
2.500 Euro
Also I already referred a friend of mine to the same operation and he was hired. Only for that I would have gotten 2.500 Euro referral bonus, which I can forget now as well. By the way, only this would have covered the needed money for my deposit with no problem, but now I can forget this as well.
12.000 Euro debt
Just to summarize. I had 12.000 Euro relocation budget, which was given to an external company, I had no control how the money was spent and I was NOT allowed to use it for rent or deposit! Fuck me! What is a relocation budget good for?
Screwed
Now I am literally screwed and Oracle asks me to pay the money back the relocation company has spend on a guest house and overpriced hotels, also travel expenses and whatever.
No money = No food = No health insurance = No flat = Homeless
I am at the bottom right now. Broke. NO money, NO job, NO health insurance, NO food and at the end of the month I will also lose my home. I have no benefits whatsoever. I am from a 60K job to nothing and 12.000 Euro debt within a few days.
Any comment Oracle?
Looking for a jobI am in Amsterdam and looking for a position similar “Technical Presales Consultant Cloud”, but not limited to Amsterdam. Hey, I was hired once by Oracle, so I can’t be that bad. :) Anyway, if you like my profile and skills, please consider me working for you. I am willing to take any job which “pays the rent”!
Let me know your thoughts
What would you do? Please let me know your opinion in the comments.
What would we use your support for
- Rent
- Food
- Health Insurance
Thank you for reading.
Bernd
PS: If you like to share, please feel free to do so!
PSII: If you want to support me in the meantime, you are very welcome to donate. I don’t want any presents, just a bit help to get back on my feet.
We also have a BLOG -> The VW-POLO Camper
Organizer
Bernd K. R. Dorfmüller
Organizer
Amsterdam Oud West, NL
