[tomo1340]

I have just been practically offered a contract doing Telecoms work across NZ, however we had decided to put the move off until next year at the earliest as we have a baby due in October. The pros seem to be the money is $300 to $350 a day and a subsistance allowance to cover bed and board while travelling away with a flight thrown in to get me out there. There was also mention of the subsistance allowance being paid 2 weeks up front upon completing an induction to help you settle in. It all sounds great but here are the cons, I couldn't possibly leave my OH to give birth with the nearest friend or family member over 40 mins drive away and 2 other children to look after, which means I would have to hope they will wait until after the birth for me but I doubt they will. Even if they do the very thought of it only being a contract bothers me deeply, I have only been on contract once before and the work dried up and we were left not earning with bills to pay and a young baby. Also it worries me if the OH or kids get ill and I am only on a 2 year visa, from memory I believe the family would have to be on a tourist visa which might mean that healthcare could be expensive should urgent treatment be required, to be honest as I wanted to go the residency route i've not really looked into how it would work yet.

There is a possibility that I could get an extended unpaid absence from my current job for a few months and see how it works. My boss knows I am looking into emigrating and would help me any way he could. Should it not work out then we could come home.

My questions are>
How secure is the contract market in NZ? And how in the grand scheme of things would $350 a day 5 days a week leave us financially. I don't think there is a restriction on where we would have to live as the work is basically national, therein lies another concern, I wouldn't want to move half way round the world to work away everyday and never see the family when I could easily do that here in the UK, probably for more money and take regular holidays, perhaps down under.

I feel in such a mess about it, although we had decided not to actively seek employment until after the baby comes, I feel this may be our last chance to get out there, I have already turned one job down since we decided to go.

I can't eat and can't sleep thinking about it.

[Familyofmonkeys]

If you have a work visa of minimum 2 years duration, you OH will usually be entitled to get visa of same duration (whether she is working or not). A work visa of minimum 2 years entitles you to all the normal healthcare benefits.

[Tia Maria]

Would your OH have the baby in NZ?

Cheers

Tia

[CJ22]

A potential employer I spoke to at Telecom said that when it came time to shed jobs, contractors generally were made redundant first. Same everywhere I guess. He did say they were expecting to expand not contract, but that was before the current gloom.

[Alan]

If they have enough work then I am not sure why they are doing this via contract, good luck whatever you decide.

[tomo1340]

She would be happy to have the baby in NZ, we are just worried that with the baby due in less than 8 weeks after we would arrive we wouldn't have time to get settled and sort out the birth etc.

The company say they will sort out my visa but I don't think they will sort out visas for the family. They've said they have won a contract for the forseeable future, and I know a lot of companies won't take people on permenant until the contract has been inmplace for a while and has been renewed.

I have asked them a few more questions and I feel a lot less jittery now.

Thanks everyone for the reply.

[KerryS]

If the work is contract I'd also check whether those rates are gross or net. And whether you'd have to pay your own taxes and gst, or whether they would be arranging this for you.
It may be worth checking the Hays Salary Survey and Seek to ensure that this is the correct rate for your role on a contract basis. (The general rule of thumb with contracting is that the hourly rate is a % of the annual salary eg if you'd expect a salary for the post of $75K pa then you would charge $75 an hour as a contractor.)

[tomo1340]

Well, I've not heard anything from them, going to email them later, we have decided that if the job is still there and is available after the birth of the baby then we are definitaly going for it.