Expats in a fix over annual leave plan second year in a row
Published: 03:06 PM,Jun 29,2021 | EDITED : 11:06 PM,Jun 29,2021
The Covid-19 has come as a perfect storm for everyone. There are no plans, nothing, and it seems there is a directive from somewhere to be in the flow and follow the global epidemiological chart.
Since the pandemic hit last year, people, especially the expatriates working in the Sultanate, thought of postponing the annual leave for a couple of months, or may be compensated for some less workload days to see their near and dear ones and attend some important works back home.
But the Coronavirus did not even give them that chance, even to think of, due to changing global scenarios and uncertainty of flights coming and going.
Even if there are flights to go; there is no certainty to come back. There are chances of losing jobs and salary cuts. All kinds of uncertainties are there.
Dr Abdulraoof Ahmed Ismail, a faculty member at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), is not able to make any leave plans due to this situation.
He has some two months of annual leave coming any time soon after the completion of college examinations.
“But I am not exploring any plan at this point. I have taken one shot of the vaccine, but I have to wait for the second. Suppose I go but do not come back on time, then there is another issue, and top of it is frequently changing the quarantine schedule. For example, suppose you go home and stay quarantined for 14 days, come back and stay for another 14 days. So for me, I have taken a call not to go’’, he said.
Others are worried over the situation back home and the risk of travelling in flights due to the emergence of new mutants “Alpha, Delta, some dots and some numbers” that are said to have the capacity to spread very fast.
Cyril George, an employee in a private firm in Muscat, believes that one should not plan to go back home during annual leave this time around, if not that urgent.
“Request for some time extension, if they agree, it’s good; If not take leave, stay at home, it’s better. In any case, you are saving yourself from catching the virus’’, he said, giving his mind about his own vacation plan.
Some parents have children who have completed schooling and expect to write entrance examinations for higher studies. Some dates for those tests have already been announced. They are in a fix what to do. Their vaccination is not complete, and on top of it, they also do not want to take any risk.
Academic Dr Atiya Fatima is no different. She also has shelved her plans to go to India. Not very happy about the decision, but she has decided to accept the situation.
“The only silver lining with me is my location Salalah, where weather is better than many places, even better than my own place in India. So I will enjoy khareef (monsoon) season without any risk of mixing with the crowd, and maybe utilise this time in clearing some pending academic works’’, she said.
Of course, she has some family friends in mind who have also decided to stay back during the vacation. With them, she can have a feeling of vacation fun as and when needed.
Since the pandemic hit last year, people, especially the expatriates working in the Sultanate, thought of postponing the annual leave for a couple of months, or may be compensated for some less workload days to see their near and dear ones and attend some important works back home.
But the Coronavirus did not even give them that chance, even to think of, due to changing global scenarios and uncertainty of flights coming and going.
Even if there are flights to go; there is no certainty to come back. There are chances of losing jobs and salary cuts. All kinds of uncertainties are there.
Dr Abdulraoof Ahmed Ismail, a faculty member at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), is not able to make any leave plans due to this situation.
He has some two months of annual leave coming any time soon after the completion of college examinations.
“But I am not exploring any plan at this point. I have taken one shot of the vaccine, but I have to wait for the second. Suppose I go but do not come back on time, then there is another issue, and top of it is frequently changing the quarantine schedule. For example, suppose you go home and stay quarantined for 14 days, come back and stay for another 14 days. So for me, I have taken a call not to go’’, he said.
Others are worried over the situation back home and the risk of travelling in flights due to the emergence of new mutants “Alpha, Delta, some dots and some numbers” that are said to have the capacity to spread very fast.
Cyril George, an employee in a private firm in Muscat, believes that one should not plan to go back home during annual leave this time around, if not that urgent.
“Request for some time extension, if they agree, it’s good; If not take leave, stay at home, it’s better. In any case, you are saving yourself from catching the virus’’, he said, giving his mind about his own vacation plan.
Some parents have children who have completed schooling and expect to write entrance examinations for higher studies. Some dates for those tests have already been announced. They are in a fix what to do. Their vaccination is not complete, and on top of it, they also do not want to take any risk.
Academic Dr Atiya Fatima is no different. She also has shelved her plans to go to India. Not very happy about the decision, but she has decided to accept the situation.
“The only silver lining with me is my location Salalah, where weather is better than many places, even better than my own place in India. So I will enjoy khareef (monsoon) season without any risk of mixing with the crowd, and maybe utilise this time in clearing some pending academic works’’, she said.
Of course, she has some family friends in mind who have also decided to stay back during the vacation. With them, she can have a feeling of vacation fun as and when needed.