Poor service from recruitment agencies.

As a registered nurse recently relocated to the Middle East and recruited by a well known New Zealand nursing and health care recruitment agency, I feel it is important to enlighten others contemplating a similar venture of the hidden dangers in using recruitment agencies. Three months after my relocation to Saudi Arabia I can testify that, contrary to popular opinion, culture shock is not a major stressor. Rather, my agency's misinformation, or lack of information, has proved to be the major stressor by far, resulting in unnecessary distress and expense. Any shock incurred by cultural differences has been a "breeze" in comparison.

I was recruited in New Zealand for a position in a well known hospital in Saudi Arabia early last year. Having never worked in the Middle East, I was given lots of advice by family, friends and workmates about the "culture shock" I would experience on taking up a position in such a different culture and country.

I trusted my agency to provide me with all the information I would need in order to make the transition smoothly. After all, this agency had been in business for many years and was an "expert" in the field.

Three months into my contract, I now have many reservations about using agencies. These are the problems I encountered:

1) My agency gave me no information about standard procedure at Riyadh Airport and the transfer to the hospital. I now know that Saudi Arabian authorities confiscate passports at the immigration desk before the arrivals lounge.

From that moment on, you are entirely dependent on Saudi authorities as to when and if you are able to leave. Saudi authorities keep your passport and issue you with their own internal identification called an Igama. As you have no passport, you have no legal identity other than the one that Saudi Arabia chooses to give you. As a result of my ignorance, I caused quite a stir at Riyadh airport as I saw my passport disappearing into a big black hole. All this on top of a 48-hour transit from New Zealand.

2) On my arrival at the hospital compound, my charge nurse welcomed me to out patients. This was a big surprise, as the contract I had signed stated I was recruited to the operating room. I had not been given a job description, having been told it would not be available until I actually took up the position.

3) Three weeks into my contract I discovered, quite by accident, that I would not be paid until I had been in my position for 10 weeks. Apparently this is standard procedure and something my agent should have told me. As a result, at extra cost and time, I had to arrange alternative means to meet my weekly mortgage and insurance commitments in New Zealand until such time as I had been paid. Add to this the expense of establishing a home on the compound, food, uniforms etc. All my agent told me before I embarked was that I should take a few American dollars with me for the first couple of weeks' expenses.

4) About six weeks into my contract, I discovered the 45 annual leave days advertised as part of the benefits of the position by my agency are in fact "calendar annual leave" days. This means that if I take more than one week at a time, the two weekend days are also classed as annual leave days. The contract I signed with my agent stated 45 annual leave days; the employer's contract states 45 calendar annual leave days. This has the potential to cut one's leave by eight days.

5) I have since learned the contract I signed before leaving New Zealand was not legally valid by Saudi Arabian standards, as it was not signed by the employer. Only after several weeks of employment is the genuine contract signed, which may or may not contain differing information.

I want others contemplating going to the Middle East via an agency to be equipped with as much knowledge as possible to enable them to make a smooth transition to their new environment. I believe agencies, for whatever reasons, are not giving that information.

I am enjoying the cultural experience of living and working in Saudi Arabia and have done so from day one. I do, however, feel extremely let down by the organisation I trusted to facilitate my transition.

Raewyn Farag, RN, Saudia Arabia

(Whangarei Heads when home)