Hi,

I am at the moment an embassy driver/tech support/anything they ask me to do. I have been chronically depressed with my job because the pay is lower than a janitor's and I don't get any overtime compensation and weekend compensation. And they treat me like shite. Today, I worked for 12 hours. I even had to sneak in my lunch break because the ambassador doesn't even think of me. He just goes scheduling things without thinking if I have eaten or something. You get the idea.

I am a registered nurse in my home country, a licensed nurse in Finland, and a candidate for right of practice in Switzerland (just needing the B2 French).

Right now I just want to quit my job or do something to get fired, go to Chomage and claim benefits and also be sent to french classess.
I have asked my in-laws for advice. Their advice is to tough it out until I find another one. My parents' advice on the other hand is to take the risk and pursue the B2 french. The problem is my wife is 4-months pregnant and we can't afford to lose my job without chomage money.

So my question is- if I quit or have myself get fired, are they going to accept me and give me unemployment benefits or would they refuse? If they accept, will they allow me to finish my french until B2?

It has been impossible to attend night classes because of my unpredictable work schedule. I also have been spplying to entry G-category jobs in different UN orgs to no avail.

I guess the first ovcious questions which you haven't answered are:

1) Have you told your boss about the pay and conditions
2) Have you told your boss about your depression

If so, what did they say?

If you are truly depressed in a real sense then you should go to a doctor as he may be able to sign you off for a while until you get your head straight.

Sorry I realise this is in the wrong section.

1. I am going to write a letter regarding the work conditions specifically OT and weekends this week.
2. I think I'm on the verge of a real depression. I am losing weight and losing hope. I used to be very positive and do-it-now kind of person but I'm starting to lose all the energy. I feel tired all the time.

Why write a letter? That's a bit formal if you've never said anything before. Just ask for a meeting with your boss, and sit down and explain how you are feeling. He possibly has no idea and would sort things out for you.

This is so important- as according to chômage- if you leave of your own accord, without discussing issues with Management and give them a chance to address the issues - you could be penalised for some weeks or months of non-payment- and even- as I published a case last year- be refused unemployment benefits altogether. In the case I published, the guy went to appeal and lost. Just too many people are giving up their job and signing on chômage, and they are really trying to crack down on this. Chômage is for people who lose their job, not quit them.

As an embassy employee, you probably have not been paying any money to Geneva in taxes or insurance.

Have you been paying into the fund for chomage for the past years? If not there will not be any money for you.

Is your apartment dependent on your job?

You would probably be better off taking a low paid job in France, as there the social payments for mothers are good.

The secretary and I (we both are not from their country) already tried talking to the boss regarding our salaries before. When the SNB removed the peg to the euro, our salary went down 30%. He only jokingly said, "You should probably start moving to France."
And about the work on weekends thing, I sometimes tell him that I am not available but he insists.

On top of that, he is an egoistic son of a gun who just blames me all the time whenever something happens. Just hard to work with.

I have been paying my AVS as independent for 1 yr 7 mo. This April. 16% of my monthly salary! The reason being I am on a B permit as my wife is a swiss citizen. I also pay for my own accident insurance.

Apartment, somewhat yes.

This is why I am trying to send them formal letters to get replies in writing. As it would be proof to show the chomage that I tried.


PS. I also do not have a work contract, meaning ai am under swiss labour protection. The last contract they made me sign expired a year ago, and it was in russian. I asked for an english one and they said, just google translate it.

If you have health insurance, they will pay for 5 or 6 hours with someone to help you get over your depression.

Look upon your job as a challenge. Without a job you don't have so much motivation, and this can be depressing.

Keep on applying for jobs. Do you realise the ORP can help you, before you lose your job?

I noticed our local hospital (in the German part of Switzerland) has a number of Finnish doctors and nurses.

I would concentrate on getting the B2 French qualification and then look for a hospital job.

Have you thought about an on-line French course? Possibly something you could work on while waiting in the car for the Ambassador to finish lunch

I suppose you already know that The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) examine demands for recognition of foreign medical qualifications from EU nationals?
Office fédérale de la Santé Publique OFSP
Sektion Medizinalprüfungen
3003 Bern
Tel. 031 322 61 00
www.bag.admin.ch

Another possibility is to find a job nursing an old person; since these jobs are usually offered privately then you do not need recognised qualifications and can work on your French in parallel.

How can they help me? I went to ORP when I was a full time jobseeker when I first moved here. Unfortunately they couldn't really help me as I don't have enough french and my profession needs a lot of it. At that time I wasn't eligible for free classes too.

Thanks. I will look into it. The Swiss Red Cross is the governing body that recognizes foreign nursing qualifications. And they are just waiting for my B2 French DELF Certificate.

I am using the Duolingo app on my ipad when waiting in the car but I feel like it's not helping me much.

You should have done this ages ago.

Sounds like you have allowed yourself to be exploited.

No work contract? And you didn't force the issue? Wow...

I would look for a more formal on line course that leads to the B2 qualification

Well I was desperate for a job back then so I just took it as it is.

That's what I've been telling myself.



I have asked the consul a couple of times for the contract but he just keeps on saying yes. I see him very busy as we are only 5 in the office.

How long have you been working there in total?

Tragic, and although it won't help you, not unusual at all. People are so desperate to get a job in Switzerland, or UK, Germany - and get exploited.

Your work situation/non-contract is very un-usual, and therefore it is hugely difficult to give advice. You could try UNIA, the worker's union- but they may well be relucant to get stuck in an Embassy siutation- but equally they could take your case on board and even be prepared to name and shame, etc.

I am concerned that the detail you have given, for such a small outfit in GVA, may well point you out to your employer though.

To be cynical about it; it is not a question of learning the French language but instead getting "pumped up" with enough answers to pass the exam.

For you, I believe (like me) the hardest part of learning French is to learn which words are masculine and which feminine. I believe in Finnish, like English, words have no genders.
So if you want, for example, to learn the French word for moon it is La Lune not Lune.
Took me a long time to understand this; too long in fact - I know too many words with no clue if are they le or la!! This knowledge is crucial for the grammar...

such a massive pity that so many courses put so much emphasis on gender and fancy useless tenses, rather than effective communication (as the Cambridge First's obsession with phrasal verbs, etc- and communication based on describing a picture! grrrr).