You lose!

We have something in this line of work called a “losing post.” It looks like Guangzhou will be one for me.

A losing post is the opposite of a gaining post. These terms are used in this job for, when you transfer, your old job site and your new one.

When you plan your departure, you have about 60 days leeway and you are supposed to “negotiate” with the two to figure out when you can leave, what training you can take, and when to arrive. In these negotiations with you – allegedly on your side – is sort of a job advisor.

I’m about six months out from changing posts, so I have to start thinking about the transfer. I thought this was an easy thing, since I already had a proposed training schedule and everything.

My new start date is supposed to be May. That was back when I was to leave here in December. At that point, the higher office here that controls staffing in China asked me to stay longer. I’d been scheduled to take an 8-week language class in February, but I agreed to stay – with the backing that I would get a 6-week course in HR, which I really want. That class is scheduled to start May 2 and go until June 10. I got the OK from the gaining post that it should work.

However, that was back in May. There’s a new person in Istanbul now, and I learned this week that I am not going to be allowed to take that class, one reason of which is because I am expected to arrive in May.

And that’s a wrinkle. A really, really big one. See, I also have what’s called home leave. This is a time when Congress tells all foreign service people that they must be in the U.S., in order to stay in touch with America. Congress mandates that a foreign service officer must take at least 20 days, but I will have just over 30 days. And you know what? Since I am not being allowed to take the class I want, I want to take ALL my leave.

So even if I depart the first day I am able to from Guangzhou – April 1 – using 33 days of home leave would put me in D.C. on 5/18 or so. There is one class that I must take and it’s an entire week, so I’d have to take it the following week.

Well, that Friday is Memorial Day. I shouldn’t have to move over a holiday weekend. And if I don’t, then I can’t leave until May 31, which would put me arriving on June 1. Which, last I checked, is in June.

So I just can’t figure out why I can’t get an extra week or so of class. Even if I can’t get the one I really want, there are other classes that DC deems more appropriate for my career. (Note: The reason I want the HR class is because it would have been so very helpful in my current assignment. My new assignment is even more HR-laden, so it seemed appropriate.)

Anyway, the job advisor person isn’t on the same page as I am. This is a three-party negotiation, and so far two of the parties have coughed up a lot. My current post is willing to let me leave on April 1 – they’d like me here until April 30 – and I am forfeiting a class that I really, really want AND that the new post told me I could have. Beyond that, I gave up an 8-week language course. So far, the gaining post has continued to chant “May! May! May” and yielded nothing.

And my job advisor came up with the brilliant idea of forcing me to leave Guangzhou in mid-March. This is not something that I want, nor is it something that Guangzhou wants.

I’m trying to schedule a time to call my job advisor about it; I’m wondering if wires haven’t gotten crossed somewhere. It just shouldn’t be this hard.