Retire Rich

Na miss mo ba ang mainit na pandesal sa kape tuwing agahan?

Well, for me not anymore! Because I discovered "Nature's Taste" bakery.

If pancake is the typical breakfast for most Americans. For Pinoys, of course, it's "pandesal". So you should know where's the hottest pandesal in Kuwait to complete your breakfast.

Nature's Taste located at Old Souk Salmiya, just behind McDonalds, next to Tiya Marias.

A friend told me about Nature's Taste bakery. So, the following day, I went to the location to find out the bakery.

The friendly staff at Nature's Taste bakery

Nature's Taste product lines on the display shelves

Nature's Taste from outside

One of the uncomfortable feelings, I felt being an employee, is when I resign from my first job in Kuwait. When I resign from that job, wherein I worked for 3 years -- the longest I've ever work in my entire working career -- there were doubts stopping me from resigning.

Well, my number one doubt during the time I resigned, was how to tell my boss. I felt nervous to tell him that I'm resigning. Fortunately, when I worked in HR, I learned that there should be nothing to worry about. Actually, there's a basic formula, how to resign your job in a good way and gracefully. I would like to share this to you.

• Make sure that resigning is really the right decision. Don't resign if, you just want to get an increment, or you just want to let your boss feel and realize how important you are. This will tarnish your reputation.

• Make sure that the company you are transferring to, can wait for three months. If you are resigning because you found another job, you should ask your new employer if they are willing to wait for three months, because this is the required notice period as per the Kuwait Labor Law.

• Tell your boss in person. Especially if you are close to your boss, shooting an email to his inbox is not a good idea. Request for a meeting and tell him face-to-face.

• Have your answer ready when your boss asks why. It is always good to tell the honest answer whatever the main reason there is why you're resigning. But it will depend on your boss management style. If your boss accepts criticism you can tell him if your reason, for example you resign because you are feed up of the working very long hours, which is the company's culture. But if your boss doesn't like to hear that kind of reason, it will be good to tell him about "better opportunity" or the new job is "near to your place" is acceptable.

• Cooperate and offer for a smooth transition. Train and provide assistance to your replacement. Provide password to your computer, keys to you drawer, and handover pending work. Try to leave a contact number before you leave, this will generate goodwill.

I found a good news! While skimming the Department of Labor and Employment or DOLE website, I found job fairs that may help a lot to those returning OFWs -- affected by the ongoing problems in Libya. Despite the lack of opportunity for a job in our country, the government at least find a way to produce jobs.

DOLE announced yesterday, 11 August 2014, the job fair schedule for the month of August and September 2014. The job fair will be held in various venues within 16 Regions of the Philippines.

One of my fear, if for some reasons, I need to go back to our country -- is to find a job. We all know how difficult to look for a job in the Philippines. Employers prefer to hire applicants aged 18-24 years old.

I'm at the age wherein, I'm too young to retire but too old to apply. So, it's tough. That is why we can't blame those Kabayan's who hang on, with their jobs even if they are working in countries that face security crisis. Sabi nga nila "mas mabuti pa raw mamatay sa abroad kaysa mamatay na dilat ang mata sa Pinas" Well it's true. But I think, it would be better if I die, wherein my love ones can still see my dead body.

Anyway, here are the schedule of job fairs as per the DOLE website.

August 1--Butuan City Job Fair, Butuan City Hall Lobby, Caraga Region; August 3--KCC Mall Job Fair, Zamboanga City, Region 9; August 4--Taal Job Fair, Escuela Pia, Taal, Batangas, Region 4-A; and Palo Jobs Fair, Palo, Leyte, Region 8; August 5--La Union Job Fair, Saint Louis College Gym, San Fernando City, La Union, Region 1.

August 6--Mini Job Fair-DMDP, Cebu City, Region 7; August 7--Jobs Fair, Sta. Elena, Camarines Norte, Region 5; August 8--Municipality of Orion, Pag-Asa Wawa Covered Court, near TESDA Bldg. Orion, Bataan, Region 3; August 11-- San Jose City Job Fair, Municipal Gym, San Jose City, Region 3; August 11 to 12--Tuguegarao City Job Fair, Lobby of Tuguegarao City Hall, Enrile Blvd., Carig, Tuguegarao City, Region 2.

August 13--Camalaniugan Patronal Fiesta Job Fair, Camalaniugan Municipal Hall, Camalaniugan, Cagayan, Region 2; August 14--Mega Job Fair, Caloocan South (Main) City Hall, NCR; August 14 to 15--Camalaniugan Patronal Fiesta Job Fair, Camalaniugan Municipal Hall, Camalaniugan, Cagayan, Region 2; August 15--CFCST Job Fair, Arakan, Cotabato, Region 12; and PESO Binangonan Mega Job Fair, Ynares Plaza, Libis, Binangonan, Rizal, Region 4-A; August 16--Nograles Mini-Job Fair, Ma-a Elementary School Covered Court, Ma-a, Davao City, Region 11; Brgy. Lahug, Cebu City, Region 7; and Local and Overseas Job Fair, Mandaue City, Cebu, Region 7.

August 20-- Jobs Fair, Sta. Elena, Camirines Norte, Region 5; and Brgy. Poblacion, Pardo, Cebu City, Region 7; August 20 to 21--Handog Kaarawan Trabaho para sa Mamayan, Datu Lipis Makapandong Youth Employment & Migrant Center, Patin-ay, Caraga Region; August 21--Mini-Job Fair, Amphitheater, Malabon City Hall, NCR.

August 22--Malabon City Mini Job Fair, Malabon City Hall Amphitheater, NCR; and PESO Tanay Job Fair, 3rd Floor Activity Are, Tanay Municipal Hall, Tanay, Rizal, Region 4-A; August 22 to 23--Hinatuan Job Fair, Hinatuan Municipal Hall, Caraga Region.

August 23--PESO-Iloilo City Job Fair, Robinson's Place Iloilo, Iloilo City, Region 6; August 24--Tandag City Job Fair, Tandag City Gym, Caraga Region; Local Job Fair, Capitol Grounds, Region 7; August 24 to 25-- Cabanatuan City Mini Job Fair, Cabanatuan City, Region 3.

August 26 to 27-- Daet Jobs Fair, Daet Heritage Center, Daet, Camarines Norte, Region 5; August 28--PESO-Dumangas, Iloilo Job Fair, Dumangas Gym, Dumangas, Iloilo, Region 6; and August 29--Hapsay Job Fair, City Tourism Hall, Cagayan De Oro City, Region 10.

For September, the scheduled job fairs are as follows:

September 2--San Leonardo Job Fair, San Leonardo Gymnasium, San Bartolome, San Leonardo Nueva Ecija, Region 3; September 5--61st Foundation Anniversary and 5th Agten Tufi Festival Job Fair, Tupi, South Cotabato, Region 12; and Tandag City Job Fair, Tandag City Gym, Caraga Region; September 6--57th Foundation and 11th F'lomlok Festival Job Fair, Polomolok, South Cotabato, Region 12.
September 10-- Caloocan City Hall South, NCR; September 11--Baguio Day Job Fair, Baguio Convention Center, Baguio City, CAR; September 13--Nograles Mini Job Fair, Sta. Ana National High School Covered Court, D. Suazo St., Davao City, Region 11; and Brgy. Talamban, Cebu City, Region 7; September 15-- Mountain Province Job Fair, Bontoc Municipal Plaza, Bontoc, Mt. Province, CAR.

September 17-- PESO-Iloilo City Job Fair, Robinson's Place Iloilo, Iloilo City, Region 6; and Jobs Bridging-DMDP, Cebu City, Region 7; September 18-- Malabon City Mega Job Fair, Malabon City Hall Amphitheater, NCR; and Mega Job Fair, Caloocan North City Hall, NCR; September 20-- Mega Jobs Fair, SM Tunasan, NCR.

September 23-- Job Fair, Municipal Gym, Glan Sarangani Province, Region 12; September 25-- Nasipit Job Fair, Nasipit Municipal Hall, Caraga Region; and San Miguel Job Fair, San Miguel Municipal Hall, Caraga Region.

September 26-- Hapsay Job Fair, City Tourism Hall, Region 10; September 27--68th Mega Jobfair, Cebu City, Region 7; September 28-- PESO-San Miguel, Iloilo Job Fair, San Miguel Gym, San Miguel, Iloilo, Region 6.

I have been working in Human Resources field for the past four years in Kuwait. I'm employed to one of the leading Oil and Gas Construction Companies in Kuwait. This company has more than 10,000 employees.

Basically, my job is more on the end process of hiring (joiners) and processing the required documents for leavers -- resigned, terminated and dismissed employees.

In the process of doing my job, I met a lot of questions more from the leavers than the joiners (applicants).
The most frequently asked questions were about "notice period" and "end of service benefits" (EOS). Belew are some of the questions:

1. How many months (notice period) required to work, after submitting resignation?
2. Do I need to finish the required three-month notice period?
3. If I will not work for the required notice period, is there a penalty?
4. How much pay I will get if I worked for three years? Five years? Or more than 10 years?

Apart from the above questions, a lot were also being asked, wherein answers were covered under the Kuwait Labor Law of the Private Sector No. 6 of 2010. I assumed that few might not able to read the Kuwait Labor Law that is why these common questions were asked.

Instead of giving answers to those frequently asked questions, I provided a link to the existing Kuwait Labor Law. Please click the link, and it will lead you to the document: http://www.arabtimesonline.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=dv%2FnyhXr3Kk%3D&tabid=57. This is a downloadable format wherein you can save on your computer. You may need legal advice in interpreting the law. But in general, the answers to those questions above where clearly stated.

(Recommended further reading: In order to clearly understand the Kuwait Labor Law in the private sector, I recommend to all the readers of this post, to visit the article of Fajer Ahmed posted on 248am.com. The article has an easy-to-understand table that outline the most important and frequently ask articles in the Kuwait Labor Law.)