Marriage is about convenience?

[groovlstk]

to be grateful for what? It was 12 hour drive (6 hr each way), we spent 21 hours outside the house, he was either driving or working the entire time, and he gets paid for htis as a normal (8 hr) work day, company didnt pay even for his meals, all his company gave is the car to get there, and then again, 21 hrs being gone for work at the price of 8 hrs staying home? What is there to be grateful for? We came home at 3 am, and he still had to get up and work next day at 8 am. Frankly we almost spent the night in the car on a parking along the highway, cuz he was absolutely freaking exhausted, but i was whining for him to call someone so they can pick us up, cuz i dont wanna sleep in the car. I did have a nice day tho (until the drive home - trying to stay awake myself and trying to not let him fall asleep while your going 160 km/hr is a hell of a job). The fact that the previous night we had to go pick up his mom at the airport, so we only had 5 hr sleep before going on this epic journey to Germany, didnt help either.
And of course if we stayed in Germany, we'd pay for hotel ourselves

Shortly after my wife and I married I had to travel to New Orleans for business. My wife came along with me (at our expense) and we had a great time when I wasn't working. On return our flight was canceled along with dozens of others because of a storm system, and I really had to be back in the office for an important meeting the next day. Long story short: the only way for me to get back on time was to travel alone. My wife would have to fly to Houston, overnight there, and then get on a standby list. She had no green card, driver's license, etc. and I knew it would panic her so I blew off the meeting and we flew back together the next evening. It wasn't something that screwed up my career, but I made an error in judgment by having her accompany me. I'm grateful she got to see one of the most unique and beautiful cities in the US, but to us it's a luxury that she came along.

Aloe, your husband's company sounds capricious. He's probably doing what most of us guys here had to do when were were young and just beginning our careers: paying dues. From what you've written he seems to take his work very seriously so they can't hold him back for long.

[Vaughn]

I knew it would panic her so I blew off the meeting and we flew back together the next evening.

BRAVO, groov !!

Note: while I do NOT recommend one takes his/her career lightly, there are times when, due to our own
decision-making, one must seriously weigh consequences and put family first. I recall "cashing in" every
shred of my accrued sick leave to enable my third journey to the FSU when my wife and stepdaughter
were finally issued K-1 visas after an indefinite post-interview delay in 2002. My boss, a stickler for
full time coverage wasn't too thrilled, but allowed my journey after some private discussion.

Aloe, groov is quite correct - your hubby is paying the dues of his youth. Take solace in that many
men would kill for a job that offers occasional international travel, even without first class perks.
Count your blessings.

[Shadow]

Aloe's husband is probably already getting "Maaltijdcheques" (meal cheques) as part of his wages, and for itnernational travel he might get one or two extra. There for while not getting any cash, there probably is some compensation. 

[BC]

Aloe's husband is probably already getting "Maaltijdcheques" (meal cheques) as part of his wages, and for itnernational travel he might get one or two extra. There for while not getting any cash, there probably is some compensation. 

As an employee you're always getting screwed one way or another.  But hang in there Mr. Aloe.. keep doing what you do best then when it's time take the leap to self employment and start screwing everyone else.

[Aloe]

Aloe's husband is probably already getting "Maaltijdcheques" (meal cheques) as part of his wages, and for itnernational travel he might get one or two extra. There for while not getting any cash, there probably is some compensation. 

he doesnt get any checks, i feel so bad for him getting ripped off!

[Shadow]

he doesnt get any checks, i feel so bad for him getting ripped off!

As they are tax-free it is more the boss who is ripping himself off...

[Voyager36]

As they are tax-free it is more the boss who is ripping himself off...

Well there's a surprise. 
A cheapskate boss? 

[Aloe]

As they are tax-free it is more the boss who is ripping himself off...

what does it mean tax free anyway? It would still mean boss has to pay for them tho, they cant just be free?
He doesnt get any checks like that but he does get sandwiches at work, at the weird time of 11 am, and no lunch hour whatsoever, just 5 minute sandwich break, while getting paid only for 8 hrs. Sigh

[kievstar]

Aloe, when I was in Belgium all the workers got money for lunch and than brought there own lunch to save about 30 plus Euros a week and use that money to have dinner with their spouse on Friday.  Was required by Belgium law they got lunch provided.  Maybe your husband company does not have enough employees to qualify.

Every time someone in Belgium complained about our other employees in Switzerland making more money I had to point out all the freebies like company cars, lunch money, more vacation days, unlimited sick days, etc they got and Swiss people do not.  Its hard to get anything done in Belgium and reason many companies have left. 

[Aloe]

They have lunch hour on paper, but not in practice. There are only 3 people there, thats the problem. The other 2 people just eat stuff all day long while working. And my husband is too scared to lose his job to do anything, even take a day off. Let alone being late, he is so mega stressed if he is late for work. Sigh. I read unemployment is on the rise in belgium, maybe his fears have grounds. Meanwhile he is working on a job he doesnt really like, doing something he doesnt really want to, while the relevant knowledge of what he wants to do and studied for is growing dimmer and dimmer and not getting any experience in the area he wants to. (he wants to program with java, but doing C# at the moment). I dont know why he is so scared to lose his job or try to change it, considering the social system in belgium is unbelievable and that his parents wouldnt let us starve anyway.
Funny thing, when i was at their office for entire day, i could see the other employee browsing entertainment sites for half the day. My husband never does anything like that, but i suspect they get paid about the same

[SANDRO43]

He doesnt get any checks like that but he does get sandwiches at work, at the weird time of 11 am, and no lunch hour whatsoever, just 5 minute sandwich break, while getting paid only for 8 hrs. Sigh

Don't complain, he's lucky he's not in the Belgian Navy :

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZaHtnKbswQ[/youtube]

[Shadow]

what does it mean tax free anyway? It would still mean boss has to pay for them tho, they cant just be free?
He doesnt get any checks like that but he does get sandwiches at work, at the weird time of 11 am, and no lunch hour whatsoever, just 5 minute sandwich break, while getting paid only for 8 hrs. Sigh

Tax free means that what is paid to your huband is the net cost for the boss.

To give an example: Suppose your husban earns 2000 before taxes, he will receive around 1400 after taxes, and it will cost his boss around 2300.
Now if the boss would be able to give tax-free meal cheques, your husband would earn 1900 before taxes, but receive 1430 as he would get 1330 + 100 cheques. The boss would have a cost of 2285 in total, meaning everyone would gain.
There is just one snag, and that is that unemployment money or pension would be a bit less, as its calculated on the wage before taxes.

[Voyager36]

To give an example: Suppose your husban earns 2000 before taxes, he will receive around 1400 after taxes, and it will cost his boss around 2300.
Now if the boss would be able to give tax-free meal cheques, your husband would earn 1900 before taxes, but receive 1430 as he would get 1330 + 100 cheques.

Interesting Shadow. Suppose that he wished to bring his own lunch from home, how could he use the cheques? Can they be used for groceries?

[kievstar]

The company I worked at in Belgium got the money right in their paycheck.  No vouchers.  The money they got was very high as well.  They could spend the money on anything they wanted.