I (US Citizen) took a job with a reputable organization in France that sponsored my visa. I have a spouse, kids, and 3 pets (pets alone cost $6k to relocate). We sold our belongings in the US and had all just begun to really adjust. However I was notified last week that my employer is actually getting rid of an entire segment of their business which includes my job.
My employment contract does not contain any job loss protections outside of my trial period which was 3 months, which they had originally specified verbally is standard in France and would only end if I failed to pick up on the job.
I realize I have no legal protections as it was my naiveté to not pursue additional contract language regarding job loss during the trial period. I just never imagined this.
I’ve applied to over 50 jobs in a week and have already recieved rejections for most, as most employers won’t sponsor visas for whatever reason.
Not sure the purpose of the post but to say that when relocating, please protect yourself and truly realize how much you’re putting on the line by accepting a job abroad. My husband has not found work either in France so we’re at the point of having to go back to the US, pay all of the travel costs to do so, and have nothing there for us.
OP: if your department and job are no longer needed, then there’s another company doing that job, either as outsourcing, or as a full service situation that’s competing with your company. Find out who they are ASAP and apply there.
Outside of that, at the same time, consult a lawyer because you may be entitled to some form of compensation. France is very aggressive about employee protections and a shutdown of this scale is not something that happens from one day to the next. True, your department might not have known what the beancounters and higher management were planning, but you launching a compensation claim is nothing personal. It’s just business.