Higher Duties

[belinda]

We are in the position to be able to send employees overseas for jobs, be it China, America, France, etc. We are now looking into possibly paying a Higher Duties Allowance whilst working overseas. Our work in normally out in the country, in remote region areas. .

What are some policies, figures on what you may of paid higher duties allowances?

Thanks Belinda

[Mark D]

Sounds like you're not talking about higher duties, per se, but an allowance for the remote nature of the work while overseas. If the staff concerned are clearly performing the tasks and responsibilties of a higher paid person, the question of higher duties allowance is easy to calculate, but in your case it seems more a matter of coming up with a fair and reasonable allowance to reflect the nature of the remote overseas work. Presumably for a short term overseas job you are already paying for all accommodation, meals and other expenses, so unless it's a really crappy location with security or health risks and/or unpleasant working conditions, I'm not so sure I'd be paying anything extra at all though.

[belinda]

Mark

Yes it would be more of an allowance for working in remote locations. As you said not so much a higher duty allowance. We currently have two employees working in China, whom are under time deadlines and have stomach bugs. So it was suggested we look into an allowance for them and others going forward. When we send our employees overseas, it will be to remote locations and most likely remote conditions - hospital not so close by, etc

[Mark D]

In that case I'd say your best best is a "location allowance" of some type. My gut feeling would be somewhere around 20-30%.

The other important thing is to ensure you make these staff feel as safe and supported as possible during their overseas stay. For example -

Is your company a member of a medical evac and security mob such as International SOS?
Do you provide full medical insurance during their overseas posting (Australian health insurance won't cover you while you're overseas)
If they are working long hours and weekends etc, do you provide them adequate R&R time while they are overseas, or additional paid leave after they return to Australia?
Language (and cultural/social) training before heading overseas?

Thesea are just some examples of things you can do to make them more comfortable while they are working in these remote and unfamiliar locations, that go a long way to keeping them happy without necessarily throwing cash at them.

[Mynah]

Belinda,

Some 20 years ago, a company I worked for were sending employees to remote areas of China on short term assignments. The organisation provided them with a 'first aid' kit,. We had a doctor determine the contents of the kit - it had a bit more than what you would have in your car. I remember back then AIDS was in the media, so the kit had a few needles, in the event they were taken to a very remote / poor medical facility, the employee could use their own clean needles.The kit also contained condoms....which raised the eye-brows of the employee's partners!

As for the employee's receiving an allowance. At that time the assisngments were short term and the organisation paid for everything. But 20%- 30% sounds fair on their base salary.