I get all the good jobs!
Negotiating allowances and position descriptions after people have been working for a few months is more akin to dentistry than HR! I have spent the afternoon making sure everyone knows what is expected of them and, of course, how much money they can have for it. That's the bit that we always seem to get stuck on, and it is due in part to the knowledge that the BIG INGOs pay BIG bucks, and in some cases way above the national average.
People know there is "plenty of money" (how often did I hear that today?) and it doesn't take some of them long to want their share of it. But there is a balancing game to be played: that is paying a person their worth, in the context of a country like Haiti, paying them what we can sustain and what we can afford within the limits of being accountable to donors who give their money to make a difference in the lives of the Haitians.
Then you have the person that argues with you about the amount because he wants to make sure that the programs and the survivors are getting enough. Despite the fact that he lost his wife and house in the earthquake, and has four kids to support he says, "but Sir, you have come to help Haitians, you have come here for us, I should not take this (pay envelope) from you I should be thanking you for letting me help you help my people".
So tonight I am all negotiated out and to make matters worse I think our cook/housekeeper hates me now :(
