Whether to Institute Harsdship/Hazard Pay?
HQ policy on Hardship/Hazard Pay (POL-HRD-INT-0008) states that its purpose is to provide additional compensation to employees who serve in countries or areas which are insecure and dangerous due to war and/or political unrest.
It further outlines three factors the agency considers when deciding about this benefit:
- Level of violence, particularly that which is targeted toward NGOs or expatriates
- Level of lawlessness and capabilities of police and/or military to protect CRS employees
- Location of security incidences in relation to CRS work
These are the factors you should take into consideration if you bring up this issue with the CR and/or RD.
The RD then discusses the Hardship/Hazard Pay issue with the Director of Staff Safety and Security in HQ and they together make a recommendation to the Executive Vice President for Overseas Operations (EVP Overops). The EVP Overops will then approve or reject the recommendation.
How to Implement Hardship/Hazard Pay?
This benefit will be paid in the employee’s paycheck with the salary so make sure you coordinate implementation with HQ.
Don’t let the National Staff from other country programs (International Staff in this emergency) fall through the cracks. International staff will be paid their Hardship Pay in their paycheck from HQ. As national staff from other CPs don’t get paid through HQ, you will have to make special arrangements with the CP you are in, the individual’s country program of origin, or HQ to make sure he/she gets the Hardship/Hazard Pay to which he/she is entitled.