NGOs recognize their collective history in creating inequitable pay structures that favor expatriates at the expense of national employees. The signatories to this code pledge that they will attempt to create pay structures that acknowledge differences in expertise and training, irrespective of the employee’s nationality.
- NGOs commit to advocate for fair monetary compensation for work done by all employees, across the health care system, including salaries for community health workers.
- NGOs that hire health workers, managers and other skilled personnel in the countries where they work will offer salaries that are “locally competitive,” striving for salaries that are not substantially more generous than the public sector while providing a fair and living wage to their employees.
- NGOs sometimes pay “top-ups” (compensation payments that supplement public salaries) to public sector staff to secure their services for contract work. In general, NGOs will avoid this practice, as it creates inequities, increases burdens on existing staff and fails to add new workforce to the health sector.
- NGOs commit to limiting pay and benefits inequity between expatriate and national, rural and urban, and ministry and NGO workers. Compensation structures that provide incentives for rural service are encouraged and gender-related disparities are disallowed.
- NGOs will establish benefit structures that are based on the needs of employees and, at a minimum, match public sector practices, including retirement plans. Where public sector benefits or pay structures are inadequate, NGOs will collaborate with the public sector to improve them.
- Any privileges granted to expatriate employees will also be granted to national employees of similar qualification and responsibility, such as the opportunity to work from home or access to personal transportation.
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