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SALARY REVIEWS

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Sir,

Thank you for allowing me space to discuss a certain company in the kingdom that has its own method of calculating salary increases. Mind you, this is an award winning company and is well known to all.


One would think that inflation is a factor when considering such adjustments but this company gives a meager E150 increase every year to long standing support staff. Mind you the same E150 is less than two per cent of their monthly salary.


Considering that inflation is currently at plus/minus five per cent, rent will increase by a minimum of E200, electricity increases by a ridiculous double digit every year. Water increases by a similar relevant figure. My helper earns E800 - one cannot give her anything less than five to 10 per cent increment.


Don’t get me started on the prices of food! And when I say food I mean the essentials - no luxuries.
How then is one supposed to spread an already tight budget to support all these costs when the salary is not increasing?


I am sure the ‘top dogs’ will not increase their own salaries by E150, so why then would they do that to their staff? Gone are the days when only waiters got tips; now the trend is for all the tips to be shared between the waiter (sales) and the kitchen staff (support). Why do you not do the same with the sales commission?


After sales service is key in every industry but in most cases the sales team is forgotten but the service team is seen regularly and has a better relationship with your clients than the sales team. That is actually who brings the bacon home!


These petty increases affect not only their monthly budget but also their pension fund, as it will not grow at a realistic rate resulting in the poor performance of the fund and a dismal payout upon retirement.


I will not name and shame but I urge such companies to do some serious introspection and reward their staff with realistic increments based on the inflation rate and not on being greedy at the top end to the detriment of the support staff, who actually make the company what it is today. Those glass houses you live in will one day shatter and you will reap what you have sown.

The Watchdog 

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