who pays for world bank employee benefits?

[Anonymous]

You mean the ones who think the benefit was not necessary? You mean those people? Well, guess what? I'm those people. And I GET the benefits. So you can eliminate jealousy in your list of motives. Try honesty.

[Anonymous]

World bank employees who are American citizens pay FICA - both their portion and the employer portion. They receive a top-up on their salaries against the employer portion. Math works out just like other Americans who work here.

[Anonymous]

I don't think anyone is talking about the American employees...but maybe they are. US citizens and green card holders are not eligible for the more egregious benefits like home leave and educational benefits for children (which continues through college).

As for the best and brightest talent, and not to start a class war, the Bank applied these benefits across the board, regardless of work grade. That means, private schooling and home leave (as much as $10,000 every 2 years for travel) for both higher level staff (economists, financial analysts, education specialists, etc) as well as ASSISTANTS. There is simply no way on earth you can convince me that these benefits were necessary to attract the best and brightest secretaries. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Ah the glorious life of a World Bank employee!

If only it was true.

Yes, certain staff used to get very generous school and home leave benefits but those dried up 10+ years ago for incoming staff. I remember when they went away. Those who still have them are grandfathered. Those who get them are few and far between because the try to hire locally when feasible.

The Bank provides term contracts now way more often so attracting persons from developed countries (and even non developed ones) is not as easy. If you are mid-career, and you can come to the US for 4 years with no guarantee of a job after that, is that attractive to say a man in London who has a good job and his wife has a good job and his kids are in school, etc. Also, some staff come from countries where parental benefits are amazing compared to the US - a year off with pay after having a child or partial pay, free healthcare, better child care.

There is an expectation in the Bank that 40 hours is a minimum guideline for how much you will work in a given week. This is the case even at the lowest grade levels.

Leave is 30 days per calendar year - 15 days get lost if not used by year end - regardless of nationality

US Citizens MUST PAY TAXES.

[Anonymous]

All that is true. The benefits dried up, in my estimation because they realized they were out of whack with what would be necessary for the efficient operation of a business. The contract issue is a real one. If I came from a country where I had good parental benefits and nice schools, I wouldn't skip over to DC for a 4 year contract. But the grandfathered benefits are ridiculous by any standard.

And for the 38th time, yes, none of this applied to US citizens. It applied to foreign staff who were given "hardship" pay for their time here in the crappy U.S. of A.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is an expectation in the Bank that 40 hours is a minimum guideline for how much you will work in a given week. This is the case even at the lowest grade levels.

This comes as a surprise only if you're French.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an expectation in the Bank that 40 hours is a minimum guideline for how much you will work in a given week. This is the case even at the lowest grade levels.

This comes as a surprise only if you're French.

[Anonymous]

And how would you know how long the French really work uh? They do work long hours and on hourly basis, surprise surprise, they are much more productive than the Americans. So get off your high horse and get rid of your prejudices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an expectation in the Bank that 40 hours is a minimum guideline for how much you will work in a given week. This is the case even at the lowest grade levels.

This comes as a surprise only if you're French.

I seem to see many threads now on DCUM about people not really working but wasting their time on personal errands, surfing the web, water cooler talking etc... while at work.

Are they French as well ?

[Anonymous]

The French work 35 hours a week. You get off your grand chevaux.

[Anonymous]

French: Work (efficiently) to live
Americans: Live to work (inefficiently!)

[Anonymous]

Idiots: See post above.

[Anonymous]

By which you mean post above is idiotic or that all idiots should read the post above?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The benefits have largely been eliminated for expatriate staff, though staff with benefits were grandfathered. I think it is obvious to everyone that the benefits were not necessary to bring the brightest talent from the world to work there (and frankly, when the benefits were offered, I would question whether the Bank actually attracted the best and brightest).

THIS IS INCORRECT. THE BENEFITS HAVE NOT BEEN ELIMINATED. THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY THE MOBILITY PREMIUM . I WORK AT THE WB AND RECEIVE THIS BENEFIT. IT IS THE SAME AMOUNT AS THE EDUCATION ALLOWANCE AND HOMELEAVE ALLOWANCE I USED TO RECEIVE AT THE IMF WHERE I WORKED BEFORE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The French work 35 hours a week. You get off your grand chevaux.

Officially they are "required" to work 35 hours a week. Me and most of my colleagues there worked 12 hour days. Before you ask, I worked in Information Technology.

If you want to show off your French, you should check your grammar first.