The NGO sector often promotes the values of equity and justice in its work. However, pay disparity, unequal opportunities, and different working conditions between international employees and their local counterparts have created contradictions that can undermine these values.
Despite earning salaries that are several times higher than local staff, expatriate staff often receive even more perks in their benefit packages – luxury accommodation, transportation, security, household staff, school fees, generous medical cover, pensions, and life insurance - benefits that local staff are not always eligible for.
The massive discrepancies in compensation and benefits has caused significant resentment and dissatisfaction among local workers, making them feel less valued, which is detrimental to employee motivation, job satisfaction, engagement and retention. Thankfully, NGO organisations have been undergoing significant change over the past few years to address tensions around differences in lifestyles and living standards.