Working
In Kuwait
The
initial for many foreigners who come to work in Kuwait is the prospect of
earning salaries that are much higher than what they can earn in their own
countries.
Remuneration (TOP)
Salaries range from KD 25 a month for
cleaners from the Far East to more than KD 3.000 a month for western business
professionals. At both extremes accommodation is usually provided by the
employer. But on average expatriate earn about KD 105 a month with few
benefits.
Some
aspects of living in Kuwait are relatively expensive so terms of service besides
basic salary are important. The common benefits offered to expatriate
include:
·
Accommodation : An employer may provide a villa or flat, or give a rent
allowance which may or may not be adequate
· Car: A company car may be provided. But
often a car allowance is given instead and care needs to be taken to ensure that
it is adequate to cover the running costs. Some companies provide employees with
a loan to buy a car or will act as guarantor to a finance company.
· School fees: Fees for local
schools which follow foreign curricula vary and should be taken to ensure that
school fees paid by an employer are adequate.
· Annual Holidays: Annual leave varies from
28 days every two years to 42 days or more a year.
· Return Air Fares: Care needs to be taken to
ensure that annual return air fares included in an empliyment contract cover
family members.
Unless contractual benefits are adequate, actual savings may not reach
expectations.
Income
Tax (TOP)
Personal income is not current taxed in
Kuwait. However there are proposed before the National Assembly to tax the
monthly income of both nationals and expatriate.
Labour
Laws
There are
three main legal codes, oft amended, governing labour conditions in
Kuwait:
· The Labour
Law for Government Employees regulates the working conditions of civil
servants.
· The
Labour Law of the Oil Sector protects those who work in the oil
industry.
· The
Labour Law of the Private Sector governs employment conditions in private
businesses.
Persons
in domestic service, such as maids and chauffeurs, however are not covered by
any particular code and must rely for protection on general principles of
law.
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