I like this thread. I’ve been doing annual reviews all week and quite honestly am pretty fried. Most have been positive (even thankful which is very nice) but I find the people that have complaints are always referring to a coworker. (Not the same one consistently). Mike thinks he works harder than Mary and Mary thinks she works harder than Bill and Bill thinks Joe is a dick etc etc. All the people that complain have a problem with just ONE person. “The job would be perfect if (insert person they don’t like here) left.” I have no idea how to rectify such a thing. Anyone?
Bagel Day!
Every Wednesday morning, delicious bagels with cream cheese and butter are provided in the main kitchen. It’s funny how much people really like bagel day. People will greet each other in the elevator with “happy bagel day,” and if you’re grumbling on a Tuesday, you might well hear “well, at least tomorrow’s bagel day.” Sounds silly, right? But it genuinely boosts morale. Bagel day probably ends up costing the company a good bit of money over the course of a year, but it seems to be worth it. And it’s nice because it increases interaction with people you don’t normally run into.
My employer provides unlimited sick leave, and this is certainly greatly appreciated by all of the staff. There are rules of course: a medical certificate must be produced after two days’ leave; ditto for carer’s leave to look after sick children or interstate grandparents. And HR monitors people’s usage and no doubt cracks down on the malingerers and rorters where necessary. But in the main it’s accepted that if we get really sick, we can have the time off.
It’s a very generous policy which displays the employer’s willingness to trust the staff and treat us like adults. Unsurprisingly, the staff appreciate this and reply in kind. Our absentee rate is extremely low by industry standards.
Unless your company is billing the Federal per diem and pocketing the difference.
As EmAnJ and I work for the same O&G company, I will add to her comments as a USD expat resident in Angola.
[ul]
[li]Overseas employees get a foreign service premium meant to reflect the difficulties of working abroad. This is a percentage of the gross salary that is tax protected, and varies between countries. Our premium here is 60% while a paradise like Calgary would be a mere 10%. [/li]
[li]We get one home leave where they fly us back to our home of record ( California ) and this is usually done around the holidays.[/li]
[li]We get two one week R&R trips to either London or Paris.[/li]
[li]Given the complications of working overseas, our US and California taxes are done for us at no charge…[/li]
[li]In country, we get a nice furnished apartment with a relatively nice view of the bay ( at night ). A car and driver is provided at a minimal cost. [/li]
[li]There are a few of other benefits depending on the number of children you have as well as assistance with schools.[/li][/ul]
All in all, we are treated quite well. Of course, should oil go down to $10/bbl all of this might change. Perhaps I should find out what this “Lean Sigma” thing is, just in case. 
My employer (County Gov) has a very generous sick leave policy. I have some 700 hours saved up. You get so many hours a month to bank. And you never lose it.
I don’t need a doctors note to take a couple of days off because I have the flu or a bad cold. That’s childish micromanaging. I’m an adult and expect to be treated like one. I am expected to do my job, and I do it.