Job Discussion Forums

[zeke0606]

Anyone seen this? And I have taught in three of these places...............

Zeke

These days few workers feel confident enough to make demands of their employers. With the global economy enduring the worst downturn in decades, lots of workers in the U.S. and other countries are happy to have a job, any job. There are places, though, where it's so tough to live that employees can still get companies to pay them extra just for agreeing to work there. For decades, multinationals looking to expand into inhospitable places in the developing world have offered managers bonuses for accepting "hardship posts." While some companies are trying to cut costs by hiring managers locally instead of sending expatriates, many multinationals continue to pay top workers extra for agreeing to work in difficult locations.

When trying to figure out how much hardship pay they need to offer, companies turn to consultants like New York-based human resources company ORC Worldwide. The firm recently compiled for BusinessWeek a ranking of 55 cities outside the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe that might qualify as hardship posts based on a set of criteria that includes levels of pollution, disease, political violence, and availability of goods and services. The list doesn't include some cities that are so obviously challenging�because of war or international isolation�that they're in another league when it comes to hardship posts. For that reason, you won't find Baghdad or Harare or Pyongyang on ORC's list. You will find, though, cities in Africa, Southeast Asia, India, China, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The worst of the lot? Lagos, Nigeria.
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/03/0304_difficult_cities/1.htm
World's Worst Places to Work



World's Worst Places to Work No. 1 Lagos, Nigeria

Overall Grade: Very High Risk Location
Severe Problems: Infrastructure, Crime
Major Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Availabilit of Goods and Services
Other Problems: Climate, Education Facilities, Physical Remoteness, Political Violence & Repression, Political & Social Environment, Culture & Recreation



World's Worst Places to Work No. 2 Jakarta, Indonesia

Overall Grade: Very High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Political Violence & Repression, Political & Social Environment, Crime


World's Worst Places to Work No. 3 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Overall Grade: Very High Risk Location
Severe Problems: Political Violence & Repression, Political & Social Environment
Major Problem: Culture & Recreation Facilities
Other Problems: Housing, Climate, Disease & Sanitation, Education Facilities, Physical Remoteness Communications




World's Worst Places to Work No. 4 Almaty, Kazakhstan

Overall Grade: Very High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Physical Remoteness
Other Problems: Housing, Climate, Education Facilities, Infrastructure, Communications, Culture & Recreation



World's Worst Places to Work No. 5 Mumbai, India

Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Infrastructure, Political Violence & Repression
Other Problems: Climate, Medical Facilities



World's Worst Places to Work No. 6 New Delhi

Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Severe Problem: Pollution
Major Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Infrastructure
Other Problem: Climate



World's Worst Places to Work No. 7 Nairobi, Kenya

Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Severe Problem: Crime
Major Problem: Infrastructure
Other Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Political Violence & Repression, Political & Social Environment



World's Worst Places to Work No. 8 Bogota, Colombia

Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Political Violence & Repression, Crime
Other Problems: Political & Social Environment



World's Worst Places to Work No. 9 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problems: Disease & Sanitation
Other Problems: Climate, Pollution, Medical Facilities, Infrastructure, Crime



World's Worst Places to Work No. 10 Chennai, India

Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problem: Climate
Other Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Education Facilities, Infrastructure, Physical Remoteness



World's Worst Places to Work No. 11 Hanoi, Vietnam

Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problem: Disease & Sanitation
Other Problems: Medical Facilities, Infrastructure, Political & Social Environment, Culture & Recreation



World's Worst Places to Work No. 12 Guangzhou, China

Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Severe Problem: Pollution
Other Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Physical Remoteness, Communications, Culture & Recreation



World's Worst Places to Work No. 13 Tianjin, China

Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Severe Problem: Pollution
Other Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Physical Remoteness, Culture & Recreation



World's Worst Places to Work No. 14 Suzhou, China

Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Culture & Recreation Facilities
Other Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Education Facilities, Availability of Goods and Services



World's Worst Places to Work No. 15 Qingdao, China

Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problem: Pollution
Other Problems: Housing, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Education Facilities, Physical Remoteness, Communications, Culture & Recreation Facilities



World's Worst Places to Work No. 16 Shenzhen, China

Overall Grade: High Risk Location Severe Problem: Pollution Other Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Education Facilities, Communications



World's Worst Places to Work No. 17 Bangalore, India

Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problem: Infrastructure
Other Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Physical Remoteness



World's Worst Places to Work No. 18 Cairo, Egypt

Overall Grade: Medium Risk Location
Major Problem: Pollution
Other Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Infrastructure, Political Violence & Repression



World's Worst Places to Work No. 19 Kiev, Ukraine

Overall Grade: Medium Risk Location
Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Infrastructure, Crime, Communications



World's Worst Places to Work No. 20 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Overall Grade: Medium Risk Location
Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Infrastructure, Crime

[johnslat]

Dear zeke0606,

Having worked in both Jakarta and Riyadh, I'd say that any list that puts Jakarta BEFORE Riyadh on a list of worst places to work has VERY seriously flawed.
In fact, I'd put Jakarta on my list of TEN BEST PLACES TO WORK.
Regards,
John

[naturegirl321]

Kind of depressing that a quarter of the places are in CHina. I'm shocked that Lima didn't make the list. It's sure number 1 on mine

[zeke0606]

The three places that I've taught - Kiev, Riyadh and Bogota. I've gotten to see the narco wars, orange revolution, and the bombing of Kobar Towers. Ain't I the lucky one!

Zeke

[johnslat]

Dear zeke0606,
I'm also lucky (and I mean it.) I got to see the Islamic Revolution in Shiraz, Iran in 1979, the Gulf War in 1990 in Riyadh, the Iraqi invasion in 2003 in Riyadh, not to mention all the compound bombings there, and, while I was in Jakarta in 1989, I managed to get caught up in an anti-Chinese riot.
It's been interesting.

[Tainan]

Why on earth did they put Suzhou and Qingdao there? I've known people who worked in those places and they liked it. I can understand Tianjin.....

[basiltherat]

[johnslat]

Dear Basil,
Well, when the choice is between Riyadh and Jakarta, I do believe I'll take Jakarta every time.
Have you ever been to Riyadh?
Regards,
John

P.S. From your post in the Qatar forum on the thread, "When is it time for you to leave the Middle East":

"Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 3:56 pm Post subject:
when, 24 hours before you're scheduled to go back for another 6 months, you find yourself curled up in a feutus position on your bed, staring at the wall, quivering nervously and babbling some incoherent wish to stay where you are.
best
basil "

it would seem that you are well acquainted with the many pleasure that region of the world has to offer.

[basiltherat]

john
actually yes and ..... i was exceptionally far from being reluctant to leave.
best
basil