So when he came to tell me, he said, "Don't get too enthusiastic, it has nothing to do with your abilities, it's to do with the fact that they have just raised the expatriate allowances".
His basic pay of €183,000 was boosted by a confidential package: an expatriate's allowance of €33,000 (unprecedented for the top man), a household allowance of €11,000 and a "representation" allowance boosted to €50,000.
"Now that cost containment and reduction is at the top of most company agendas, keeping track of the change in factors that dictate expatriate cost of living and housing allowances is essential".
Just as expatriates receive allowances (eg, for their children's education) because of their special circumstances, so executive women who are employees in the workplace and carers at home might be granted such allowances for their special circumstances.More flexible working hours are also helpful.
The total funds disbursed through this collaboration are considerably higher, including expatriate staff and visitors salaries and allowances, and project resources from other funders.
"What we've seen amongst some financial institutions is that they've changed their benchmarks," said Lee Quane, the Asian director of ECA International, which advises on expatriate packages and allowances.
At many U.S. and European banks, the top housing allowance for expatriate managing directors was about 200,000 dollars a month.
The reason had nothing to do with my success, it was because the allowances for expatriate people, of which I was one, were raised across the board.
Amelia paid Sandeep INR 22,000 a month, an amount way above the official minimum monthly salary in Delhi (approximately INR 8, 900 in 2010), out of her own allowance as an expatriate worker.
Some expatriates put their monthly housing allowance toward mortgage payments.
