Request for help in understanding the right salary offer for a job

For the information you require try this website, www.numbeo.com

1. Your salary is more than adequate if it is only to cover the things you mention.
2. Ghana is a relatively safe place to live for everyone.
3. There are plenty of taxis and if you wish to use them, trotros, which are minibuses.
4. The main concern is malaria and you should take precautions. The private hospitals are OK and I presume you will have medical insurance and if not then you will probably need to get your own.
5. Don't take the job if they are threatening to keep your passport.
Please read other posts on the cost of living in Ghana for more information as this topic has been covered many times

Thank you hkhan for your reply/inputs.
Really appreciate your prompt response and it really helped. I have also checked other similar posts/discussions on the same as rightfully mentioned by you.

I have just received the official offer letter in the form of a contract for 4 years wherein they did mention a few points which I am apprehensive about, viz. -

1. It is the responsibility of the company to get the initial entry visa and the resident permit. Ghana Immigration laws require employee passport to be deposited with the employer. As a mandatory requirement, employee is required to submit the following documents to the HR within two weeks after arrival in Ghana:
a)Educational and professional certificates from home country
b)Printed resume
c)Four passport sized photographs
d)Police report from home country
e)Medical report from Ghana (report to company Doctor within a week of arrival).
f)Passport
(I did not find any immigration clause of submitting passport to employer on the 'High Commission of Ghana' website).

2. Delayed Salary - The Company will retain two months of Basic salary on a prorated basis to cover a guarantee of two mont hs' notice period of the employee. Also earned bonuses upto an amount of US$6,000 will be retained by the Company to cover the guarantee period of the 4 year contract. Upon successful completion of the contract, these amounts will be paid off.
Is this a normal practice as I find it very wrong.

Requests for your inputs and suggestions on the above.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Sushan

Can't help you with these points. Perhaps you could find an immigration lawyer who could tell you if this is standard practice. I know you need to send your passport to Ghana immigration for your work permit but presumably you will get that before you arrive. However you may be coming in on a visitors visa and changing to a work permit hence the need to submit your passport which should be returned to you once the work permit is issued. I can understand the employers need to cover themselves. They are spending a lot in air fares etc so need you to make some committment re staying for the required length of time. If you are not happy with the contract you don't have to take the job.

thanks hkann for all you inputs .... they really help

I am trying to confirm with the immigration authorities on the passport thing but from what I could gather by now, there is no such thing that my passport is required to be deposited with the employer.

I understand that an employer would want to cover up for the money spent and am not really opposed to the contract period (though I was not mentioned that earlier, and I only got to know this on receiving the formal letter). However, I am uncomfortable with the 'Delayed Salary' part as retention @ any given time, which means that my salary payout would be delayed by 2 months to start with (no salary for the first 2 months).

Will clarify all of these with my prospective employer and then take the final decision.
Will update on the 'Passport deposit' clarity for the interest of other similar candidates (if any).

Thanks a ton for the great help you are extending to people like me

yes your salary is ok for the living here in Ghana and with the terms and conditions its perfect.

Hi sushan.aich,
Welcome to Expat-blog!
Its a good salary to cover all the things you refer.
Cheers.

Your salary is very good for Ghana standards since your housing and transportation is being paid for.  You will live well.

u Luckly so keep that. Ghanians never get that offer.

hi, am a graduate and at the moment am jobless. wondering if any of you could help me get one.would be so grateful.

Hi stella Acquah,

In which sector are you searching to be employed please? What are your qualifications?

Have you done a research on the internet lately to see more about available vacancies?

Thank you,

Priscilla
Expat.com team

Sushant,

Salary seems OK. Try an negotiate more as it is 4 years conract and you may not get the increase every year as you might be thinking.

Also, negotiate on following points:

1. I hope they are not keeping your passport with them. try to negotiate on that.
2. Are they giving you transport for weekends as well? It is a must.
3. How about bonus? yearly? joining bonus?
4. $6000 is huge amount, try to negotiate
5. educational certificates? why they want that?
6. Is your wife curretnly working? If yes then are they offering anything to her + if she is coming with you are they ready for sponsering her VISA?
7. you did not mention about leaves. IT is must to get the sick leaves and vacation since Maleria is a problem.
8. Are they sponsering your trip back to India.

There are lot off things to dicuss and think of as you are moving your base from India to Ghana. Get the clarity on above points first and then decide. Do not be in a hurry.

i graduated with a bachelors degree in psychology.also have a diploma certificate in customer service. would be glad if i get an administrative assistant or customer service.but am always on the internet but idont seem to get one.

Hi Sucha,

Well, can you tell us what happened? Did you take the job? Did the employer really insist that you deposit your passport with them?

Also, I did not see a big problem with them suggesting a 2 month delay in salary. They are paying ALL your living expenses plus giving you a car, so it's really the EXTRA salary that you are talking about. You won't really need that $2,500 for the first two months if you have no expenses, will you?

Let us know what happened.

Angelo

sushan.aich wrote:

thanks hkann for all you inputs .... they really help

I am trying to confirm with the immigration authorities on the passport thing but from what I could gather by now, there is no such thing that my passport is required to be deposited with the employer.

I understand that an employer would want to cover up for the money spent and am not really opposed to the contract period (though I was not mentioned that earlier, and I only got to know this on receiving the formal letter). However, I am uncomfortable with the 'Delayed Salary' part as retention @ any given time, which means that my salary payout would be delayed by 2 months to start with (no salary for the first 2 months).

Will clarify all of these with my prospective employer and then take the final decision.
Will update on the 'Passport deposit' clarity for the interest of other similar candidates (if any).

Thanks a ton for the great help you are extending to people like me

There are a few understandable reasons; listed below; why an employer desires to retain an employee's travel documents - though not a standard practice and definitely not a condoned one as well.

1. employee may runs off
2. employee may loses the travel document - especially thru' frauds and scams
3. some employee may even pledge their travel documents to gambling den/s for cash advance
4. lastly but not least, employer has control and ease of manangement in case of processing documents for emergency exit

However one sees it, the pros and cons of such practices do exist.

hi everyone,

im from philippines, just recently i got a job offer in african royal hotel accra ghana, they offer me $4500 monthly salary. and they shoulder all my expenses except the processing of my work permit.

anyone can help me, i want to know that, is it the standard procedure in ghana, that employer dont sholuder the expenses in paying employees work permit?

Only the employer can get a work permit for you so it is surprising that if they are offering such a large salary and bearing all other expenses they would be unwilling to cover the cost of that. Are they asking for you to send money? If so I would be very careful as it may be a scam.

SR. Unix/Linux Admin type looking at relocating to Ghana. My Step Father's family is in Kumasi. The Agyako-Wiredu family. For some time they have made mention I look at coming to Ghana.

My idea is not new. I'd like to find a job in my field in order to fund an Internet Cafe / Lounge Idea. Eventually adding specialized foods and drinks as I worked every position in a restaurant for years prior to finding the Beauty of Unix for Music and friends Web pages. Finally building a successful Technology career working with such companies as America Online, The FCC, Wells Fargo, The Bureau of National Affairs to name a few. I want to be a apart of something more, something greater. I've always believe Africa is the Birth right  of all Africa Americans. As a child to this day I don't know what it was I saw or read but West Africa has always been a place where I thought I'd end up. This even before my mother married my step father and my education of Ghana began.

My step father can sponsor me he was saying, he has brothers and sisters in Kumasi and Accra. They all say I should try my vision there.

I'm building a Portal where users can log in and Practice daily Unix operation on Enterprise Class hardware. EVerything from practicing shell scripting and basic unix commands to building and hosting websites. Eventually adding Android development space as well as HaDoop Big Data environments to fiddle with.

I own the hardware it's all Enterprise class I run the networks (meagleit.com, harddrivemag.com and comming soon Michael-Eagle.com) the Linux and Solaris systems. I have a connection that is in the business of refurbishing. So getting the equipment at pennies on the dollar is easy. It's not the latested models but it High Quality Entreprise class 1 generation removed.


Is this Possible? I understand starting small slow and steady, I want to build a community around this effort.
How feasible is it for an American Guy, with some family connections and 35grand in his pocket and some unix hardware to come and setup?