Homework Assignment

Pay and Benefits in Another Country

For this assignment, prepare a short report describing the pay and benefits of a country of your choice. Your only restriction is that you CANNOT use any of the countries discussed in Chapter 14 of the textbook (USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, India, or China). Otherwise, choose a country that is of interest to you.

Part 1: First, answer the following questions about this country:

1. Name the country and in which world region the country is located.

2. Are health insurance and/or retirement plans part of a universal “social welfare system” of the country? If so, explain how it is funded and who is allowed to participate in the system.

3. If there is not a universal health care system, how do citizens of that country obtain health insurance?

4. Are there any legal requirements for companies regarding retirement benefits?

5. How are wages set in this country? Is there a minimum wage?

6. How many paid-days off are required by law (e.g. holiday, vacation, sick days), if any?

7. What is the country’s legal requirements for maternity/paternity leave and extended sick leave?

8. Did you identify any interesting legally required employee benefits in this country?

9. What resources are you using to find information about the country’s social welfare system, minimum wage laws, and laws related to setting pay and benefits? Share specific websites where you found helpful information.

Part 2: Second, compare your country to one of your teammate’s country in a brief paragraph: how are benefits and wages similar or different between the two countries. Be sure to indicate which country you are using as the comparison (and which team member researched that country).