It's the weekend

Here in Afghanistan, every day is a work day.

We actually make less on our 'weekend' (last two days of the payroll week).

This is because of the way my company pays us.

When I worked aviation contracts state-side I noticed that for a particular job skill the overall prevailing wage is about the same country wide, but the taxable wages versus per diem wages on an hourly basis varies.

The higher the per diem in an area then the lower the 'basic hourly rate' and when added together mostly comes out the same.

Ovetime was all taxable and had a multiplier.

The company I'm working for this time does it as follows:

We only get 'uplift' (i.e. paid for the situation over here) for the first five days of the work week and then only for the first eight hours of those work day.

The remaining four hours of the regular work day is at the base hourly rate (no uplift) which is recorded as overtime hours for accounting purposes but there is no OT multiplier like time and a half.

The last two 12-hour days of the payroll week are booked as overtime, and without any 'uplift' and without any OT multiplier.

The 'killer' wages accumulate simply because of all the hours worked plus the expatriot tax advange taken toghether affords one a greater take-home pay.

If my residency was in a non-income tax state I'd be even better off.

The base wages on an hourly basis are real low compared to what a similar skill would be paid in Connecticut.

I might make more back in Connecticut than say working in the gulf coast states with the nicer situation there, and with that the government doesn't afford the employers to pay as much up-lift.

We only get paid well because the government's contract with the employer stipulates the rates commensurate with the overall situation.

These up-lift rates are uniform across the country, when I go on MRE's I don't get additional compensation.

Such it is.