Interesting argument, here is my take on it.

Salary: Instead of comparing the salary to an Indian or an US programmer level, why not compare the salary to a Nepali programmer. My current monthly Nepali salary is equal to my weekly salary in US, that too when I started as an engineer.

Boss claiming inflated salary from client: I don’t think we should be surprised by this practice because I have seen NGOs and INGOs do it, so why not IT companies? I remember a friend of mine, who worked for a consultancy, telling me that her boss charged his clients three times her salary for her work.

Salary demands: I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion on how much salary they should get. But it would definitely be wise to survey the market first. I remember interviewing candidates for the position of assistant manager and there were fresh MBA graduates expecting exorbitant salaries. In comparison, there were people with 10 years experience willing to work for half the MBA’s expected salary.

Since I am a boss myself, I guess this is a biased view. Nevertheless, here are some helpful tips for people working in Nepal.

1.      Always have it in paper, the terms and conditions that you and your boss have agreed to.

2.      Always read your contract carefully. What does it say about you taking holidays? Are you entitled to sick leave, personal leave (vacation), casual leave? If you are just starting then you are not. I guess if your employer’s parent company is visiting, I would say it’s definitely not a good time to take a day off. I would definitely react the same way. About the Valentine’s Day, if it’s in your contract then you are entitled to your day off, even if I kick and scream,

3.      The first six months that you work, you are considered an apprentice, therefore companies normally offer lower salaries and no perks. It’s only after six months that you become a permanent employee and get all the perks. Unless you are on contract, then things maybe different.

4.      But even if you are on contract, if you have worked more than six months in a company (unless the company is smart), you have legal rights in Nepal which includes, your boss just can’t fire you for any reason. So in your case, if you had crossed six months, your boss can only give you a warning. You can only get fired for extreme cases.

5.      In Nepal, most companies have some sort of salary allowances similar to the government. So for example, even if your salary is Rs. 4000 per month, the bonuses and allowances could bump it up to Rs. 8000 per month. So working on contract may not always be the best idea.

6.      If you sign a contract, it is binding to both you and your employer. So check out the contract and see if your boss did anything wrong.

I read people talking about Capitalist and Socialist sides. Here in Nepal, the government protects employees and labourers. If you happen to go to labour court, odds are the labourers will win 90% of the time. Also, even if your company is going on a loss, you cannot just fire employees, either you stop hiring replacements or your employees resign. Only way to lay off your employees is to close down the company itself but that too would require you to notify the government labour department in months advance.