Faculty & Staff

Every international project with more than a few long-term staff members should have a Local Hire Manual, the primary purpose of which is to document additional policies and standard operating procedures that enable local operations and ensure adherence to local laws, especially those pertaining to employment.

In most cases, the Local Hire Manual is the basic policy document that states the rights and responsibilities of the employer and defines the relationship between the employee and the employer.

See the ICAP SOPs for guidance on what content might be included in this manual, how to keep the manual current, and when to translate it into the local language. Most Mailman School international operations will not require such extensive Local Hire Manuals as those used in ICAP operations.

In addition, many will not have the same level and type of employment benefits. Therefore, the PI and Country/Project Director should use their judgment in determining:

1. what employment benefits and working conditions to provide for staff, and
2. what at a minimum must be documented to manage risk associated with local operations and locally hired personnel.

All local-hire employees should be given access to a copy of the Local Hire Manual when hired and should acknowledge receipt of the same.

Expatriate employees should be given a copy of the Local Hire Manual upon initiation of work in country. Even though the Local Hire Manual is not relevant for defining the relationship between expatriates and Columbia University, it is relevant for interaction with and supervision of local-hire employees and for expatriates’ adherence to field office procedures in areas such as security plans, absences and late arrivals, and computer back-up measures.

Note that the Local Hire Manual should not supplant this International Projects Manual, but should be a complementary project resource.

Legal Review

The Local Hire Manual must be reviewed by local legal counsel when first drafted and a written opinion obtained and kept on file. When manual sections are updated with significant change to the content, this process must be repeated to ensure ongoing compliance with local law.

Departmental Review

Once the legal review is complete in country, the PI or Country/Project Director should submit the Local Hire Manual with the counsel’s written opinion to the Department Administrator for review.