The dynamics of salary negotiations in Israel are very different than what is acceptable practice in other countries, for example the USA.
It starts with the employer’s attitude, which is to get as much information out of each candidate as possible while at the same time giving candidates as little information as possible. There are employers who employ tactics that aren’t 100% compatible with labor laws to put it mildly.
We, as candidates for positions need to take a united stance in order to stop this practice.
the following are examples of questions that should be politely avoided:
1. What was your last salary ? If you answer this you will never get more than what you made in your last job, even if this might have been the reason you left your previous job. Also, if your figure is higher than what the employer had in mind, you are automatically disqualified from candidacy. If your figure is too low, you might get the job, but you might have done better.
2. What are your salary expectations ? This is a tricky question and similar to the previous one, has many land mines in the answer you provide.
I would suggest the following answer: I expect a salary that is acceptable for this position for a person with my qualifications and experience.
3. Unlawful questions These questions are illegal for a potential employer to ask. If they are asked you might think twice about whether you would want to work for someone like this.
Are you pregnant ? Do you intend on having more children ? Do you serve in the IDF reserves ?
Also questions that pertain to personal thoughts, ideas, political affiliations, religious aspirations or beliefs are totally off limits.
The ideal situation would be that a candidate would recieve a written proposal with all obligations, work hours, pay and benefits, job description and areas of responsibility and the name or position of the person you would be reporting to. then you could think about it, discuss with your spouse or friends and return a timely and relevant respone to the offer.
We have to stick together for this to happen and it will take time. You can make this known by spreading the word and writing to knesset members to act on it by making changes to labor laws. Another thing to remember is do not give in to working for less than you feel is fair. An unhappy employee doesn’t do as good a job and helps keep the market value down for similar positions. By sticking together we can all make a difference and get employers to act differnet and pay a salary that is decent.
Moshe Egel-Tal, CSPP
Founder and CEO, Israpay "making payroll simple"
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