The Foreign Service Journal, September 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2016 39 productivity and dedication to the mission have all noticeably improved as a result. Leading the Way While the recent improvement in compensation was a des- perately needed and much-appreciated remedy, it is still only a Band-Aid for what remains a chronic illness. GCC posts have struggled with these issues for many years and have each found ad-hoc short-term solutions within the constraints of the LE staff compensation system. But these one-off solutions depend too much on the interest and efforts of individual human resources and management officers, and the support of their front offices. There is a better way. Because GCC countries are far from being the only exploit- ative labor markets in the world, the department needs a policy to address failures of prevailing practice wherever they occur. In a concrete demonstration of U.S. policy support for human rights, labor rights and combating trafficking in persons, our missions should lead by example, rather than simply following local practices. Toward that end, State should establish minimum standards, based on the cost of living and poverty guidelines, for compen- sating LE staff members—regardless of prevailing practice. Not only would this ensure that no U.S. government employee over- seas lives in poverty, but it would give U.S. missions the moral authority to press for labor reforms in our host countries. Through such steps, we can lead the way to lift prevailing practice to minimally acceptable standards rather than using it to justify unacceptable wages. Developing procedures to evaluate and establish minimum standards will require effort. Implementing themmay even require an act of Congress. But it is the right thing to do, and the only way to guarantee that we achieve the goals of the Foreign Service. We owe it to our Foreign Service colleagues around the world to lead the way on fair labor practices. n Low attrition rates in GCC posts reflect the restrictive kafala system, not job satisfaction.