KBR Salaries, Bonuses and Benefits.

Thank you KiKi. Not sure when I'll be in Houston yet as I just finished the conference call on last night. Was unable to make contact with recruiter after the conference, so will call again during business hours today. Hoping I'll get to Houston soon. Who knows, perhaps we'll meet face-to-face. Thank you for all your help.

--Kemi

Well when he was in Houston they have a tax person there that goes over it with the class and he says its best to have tax taken out because if you dont do the whole year, you pay tax on the money you earned, so its to save us in the long run from the IRS. My husband left Saturday the 20th. He is now in Afghanistan. He was in Houston right at two weeks. Gosh it seems so much longer already, not sure if I can do this.

mellypryor in Fort Worth, Texas said: Well when he was in Houston they have a tax person there that goes over it with the class and he says its best to have tax taken out because if you dont do the whole year, you pay tax on the money you earned, so its to save us in the long run from the IRS. My husband left Saturday the 20th. He is now in Afghanistan. He was in Houston right at two weeks. Gosh it seems so much longer already, not sure if I can do this.

Sure you can... Especially when that first full paycheck hits the bank...

It's a Wife's dream life....

No man around to have to cater to and pick up after, cook, clean, laundry...

On top of that, you get all his money deposited in the bank for SHOPPING....!

Yep,, You got it made now....!

Oh, I do....but I miss him very much:(

Melly, Wow only two weeks there, it does seem so much longer with the hurricane thing going on. My husband goes next month and i know ill feel the same way. It will take a while to get used to, but they are doing it to give us all a better life here. Work has slowed down over here for my hubby so this will be a good option for us. Im sure you will feel better as time goes along. Let us know when you hear from him and what the communiction is like. Thats my biggest worry that he wont be able to call often . Chin Up!

You wives should not worry so much. My husband calls a couple time a day. The phones in Iraq are set up on a Houston number so work on getting a cell phone number with a Houston prefix then you won't have any long distance charges. Another item to be mindful of is that KBR will mess with your husband's payroll every R&R. So put some money back each month to cover your bills during that time. I live near Waco, Texas and will gladly talk to any of you about this adventure. My husband has been there 15 months so we have learned alot. If you want to talk send me an e-mail and I will give you my number.

Debbie

Oluwakemi in Tulsa, Oklahoma said: Eddie...the position I applied for was Admin. Specialist and I've been applying off and on for 1 yr now. However, since the last of my children has completed high school and is now in college, I began being more aggressive about my applying for vacancies. I applied for everything I was qualified for.

The conference call was just a brief overview of what to expect in Houston, and abroad. They basically were providing you with info. so you'll have a chance to mull things over and decide if this is what you really wish to do. They advised that much more detail would be given in Houston, as well as info on how to prepare and get accepted for processing in Houston (i.e., WABI testing, dental release, etc.)

I'm glad this forum is available because all of the helpful tidbits shared on this site helped make the conference call go smoother because you're at least familiar with the stuff they talk about.

Hope this helps Eddie....good luck to you.

--Kemi

Kemi, congrats! I also am applying for Admin. Spec. (Mail Services) Maybe I'll get my call soon? I am very optimistic that after the Logcap IV gets underway, and perhaps the Elections... things will start to move along more quickly, not to mention the post- hurricane efforts. I also have applied for all positions that I am qualified for. Please keep us (this forum) posted with your progress.Thanks for the info...Good luck...Eddie

Yes, it did seem so much longer then two weeks. I feel the same way, we did this to make life a little easier here....but It feels so strange. I just hope he is safe and stays safe, I could never live with myself knowing something happen to him because we wanted/needed more money!! I have already talked to him, he called me 4 times yesterday and once today already....they have lines there that come up w/ a Houston number so its more like a lond distance call then International call....I can hear him well and we talk as long as we like. He has also e-mailed me. I was worried about all that to. Before your hubby leaves buy him two calling cards one for In state and one International....that way while he is traveling along the way he can call you from a pay phone w/ that card. Best luck to you and yours too.

Thanks Debbie. It's always nice to talk to someone who has already been down that road and tell you the dos and don'ts. What do you mean they will mess with your pay during R&R? Does your husband come back to the states each R&R? My cousin is in Iraq and he kept his 1st 10days and at 7 months he is taking 20 days at one time. Why is your hubby still there dont they only do a year?

My husband decided to do another year, but yes he finished his initial contract in June 2008. He comes home his 1st and last R&R and I usually meet him in another country at the middle R&R. We do this to keep him out of U.S. for 330 days each contract year.

KBR is now making employees pay for their over priced airline tickets prior to R&R. They will receive it back after return from R&R on the next payroll. You also need to plan R&R's with him arriving back on his assigned camp 10 days prior to end of payroll or he will not receive any payroll from the time he left camp for his R&R. They will catch it up on following months payroll. So that is how them mess up payroll. For example my husband left camp on June 30 for Baghdad. He flew out of Baghdad on July 2 to Dubai then flew from there on July 3 to Houston on the 4th. Flew from Houston on July 24th to Dubai, 25th to Baghdad then stuck in Baghdad till July 31st. So he missed returning to camp before the last Sat. of month. He's check in August was only $997.00. No R&R payroll, lost hours in Baghdad and no plane ticket money. We had to wait until September payroll to get all money owed to him. So wivies need to remeber to put back money each month or they will be short money to pay bills when R&R comes up. Hope this explains the payroll issues.

Debbie

Wow they would do some crap like that. Have you heard of anyone doing it like my cousin, saving the 1st 10 days at 4 months and putting it w/ the next R&R? Wondering how that is going to work. So do u think it pays out for the guys working over there? Im thinking between the money spent on the calling card and the money spent traveling 3 times in one year? Where have you guys meet for R&R, just to give me some ideas.

He is making much more money they he would here at home. He is a Plumber and construction is so slow in our area. Change one of your cell phones to a Houston phone number and it will save you on the phone cards or long distance charges on your land line.

His first R&R out of the U.S. I meet him in Barcelona, Spain. We spent 10 days there and had a great time. But it was a little pricey with airfare and motel expenses. Also the conversion rate on the dollar was not good. We got about .60 for each dollar. Overall with meals,hotel and my airfare our trip was in the $5,000.00 range. Can't do that very often. We are planning on a trip to Belize in March 2009, his next R&R.

His last ticket home KBR charged him $1560.00. I could have gotten a ticket thru expedia for around a $1,000.00. But don't buy your own tickets because if for some reason he can't get out of Iraq or flights are cancelled you lose the palne ticket. Let KBR take the liability.

melly is he already on camp? how can he email you, do they have access to a computer? That makes me feel good that he calls you like that but i bet its not like that at all camps. What is the time difference anyway?

WOW what a nice vacation.lol What about them going someplace in Mexico, can they do that? Did you pick where yall went to keep it close to where he is? I wonder about vacation in Dubai?

Also my husband says they are not allowed any kind of cell phones over there now. He says they will take them and send you home if they see it?

He is already on camp....Afghanistan camp Kandahar I think that is how you spell it. They do have access to a computer, it's great. I bet your hubby will have the same. My cousin is at a different camp in Iraq and it is the same for him to. It is 8 and half hours ahead....so it is 11:00 here and 7:30 pm there.

Thanks Melly. My husband is going to Iraq so i hope its the same. What made your husband choose Afghanistan over Iraq is it more uplift? what does he say about the camp? i think thats a big camp isnt it?

You are welcome. Kinda makes you feel better to know something about what is about to come. They don't pick where they are going....KBR does. Also My hubby was told one thing and when he got there he was taken to a different place altogether. It is a big Air Base.....he likes it so far. I more of a wreck then he is....go figure.lol

My husbands recruiter asked if if he wanted Iraq or Afghanistan, he said Iraq. You dont think they will cahnge that at processing do you? I had heard that they tell you a name of a camp in Houston and then when you get to Bahgdad they change it. I know that you cant pick the camp but we were lead to believe that you could pick the country..

Just curious about this one. How are the taxes done with the IRS done if you are only a few months into it at tax time.....how do they know if you are going to finish out the year or not?

does one have to take r&r or can one just work thru and get home that much quicker?

I am curious as to what makes a resume stand out to the KBR recruiters to get them to offer you a position? I have read all the posts and it seems that some get a call a few days after they apply for a position and for others it takes months if not years. Is there something I can do to my resume that will make it stand out? Key words to work in? Or is it "who" you know already in the KBR program that speeds things up for you?

Thank you in advance for reading my post...and hopefully responding!

Yeah and I'm suprised as I have a Information Technology background and I have not been called back as of yet. It has only been a week though. I thought IT jobs were hot over there. t-Zilla

Dubai vacation would be very expensive. Mexico is not of country and would not be as expensive as Europe. We really enjoyed the trip to Spain and would recommend it in the Spring, lots to do and great transportation available in country.

My husband left in June 2007, so at the end of year when we received all our W-2's I filed all income except his KBR money. Then on July 1, 2008 when he had reached 365 days I filed an amended income tax with his KBR money. At that time we owed a little money due to child credits. But no taxes owed on KBR money. I beleive the IRS allows and extension on filing tax return until after 365 days in country. If you don't do your own taxes and CPA or income tax office should know how to file. Hope this helps.

Debbie

I think it has to do with the jobs applied for more then anything else. Some jobs are hard to fill and others very easy. KBR also hires more Foreign Nationals then Americans anymore because they pay them a lot less money.

You don't have to take R&R and leave at any time after 330 days for tax free status. But that would be very hard on loves ones at home as well as the person in country. The conditions in Iraq are harsh and my husband said you lose touch with the real world if you don't come home on your R&R. But I guess every individuals case could be different and coming home would not be a big deal. You would also save yourself some of the payroll and travel time aggrevation and make more money if you stayed in country the whole time.

Hi all....Thank goodness for all of these tidbits of information that you all give. Hubby leaves on the 5th for Houston and then onto Afghanistan. He is HVAC and while things are slow here and I am glad for KBR opportunity I certainly am a bit apprehensive with the million questions I have. Hopefully if I don't find the answers here I can just ask. He was told by his recruiter as well as a friend of ours that is in Afghanistan that no cells, computers are limited and phones if you can get to them. Is that true? I realize the no cell phone is accurate but the rest?

thanks debbie. melly your husband is in afghanistan right? thats where i will be going. a few questions if you dont mind. first off what are his living quarters like? what kind of stuff did he take with him? did he say what the px was like? does he have access to the internet?whats the weather like? is it bagram air force base? sorry for all the questions but im just trying to figure out what i should be expecting. i am getting so close i m afraid something is going to happen to mess it up. btw i went to my dentist today and ive got a cavity and he is going to put some kind of filling on the broken tooth ne wanted to do a crown but i took the cheaper route. so that will happen friday. then im ready for processing i talked to my recruiter here in houston and she said that for a while right after ike things "were a nightmare" but they are getting back on track. anyway dont mean to ramble. like always thank you all so much for your invaluable information God Bless and be safe.

Debbie Creery in Gatesville, Texas said: You don't have to take R&R and leave at any time after 330 days for tax free status. But that would be very hard on loves ones at home as well as the person in country. The conditions in Iraq are harsh and my husband said you lose touch with the real world if you don't come home on your R&R. But I guess every individuals case could be different and coming home would not be a big deal. You would also save yourself some of the payroll and travel time aggrevation and make more money if you stayed in country the whole time.

Yes that is true, but you also give the company back their 10 days of paid vacation plus $860 credit towards Airfare... You Use it or Lose it... You can't save it or get it in cash either is my understanding

Well my husband has been in Afghanistan a week and we have had no troubles with him being able to call me. He calls me about 3 times a day:) It is true, they can't have cell phones.

Not a problem, I know how you are feeling! Yep my hubby is in Afghanistan he was suppose to go to Bagram however once he got there they changed it on him and he is at Kandahar. At that camp they have tents...however my husband says they have walls in them and a floor, like with plywood. He took a suitcase you can take 44lbs to Afghanistan (its says 35 but thats not true) He says the PX has alot, he is about to buy somethings there once he settles in. As far as what he took, he took everything on the list that KBR gives you. One hint, the travel part is very long so wear something like Cargo pants, and carry a ipod along to give you something to do on the flight. When you go to Houston take snacks w/ you as somedays will be very long....mostly Tuesday the day they do the physical. I hope that helped~any more questions just ask.

oo-ga-lee in El Paso, Texas said: Yes that is true, but you also give the company back their 10 days of paid vacation plus $860 credit towards Airfare... You Use it or Lose it... You can't save it or get it in cash either is my understanding

Their is no Use it Or Lose it policy with KBR... Your contract states you have a total of 35 days of R&R each year. You can take it all at once or space it out between your 120 vacation times.

They do not give you the $850 in cash or anything if you dont take your R&R. They only give you that if you take a vacation.

You pay your entire cost of the ticket thru KBR travel. Once you get back from your R&R they will re-emburse you the $850 on your NEXT paycheck. Also if you deicide to take longer then a 10 day R&R you will ONLY BE PAID FOR 10 DAYS MAX AT 8 HOURS PER DAY FOR YOUR R&R so if you take 20 days you will only recieve pay for 10 of the days.

I see alot of people who end of getting royally screwed on their checks because they take more then 10 days and then they start complaining to payroll and next thing you know they are on a flight back to the states because KBR will not put up with any whining once you are over their. Their are thousands of people who are willing to just "DEAL WITH IT" so believe me KBR will pay the money and send you back home without thinking twice.

Im in Afghanistan and I have a cell phone. Kandahar & Bagram does not allow cell phones unless you are management however their are 2 other places in Afghanistan which allow cell phones. But you can ONLY use them when you are not at work.

I think you are confusing your days allowed in the states with KBR's vacation Days. If you allowed Vacation of 10 days each 120 days, then you are eligable for your last 10 days of paid vacation after 360 days.

The Airfair allowance is $860 reimbursed after you return from your R&R as taxable income.

So here's the deal...

As part of your compensation package that you work for and earn you are entitled to:

10 days paid vacation (8hrs a day up to the 10 day limit with no uplift) if you choose to take it.

$860 reimbursement for a ticket already purchased and used, except for your last R&R where KBR will pay the entire amount because they will purchase the ticket.

Melly ,can i ask this question again please. You said your husband was given no choice where he went. My husbands recruiter asked him Iraq or Afghanistan. My husband said Iraq. Does that mean they could send him anywhere and they could change that?

Yes, that is one thing about it....don't believe the recrutier, it is the operations dept that decide where they are going.

So you are saying he could go to Afghanistan? We put Iraq on his backgroung check and the papers he needed to fill out. When will we know for sure?. The day before he flys????

Well my husband wanted to go to Iraq where my cousin is and then the week before he left they told him he was going to Bagram in Afghanistan then when he got to Afghanistan they told him he was headed to Kandahar....the day of)))

For those who have attended the initial telephone conference...how long did it take you before you received the e-mail from KBR containing the forms for the background check and dental exam?

I attended the telephone conference on Monday night but have still not received any forms via e-mail yet. Guess I thought the forms would be sent immediately following the meeting, and I didn't think to ask the recruiter. It's hard to reach them via phone.

--Kemi

I got this comment on my blog yesterday. Has anyone else been quoted the lower wages? What happened to the increased wages for licensed craft?

Here's the comment:
"i spoke to a recruiter yesterday (9-22-08) and was quoted the standard rate of about 85K per year. i'm a state licensed journyman plumber. with FICA and medicare being taken out i don't know if it's worth it now."

Ms Sparky
mssparky.com/

Melly, did he know before going to Houston that he was going to Afghanistan?
As far as the forms go the recruiter needs to send you a recruitment packet. Keep trying to call him,leave a message with your email address. You will need to fax back the candidate processing form. They will then enter you in the system and send you an email with instructions to do your background check . Always check your SPAM.

My husband was told yesterday that the pay increase will be only for licensed electricians effective September 1, 2008; new hires and employees already in country. No plumbers or HVAC. Something else for plumbers and HVAC persons to think about before they decide to go to Iraq is that most of the employees in Iraq presently are non qualified plumbers/HVAC from foriegn countries and so the American's will be doing 80% of the work, as they can't do the work. On my husband's camp they have two Bosnian "Plumber's" that don't even have a driver's license. They can't get to a job to do repairs unless they can get a driver and they speak very little English.

can anyone give me some information on process plants, pre-comissioning and start-up jobs, as to what they pay, or the conditions for employment overseas with kbr. i have 29 years experience in ammonia process.

Yes, he knew before going to Houston.

Thanks so much. I guess we cant guarantee anything the recruiter tells us right now. Hope your hubby is doing good,keep us posted.

oo-ga-lee in El Paso, Texas said: I think you are confusing your days allowed in the states with KBR's vacation Days. If you allowed Vacation of 10 days each 120 days, then you are eligable for your last 10 days of paid vacation after 360 days.

The Airfair allowance is $860 reimbursed after you return from your R&R as taxable income.

So here's the deal...

As part of your compensation package that you work for and earn you are entitled to:

10 days paid vacation (8hrs a day up to the 10 day limit with no uplift) if you choose to take it.

$860 reimbursement for a ticket already purchased and used, except for your last R&R where KBR will pay the entire amount because they will purchase the ticket.

KBR allows you to have 35 days off each year. The ONLY policy they have is that you must work 120 days before taking any R & R..

They dont give you $860 it is only $850

Ive been doing this for a while now and have experience dealing with KBR & their policys.

Alot of people are told alot of different stuff zand thats how rumors get started and thats also how they get alot of pissed of employees because someone told them this and KBR told them something else.

This is the one issue I have been wondering about. Okay after 4 months when my hubby can take his 10 days can he save it for the 6 month point and take 20 days of R&R? If so would he get paid for 20 days?

Oluwakemi in Tulsa, Oklahoma said: For those who have attended the initial telephone conference...how long did it take you before you received the e-mail from KBR containing the forms for the background check and dental exam?

I attended the telephone conference on Monday night but have still not received any forms via e-mail yet. Guess I thought the forms would be sent immediately following the meeting, and I didn't think to ask the recruiter. It's hard to reach them via phone.

--Kemi

just keep checking your e mail dont forget to check your spam folder. thats where i found mine. shouldnt take more than a day or two

mellypryor in Fort Worth, Texas said: Not a problem, I know how you are feeling! Yep my hubby is in Afghanistan he was suppose to go to Bagram however once he got there they changed it on him and he is at Kandahar. At that camp they have tents...however my husband says they have walls in them and a floor, like with plywood. He took a suitcase you can take 44lbs to Afghanistan (its says 35 but thats not true) He says the PX has alot, he is about to buy somethings there once he settles in. As far as what he took, he took everything on the list that KBR gives you. One hint, the travel part is very long so wear something like Cargo pants, and carry a ipod along to give you something to do on the flight. When you go to Houston take snacks w/ you as somedays will be very long....mostly Tuesday the day they do the physical. I hope that helped~any more questions just ask.

thanks melly appreciate your info

Hey everyone that has gotten the oppurtunity to work with KBR....

It sounds like you just go to work and that actually serves as your lesuire time as well, since all there is time to do is sleeep then back to work again.

Are there such things as time off or getting off earlly to do what ever...

If so, what is there to do normally other than surf the web? Any actvites for the soilders that KBR folks can attend?

Or are you just a dronem collecting a check (and sending it home)?

Please shed some light on this topics...

Thanks in advance..

T-Zilla