HR on 'The Ice': in the extreme conditions of Antarctica, there is no place for weak HR practices

HR Magazine, June, 2004 by Ann Pomeroy

Weir wears a pager, and if there is a problem involving an employee during the night, both she and the worker's supervisor will receive a call, and she will investigate the incident the following day.

"It's a particularly hard HR job on The Ice," says Boruch. "Here in Denver, I get to go home and decompress. On The Ice, you are on duty almost all the time."

Getting into a fight is grounds for termination. However, Weir can't simply fire someone and send him home when no planes can land or take off, so she is forced to work harder to help employees resolve problems.

"I practice pretty standard conflict resolution measures," she says. "I try to soften up both sides, and then I get them together and say, 'OK, this is what I heard.'" Peer counseling groups are available as well.

"I am convinced after working in this environment that you can reduce employee turnover," she says, "because a lot of things can be resolved, but it takes energy and commitment to do it. I think too many people take the easy way out and let people quit or terminate them."

Serious problems are rare at McMurdo, Weir says, but they have happened. During one past winter season, an employee was caught with illegal drugs, which is automatic grounds for dismissal. The employee agreed to continue doing his job, and did so successfully. He was paid for his work, but lost his bonus. When the first plane arrived, he was sent home. In another case, an offending employee was virtually grounded, spending most of his time in his room until he could be sent home.

The hardest time, all agree, is the last six weeks of a season, when a kind of "Ice fatigue" sets in. By that time, people are physically tired, tired of each other and ready for a change of scene. It's the time when little annoyances can assume major proportions. ("If he tells that same story one more time ...!")

Most people stick it out, though. "There is a [financial] risk for people who resign," Boruch says. "It doesn't happen often." Failure to complete their contracts means that employees forfeit their bonuses and are flown directly home.

"Last summer there were five to seven employees who were terminated or resigned before termination," says Patel. There were only two terminations this summer season, and Patel believes newly instituted background checks helped screen out some potential problems.

Employees who successfully complete a contract season are eligible for a performance-based completion bonus that averages 22 percent of base salary. Evaluations are based on a fivetier system, with the maximum bonuses going to those who earn the top rating.

In addition, those who work for consecutive summer and winter seasons receive a bonus of $1,000 at McMurdo and $1,500 at South Pole Station.

Another big perk is the fare credit for the amount of the ticket home that can be used toward the purchase of a ticket around the world with stops on three to six continents.

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"If people leave The Ice" prematurely, says Boruch, "it's generally because they have a family situation back home."