[Katie Ross]

My family is moving moving to Hong Kong from London in January, and want to employ a relation of our mother's help, who lives in the Phillipines. Can anyone recommend a Hong Kong agency that she could join from the Phillipines, so that we can employ her when we get there? Is it possible to do this? And how much do live in maid's do/earn?

[biz]

We are just doing the same and the girl in question is using an agency called Josie James. If you go on the HK govt websites they tell you minimum wages etc (roughly 3600 bucks). also you need to pay a govt levy of 960 pa. The agency i assume is a good place to start as they sort everything out but negotiate on their fee as you should not have to pay a months salary if youve found the girl. i think we are paying 1500 dollars including flights, commissions, registartions etc.

cheers

[Katanga]

Best to enroll with the agency when you move here. You will not be able to get a maid to start on the day 1 that you come here as the agency needs your HKID card details, employment letter etc.

It does not take long.

A word of caution - do not try yourself. My wife did and it ended up that the Labour dept do not let new arrivals in HK to do a maid transfer themselves.

Not worth the agro - pay an agency and get them to sort out all the paperwork - you will have enough hassles with the move.

Good luck.

[KnowItAll]

>> pay an agency and get them to sort out all the paperwork

Specially the under-the-table fees that go to the consulate to approve the contract.

[rani]

You need to hire an agency. The consulate only allows Filipinos to process DH papers directly everyone else needs to use an agency. We paid approx HK$3K. My helper went to the agency in Manila, signed the DH contract, they were couriered here and we signed/paid and they submitted it to the consulate and immigration.
The price also included the ticket.

Rani

[Katie Ross]

This is all very helpful ... thank you. I have got as far as finding an agency in Hong Kong (Josie James) who will do the direct hire contract for me.

When I have hired my live-in maid ... what will she do for me? How much space do you think you need in your apartment to feel you have a bit of 'space' from your helper? I have a 10 month old baby and assume the maid will help out there as well as with cooking and cleaning... but how much/little could she do... could she go out and do the food shopping for me?... and can I give her time off apart from the one day a week? Or is that just silly?

[rani]

Katie,

You need a copy of Helper's Helper Includes all the tasks that helpers generally manage. It also includes daily/weekly/monthly schedules which will help you divide the work.
Rani