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12-12-2005, 02:47 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 36
| |  How much to pay a helper?
Hi there,
I have a good helper who I am happy with. She does the shopping, looks after our two year old and cleans the apartment for us. She starts work around 6.30/7.00 each morning and we give her a couple of nights a week off to go out etc. We fully support her - all food, lodging, setting up her room etc, and pay her $4,500 plus an occassional bonus. She is asking for more money and I am wondering if this is a reasonable request or not?
Thanks for your help!!
V. | |
12-12-2005, 03:08 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 445
| | | Does she not have a day off, or are the "couple of nights a week off" meant to replace this? You're clearly paying well above the legal minimum, so wonder why she would be asking for more... | |
12-12-2005, 03:08 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2005 Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 3,740
| | | It's only human to ask for a salary raise - you would do the same if your boss was as nice as you are to her.
Reasonable? I would say not. Sure you can afford it but where will it end?
What do others think? | |
12-12-2005, 03:11 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 36
| | | She has Sunday's off too. I thought we paid her fairly well - but maybe not? I don't want to be a complete bastard - but we're not exactly rolling in cash... so don't want to extend the budget unless I have to. | |
12-12-2005, 03:16 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2005 Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 3,740
| | | Just re-read your first post. Are you paying her $4500 AND also paying the levy to the money-grabbing government? | |
12-12-2005, 03:17 PM
|  | Resident Peacekeeper | | Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Pokfulam Age: 40
Posts: 10,756
| | | Give an inch ....
Use common economic principles and find a new helper if you think you're being taken advantage of. | |
12-12-2005, 03:38 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 36
| | | Yes, we also pay the levy. Am I already paying too much? | |
12-12-2005, 03:40 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2005 Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 3,740
| | | I would say yes. You have to decide what is fair. | |
12-12-2005, 03:46 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: North Point Age: 28
Posts: 148
| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by VegemiteKid Hi there,
I have a good helper who I am happy with. She does the shopping, looks after our two year old and cleans the apartment for us. She starts work around 6.30/7.00 each morning and we give her a couple of nights a week off to go out etc. We fully support her - all food, lodging, setting up her room etc, and pay her $4,500 plus an occassional bonus. She is asking for more money and I am wondering if this is a reasonable request or not?
Thanks for your help!!
V. | From what I have heard, Indonesians are becoming more popular as domestic helpers. Workers from the Philipines know how to beat the system, and some can be dishonest/lazy whilst Indonesian workers are more innocent and harder-working. This is not my personal opinion, but what I have heard from other people.
As for the salary, the minimum wage in Hong Kong is HK$ 3,860. Some members of the government want to lower this by 20%! | |
12-12-2005, 07:54 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: HK
Posts: 355
| | | Vegemite Kid,
Is your domestic helper a local Chinese? The suggested rate for a local part time domestic helper is $50/hr, but less for more hours and days. $4500 is far above the lowest wage of a foreign domestic helper, and most if not all people just pay the lowest wage. Btw, local helpers get subsidies from the govt too. | | Tools | Search | | | | | Rate This Thread | | | All times are GMT +8. The time now is 01:08 AM. | |
