|
In response to these questions:
How much does one pay for a Philippine nanny working full time and what is considered full time? Taking into account whether they live in or live out.
Are they expected to cook, clean etc
Who pays their tax?
First of all, not all domestic helpers are from the Philippines. Although they constitute over 50% of all helpers in Hong Kong, there is a large population of Indonesian helpers as well. And then there are a few other minority groups.
The legal monthly salary for a full-time helper is just under 4,000. Most people just pay the even 4,000. It is illegal in Hong Kong for a domestic helper to live outside of the home. Hypothetically speaking, if such an instance were to arise, it is appropriate to pay an extra 1,000 a month for those accommodations. Then you can figure paying about 5,000 dollars a year for insurance. I'm still not sure about how the taxes work. I've not yet gotten to that stage in the domestic helper world. Maybe someone else can fill that information in.
If you want to hire a part time helper then you do that under the radar or you can hire from a VERY expensive agency for hourly work. Some people opt to "share" helpers. I've gotten into 2 situations like this and both of them failed. I don't recommend it.
Expectations include childcare, cooking, cleaning, and shopping. There are so many types of employers in Hong Kong. I know families who live in the Peak who employ three helpers. One to cook, one to clean, and one to take care of the child. Yes, only one child. And the mother doesn't work. So you can imagine that these girls are twiddling their thumbs.
Then I know some helpers on Lamma island who never stop working. Their employers drag them everywhere, keep them out for long hours, and then expect the house to be magically clean when they come home.
And of course there is the middle ground, which I try to take. I only have one child and a 700 square foot flat. My helper works 4 days a week from 8am-6pm. She works two mornings and then of course Sundays are rest days. She often complains that there isn't enough work to do. Once a week, she takes my laundry to Brothers but she would rather I buy a washing machine.
There are no set working hours for domestic helpers, which means that you can work them around the clock. A lot of helpers sleep in the same room as a baby or small child. It is illegal for a helper to sleep in the same room with a male child over a certain age, something like 13. Employers are also required to give Sundays off but if an elderly person is involved then the employer pays extra for the helper to work around the clock, all year long. I don't know how legal this is, but I know it happens.
Personally, I employ an older helper. She is 43. I interviewed 7 girls for the position and I couldn't relate to the younger ones. And I'm still in my 20's. The older ones seem to have more confidence and are able to work with less instruction. If you are hiring a helper who has bounced around from contract to contract, then make sure you have some good recommendations. My current helper was just let go from a 13 year contract with the same family. Needless to say, she's always been reliable and trustworthy. And my helper is single with little family overseas. When hiring, consider all the strings attached to the employee.
Even though this seems like a lot of information, I haven't begun to exhaust the subject.
_________________
Jenny
|
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
