CNY domestic helper pay

A book I have about settling into HK as an expat says that it is traditional (though not mandatory) to pay an extra month's wages to ones domestic helper at Chinese New Year. Some are horrified by this - what is commonly done?



Posted by cara (21 hrs ago)

i'd give her a red packet with a couple of hundred extra... i don't think it's necessary to give an entire months wages, but of course, it's up to you



Posted by macobee (21 hrs ago)

Normally this is for chinese families, western and others do that during the xmas or new year, its somekind of bonus, but well its up to you how much you give your helper, but my friend normaly just give her helper a red packet with 100 dollar inside.



Posted by Todge (20 hrs ago)

I'm not chinese, nor is my helper. I don't give her extra. And I sure as hell wouldn't give a whole month's wage. But I pay my helper above standard wage.



Posted by Father of the House (20 hrs ago)

I give my (part-time) helper an extra month of what I pay her, split two-thirds at Xmas and one-third at CNY.



Posted by livefree (20 hrs ago)

I give $2000, and thought I was generous. Now I feel a bit cheap if others give a full month's salary.



Posted by Martian (19 hrs ago)

we used too - but now we pay the tax we only give 2k. seems fair to me.



Posted by gidget (18 hrs ago)

Louisa, I think one of the simplest answers is that a good deal of jobs in Hong Kong seem to pay a mandatory one month bonus. Seems fair to give to your helper what you expect for yourself.



Posted by rolex (18 hrs ago)

Domestic Helpers are not entitled for any Bonus according Labour Ordinance.



Posted by 123 (2 hrs ago)

My helper has been with me for 5 years now. I split a month's salary between Xmas/CNY and her birthday. I was not so generous earlier - jsut built up the sum as the years went by.



Posted by The Gaffer (7 mins ago)

Rolex

Your attitude towards Domestic Helpers is rather alarming. I hope you are a little better at communicating to them face to face, otherwise you might end up with a few problems

I give my helper a present at christmas and her birthday. I don't give money at CNY as it isn't a hoilday either ourselves or my helper celebrates. And not all companies give a 13th month ,my husbands doesn't. If we did give her a red packet it would be a token amount to bring luck or whatever.

Being fairly new in HK, I found it a little bizarre to read for how little money domestic helpers seem to work ridiculous hours here, and that people pay less annual bonus for them than probably spending on a night out in LKF. I am not on a fancy corporate package myself, but still consider 4000HKD an extremely low salary for a month.

I don't think $4000 is low for a DH's salary, considering this excludes food and board. Cleaners you see working in your building or sweeping streets are being paid around $4000-$5000 a month and they have to pay rent and food for their families.

A_Mum, I think NewonHKIsland meant low if you compare it to the amount of work that she does for your family. If you were the domestic helper - cooking, cleaning, washing your clothes, dishes, bedsheets, curtains, etc, minding the children, making the beds and other chores - do you think 4000HKD is sufficient enough? You probably won't last a day with your fulltime job on top of these chores!


Cleaners in the building or who sweep streets don't work the same hours as your helper. They also have the luxury of changing employers if they're not happy. Domestic helpers have contracts and visas that severely restrict their choices to move.

I agree that DMs have a rough deal and that ex-pats don't know they're born, particularly given the low tax paid in HK and the perks that most have. Combine that with a 12+hr/day maid for 6 days a week on about £250 and I think it amounts to labour exploitation and a major culture and economic shock if you return to the UK. I have a Filipina friend who was given a new contract last year only to be told after 2 months that she is only needed part time and that she'll only get a fraction of the wages and no contribution to rent. She has since been scraping around for part-time help because she can not break the contract herself in order to find and take a new full-time job.

Thanks for your advice - I will let her know.