Posted by
geiboyi
20 yrs ago
The minimum wage is not that bad - you will also be paying for accommodation, food, medical insurance, holidays, flight home ... those are the extra costs. Most people in HK probably don't have $5000 left at the end of the month to spend as they wish. I would very strongly recommend you start with the minimum salary and pay extra as a bonus as and when you see fit.
I think it would be a good idea to try employing a helper and see how it goes. You might feel that you would be happier at home full-time, or you might find that adult company in the day leaves you with more energy and patience to deal with a baby when you get home. I have a 9-month old and work - my helper hasn't worked out as well as I'd hoped, but she looks after the baby well and my house is cleaner than it ever was before.
Congratulations, by the way.
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Hi j in hk,
I seconded the above comments in which you should start with the minumum wage.U can pay her bonus at your own discretion. Additional/hidden expenses are itemized below for youe reference:
Agency fee: about HK$2500-3500
Return air tickets: depends on nationality, anything from HK$2000 (Fillipine, low season) to HK$3800 (Indonesia, peak season)
Medical insurance: about HK$500 per year. Some agent offer pacakage that include first year medical insurance but you always have to pay for the second year.
Paid annual leave of two weeks: HK$3330 / 30 *14, about HK$1554.
Food allowance: if you do not provide meals, then you have to pay her HK$300 per month as food allowance.
OPD Medical treaetments: most of the insurance policy for DH does NOT cover OPD consultation. On the average, that can be estimated at around HK$500 per year (HK$250 per consultation).
Costs of accommodation: room, electricity, water, gas etc... not much for a month, but if you add it up for 24 months that can be a significant amount. I'd say the extra utility bills will be about HK$150 - 250 per month. If she has no idea about energy saving I doubt that can be more.
Hope this may assist. Wish you can find a good helper and congratulation to u and the baby!!!
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Jennie, I also agree to bove replies. You are only earning 8000 per month yourself so why do you think the min. wage of a DH is a joke? Poeple only look at the figure and think that is all the DH earns. In fact it is not. She has no expenses at all except her personal things.
And when you actually sum up all other expenses, you are spending AT LEAST $4000 on her per month. Dont forget you have to compromise a room for her as well in your house. Most of the houses in Hong Kong are so small, so to spare a room for her is a real big deal.
I think money is very important and you cant do without it for a day. But how you want your life style to be is important too. In my case, my husband doesnt want any outsider living in the house but then I dont want to be a 100% housewife. Good luck and take care.
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I lived in HK for 7 years with 4 young kids (only one at school), no helper, ran my own business and studied for my masters. I then disolved my business, and got a fulltime job and a maid - after 2.5 years gave up the job and the maid and relise how important raising my own kids is - being here to do the dirty work is part of it all - and being home when they are is also a big part of it all.
I don't like housework but i am keeping the house in as much order as if I was paying someone to do it and doing otherstuff as well. It is possible to live a normal life in HK. Part of the reason for no maid is so my now teenage kids actually learn how to look after themselves - they had become very lazy and it has taken about 8 months or retraining to get them back on some sort of track.
As for paying your helper $5,000 - forget it - they are on a great wicket in HK, as long as you treat them well, and give bonus at CNY or any other time they will be happy.
Give them more from the beginning and they will expect more.
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tly
20 yrs ago
Jennie in HK, I also agree with all the ladies above. I have to admit I don't have a full time helper as of yet and am in the process of looking for one. Do not think 5K is a joke. You have to consider where they are coming from. Minimum wage for them here is higher pay than an average white collar worker in the Philippines. I know because I have worked there a few years ago. If you offer 5K to a young, fresh DH, you will cause an imbalance and in the end cause more harm. People like us looking for an entry level DH will end up paying more because people like you think less than 5K is a joke. There are lots of poeple out there who consider hiring a DH a large investment already.
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Shian
19 yrs ago
i think it is personal prefernece what you pay your helper tly. it is not about causing an imbalance, i believe you get what you pay for. Particularly if you are employing someone to care for your kids who are the most important people in your life. if is a job with a lot of responsibility and should be treated as such. there is a difference is hiring someone to wash your dishes and hiring someone to care for your children in your absence.
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swmbo
19 yrs ago
Hi Jenny,
I worked from the time my baby was 6 months old till he was just over 2, with a part-time nanny. Have recently had time off without a helper. I wish I hadn't gone back to work. I am so much happier now and so is my child. While he adored his nanny, I just think he missed his parents too much. My husband and I are also alot more relaxed (our jobs were both stressful), so he doesn't want me to go back to work.
I have to admit though, I do miss the adult interaction and the intellectual stimulation I got at work. But I'd still rather not go back. We've recently hired a helper as I'm supposed to be going back to work, but now I'm dreading it.
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tly
19 yrs ago
Shian, I agree partly with you too. If I am going to hire someone who is going to look after my child or children exclusively and she is professionally trained, has great experience, etc, then of course I would pay her more than an ordinary DH. But Jennie mentioned above that she will be hiring someone to do all the chores. If you can find an expert that can juggle watching the kids, clean, cook, iron, etc with great passion, ease and professionalism, then heck, I'd hire her too. But realistically, how many DHs out there are like that? So as I say again, for an entry level DH, minimum is quite sufficient.
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cd
19 yrs ago
By the time you have paid a helper from your salary you will only be making 4k a month. Just cut corners for a while and stay home with your child, they grow and change so much when they are small, you will never get that time back with your child. Yes children like getting presents, but I'm sure they would rather have you attention. And it really isn't that difficult looking after one child. You could always get someone in a couple of times a week to do cleaning and ironing. I have a live in helper and am a stay at home mum, but I don't like it and finds it causes many problems. Infortunately my eldest son is severley disabled and wheelchair bound and I cannot physically keep getting him in and out the car, up steps etc when I take the others to afterschool activites or shopping. If I didn't have him I definately wouldn't have a full time helper, I find it sad when I see little kids out with their helpers, going to school, on the beach, going to parties. However good the helper is I truly believe its the parents job to raise their kids.
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