Posted by
Doudouma
19 yrs ago
Hi moms (and dads) out there:
How much would you suggest for salary increase with the birth of a second baby (now 3 months old)?
Currently I pay my helper HK$4500/month + 1-2 paid trips/yr back to the Fillippines + HK$1000 bonus/year.
She has over 20 years of DH experience, has worked for us for 3 years. She is great with our 3 year old son, is honest, motivated, cleans well, but does not have to cook much since my husband loves to cook (but also means more cleaning for her).
Her contract is up for renewal soon, and we definitely want her to stay, so was wondering what is fair?
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She has not asked for more. Honestly speaking, I dont think she will suddenly leave. She seem more of the simple, loyal type. I guess when I put myself in her shoes, it just seem reasonable to have some kind of salary increase.
Meanwhile, since the birth of our second son, we have given her two large bonuses HK$1500 for X-mas and HK$1500 for Chinese new year.
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hi doudouma
congratulations on the birth of your second child.
from everything you say, i do not see a salary increase as necessary. you are giving your helper a fantastic salary. your action of putting yourself in your helpers shoes is very thoughtful. however, you have already given her two large bonuses. if you want to increase her salary as an acknowledgement of the extra workload and how well she is coping with it, that is very kind, but i doubt she would expect it.
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Does Everyone give MORE than the minimum salary to their domestic helpers? Why ? When we signed our two helpers, it's immediately filled in the salary amount as the minimum amount that is required.
I give them 1 trip back home every year,plus cash bonuses during holidays and birthdays.
Surprised to see how much higher many people pay (on this forum at least) their helpers!
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AYM
19 yrs ago
I suppose many expats pay much more above the legal minimum. It is certainly not the norm for the average Hong Kong families.
In an extreme case, I have heard of a DH who is working for a local family in the Diamond Hill area of Kowloon and apart from being paid the legal minimum, the employer only provides $10 worth of fish per day; DH has to do occasional midnight window-cleaning; not allow to sit on the couch of this less than 700 sq. feet flat.....
This is certainly not right. I agree that Doudouma is already being very generous. But if you really want to provide a little bit more, what about a small cash allowance (e.g. $1000-2000)for the DH to spend while taking a holiday back home?
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cd
19 yrs ago
To Mrs Miggins, I don't think excluding your helper from mealtimes is bad treatment. My helper is not a member of the family she is an employee, there to do a job. And whilst I appreciate the extra help and treat her fairly, I do not want her eating with us, watching TV with us, coming on outings with us, or even coming shopping with me. To the original post, I think you pay enough, but its up to you if you want to give her a salary increase.
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Thank you all for your thoughts on this!
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Hi Doudouma. Just do what you think is fair and not listen to negative thoughts of others.
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