Posted by
Topcat
18 yrs ago
We have a helper who has been great. She's been with us for about 10 months and has been working in HK for over 15 years. She doesn't ask for anything and works reasonably hard.
A few days ago I mentioned to her that as Easter wasn't a holiday for helpers we'd grant her the Friday in lieu of her working one day during CNY. We'd like her to work on Sat and we'd give her the Monday off regardless. She turned to me and said Easter was a holiday. I said it wasn't and she insisted it was. I then told her I'd checked the website previously and Easter is definitely not a holiday and would show it to her if she didn't believe me. I can't believe that someone who has worked here for so long (both Chinese and Expats) doesn't know that Easter is not a holiday.
Does everyone just automatically grant Easter as a holiday for helpers even though it's not required? Do they just expect to have Easter off?
I'm disappointed now as it's raised the issue of trust - I'm not sure I can believe that she doesn't know her rights after so long in HK.
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@@
18 yrs ago
It wasn't until this last couple of weeks I found out it wasn't a holiday either. In 5 years both of my helpers have always taken Easter.
We have still decided to give our helper the time off so we can have family time and she is always going above and beyond the call of duty!
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Domestic helpers are not entitled to all public holidays that we have and Easter is not a public holiday for them. In saying that, some employers will grant them the days off at their discretion.
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To Franklin
Get it right!! DH's are entitled to statutory holidays. There is a distinction between 'general' holidays and 'statutory' holidays. eg Good Friday and Easter Monday are 'general' holidays but are not 'statutory' holidays.
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Franklin, Easter is a general holiday, not a statutory holiday and helpers only get statutory holidays.
I spoke to a few of my expat friends and they all say that their helpers know it's not a holiday but they all come to some arrangement (ie. days of in lieu of working Sundays or other holidays). They specifically state it's an extra they're giving their helpers. In other words they get the holiday but their helpers know it's not a right. (We're aware that most helpers are religious so we are also quite happy to give her the time off.)
I guess there's just been a few other things over the past month that have made me a bit wary. Like disappearing for 4 hours on a day when I was very sick and would have liked her to help look after my child - and no apology or real explanation on her return (she was just out). Or long shopping trips (2-3 hours) for very few items from the supermarket that's 5 minutes walk away.
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from a helpers point of view...
we dont get easter holidays..friday, saturday and monday is not a helpers' holiday.. easter sunday is day off since its my regular holiday..
but some bosses do give the easter holidays to the helpers if they go on a trip..
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Topcat,
I think it is time for you to fire that b...
It start to sound like my own bitter experience.
Actually, after these pass few weeks following up on this web-site does remind me of how painful it could be to have a stranger in the house. Now, sitting in Canada, a land of rights-not work... people tend to know their rights but not their obligations.
I am just too stunned to think about hiring a nanny.
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Easter is a bank holiday. All those people you see in the shops, airlines, cinemas, and restaurants DO NOT get these days off or days in lieu. I always find it a bit alarming that office workers seem unaware of an entire (possibly larger) segment of the population that is working when they are off.
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cd
18 yrs ago
We give our helper all bank holidays off, my husband gets them from his work, so when he is off we have family days and don't want our helper around.
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ritad
18 yrs ago
IT IS NOT A DOMESTIC HELPER HOLIDAY..NO NO NO
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cd
18 yrs ago
Just because it isn't a domestic helper holiday doesn't mean you can't give them the day off.
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Ed
18 yrs ago
There is a link DH Holidays at the top of this page:
http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/forums/domestichelpers/
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ritad
18 yrs ago
well..i think if you are already giving all the normal holidays to the helper..and a sunday off...i think you dont' have to give other day s off to the helper if you can't afford to...not all people have helpers just for cleawning....+people need to understand that...and if you add up all the holidays the helpers get..it is more then two months...and also...not many people in hong kong get that....
get over it people....not all helpers are wroking like a dog...many of them have average work hours....
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ritad
18 yrs ago
also... many off us would like to tak3e new years off and also christmas..but let the helper get those days off...not to trade it for another day....
many of us are nice....
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Yes, all helpers who have been in HK for 15 years (!) DEFINITELY know when their holidays are. On the public holidays that I get but my helper doesn't, I generally let her start later and finish earlier, but I take the opportunity to play with my son while she catches up with other stuff. I see him little enough in the week, so I don't want to spend my holidays cooking and cleaning. I work 6 days a week myself, and my boss never feels the need to give me extra days off in additional to my contracted entitlement.
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Hmmmm....
So why was she playing dumb? And why the disappearances? I've been tracking her lately and asking her how long she'll be when she goes out and she has stopped "disappearing". Maybe I've just been too easy. But I don't like it that I don't feel I can trust her anymore and have to do this.
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She was playing dumb to pull it over you.....she wanted a few days off herself....also when you send her out on a job you need to make sure you state how long it should take her - so many of the DH sit around chatting with whoever comes along - on your time. (How long would it take you to do the same job?)
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ritad
18 yrs ago
FYI, blossom..all i am saying is...why everyone things helpers areh aving such a hard time..if employers go by the rules..and often are kind ...not cruel...try to treat helpers like family.......
back to the topic is....most people in hong kong get the same holidays as helpers....i dont' see their boss seeing they are working hard..have you looked into what security guards earn..most of them earn 4000....of course...not the ones working in the peak area....or less..they work more then 12 hours....which most helpers don't....alot of people work night and day also....and they dont' get the days off....helpers have a union....so they can fight it....but alot of people don't.....they are more concerned with getting paid and having a job..so..they don't even vget those holidays....
so the helpers get the same as other people...the other people don't have special ..oh you are so good..take the day off...
i let my helper leave a nite earlier...and so on....the next night she comes home at 10:30...it is not liek i leave things for her to do..i do everything that has been piled up....and then..one day i ask the helper to come at 9:00..i dont' see her coming home early....all i am saying is....case to case.....don't always make people sound like they are evil employers....if you are so concerned about people getting extra holidays..do it yourself....don't make peole who don't feel like they are being made...///if you give four months..that is good for you.....no one will ask you to cancel....shall istart giving my employee four months off......or shall igo to my employer and ask for four..
come on..get real
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ritad
18 yrs ago
also...start up a union for indonesians...who dont even get a day off......oh...maybe you don't know abou tthat...
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Ritad - the HK Employment Ordinance states that any persons employed under a continous contract must get 1 day off a week. So ALL employees in HK get at least 52 days holiday a year, which is almost 2 months and many get public holidays as well.
So please explain why you think DH's have it so much better than other employees in HK.
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jbebeb,
some indonesian helpers here dont get a day off. not even sundays and they get paid lower that us filipino helpers. i know one here who lives in our complex. she gets about 2000hk/mo and no days off.
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another thing, some indonesians only have one year contracts..
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TC and jbebeb,
i am a PH helper. and even me dont like to see the girls who hang out in the middle of the week (or on holidays) in karaoke bars. i am not being snobbish or anything. but i have seen they way some of them behave. before i went here i was appaled by the reputation of the DH's back home. the loans,and the bad behaviour. some of the people back home still thinks that its just stories. but now i know the real score. and i can blame the chinese or any other race for thinking badly of th FDH's here. they have reason too.
i know some indonesians here in our building. based from what they said, they sign a 2 year one like the rest of us but they get less than minimum, and their and visa is good for one year. then the employer would decide if they still want her for another year. (i dont know if its true or not.) but since a lot of them said that i guess it is. and another said that they only get minimum wage if they are taken on for a recontract. meaning after one year. some of them doesnt have a copy of their own contract.
the Indonesians get little or no assitance like us PH do. there this indo girl who was hired by the same agency who hired me, she was RAPED by her boss several times. she mustered the courage to run away and file a case. the secretary of the agency told us that she dropped all charges after being advised that she should just accept a cash settlement and go home.thats the reason why more and more chinese opt for Indo's. some of them doesnt even know that they are being paid a lot less than other FDH's.
PS:
i am not sure if evrything here is true. most of the info here i got from talking to other helpers here. the majority have the same story. esp the indos.
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Is there anything we can do to help these Indo DH? I read an article this week about a DH who received less than min salary, had to take care of 3 apartments (Isn't it illegal? the FDH has to work only in the apartment which she stays in, right?), required to ask permission to go to the rest room and got physical punishment from the lady employer when she was not satisfied with the work. The Indo DH finally ran away to the agency, that sadly only told her to go back to work. She filed a case.
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If you don't get a day off, are not allowed to leave the apartment. can't use the telephone, have to sleep in a public area of the house - when is a DH supposed to have time or the opportunity to learn about where they can go for help and even then when can they have the opportunity to talk to someone about it???
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ritad
18 yrs ago
i think you guys hav etoo much tim eon your hand..i never want anyone to mistreat anyone..but no one has the right to judge others who just give the normal days off.......you guys do know whatever the DH does on her hlidays..is your responsibility....how much do you really know your DH...and i am not interested in this anymore...you know....not everyone follow the law in the real world......you are no tin heaven..alright....
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ritad
18 yrs ago
one reaso..out of many others...my DH does not have to do all the househld and tkae car eof kids...i do most of it..ande i sleep with the kids..both of them....1 and a half and 2 and a half..i also work....i get up at lest 3 times in the nite..so the DH can get good rest...she gets up whenever she wants....i think that is much better then a lot of others...
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ritad
18 yrs ago
actually that is what i am trying to say....that ....not all is fair..or evil out there.....some of us do actually treat helpers nice..but some just cant afford to give extra stuff to helpers.....tha tis all...
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indos pay 3000hk for 7-12 months to the agency that hired them.
and some say they are filipinas esp those who can speak english. but when we real filipinas would speak tagalog they shut up.
anyway, ritad is right. some boss are good some are bad. c'est la vie. even my boss who is good enough have their moments. like any other normal human being.
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Hi Good day, I just want to ask a question. My friend is working in Hongkong as Domestic. She's not yet entitled for statutory holiday but her employer forced her to take the statutory holiday then later on her employer deducted it from her salary. Does an employer allows to do that? Because my friend told her employer that she doesn't want to take the statutory holidays if she's not yet entitled cause she wants to have her full salary. Please advice:) thank you.
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The employee is entitled to take the holiday on an agreed day but not entitled for wage on the holidays within the first 3 months.
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