Reasons to lay off a helper

Is it illegal to lay off a helper because she ask to borrow a large sum of money and doesn't get on well with her employee?

oops, I meant employer

When did the " not getting on well with the employer" begin? Before or after she asked? And how would you qualify the not getting on? ( sorry , just curios)


It is difficult to answer your question from solely based from your post but no, I do not think it is illegal. If she started having "tantrums" or become negligent of her duties she could be fired for misconduct.


I hope before you decide to fire her you will take sometime to give her some points based on her +'s and -'s . The reason of the loan should be considered too.

I don't have a helper. I am asking on behalf of my friend who's PC is out of order. She desperately need to know as her helper has gone back home for personal reason. Now the employer realise that she can manage on her own and her helper asked for leave to go home & to borrow money just a few months of employment. Guess she wasn't suitable and my friend felt uncomfortable with her.

If your friend is uncomfortable and could manage without a helper then she should sit down with her and tell her so. She do not need to find an excuse if she wants to fire her. To lend money to one's helper is up to the employer's discretion and should not be used against the helper. On my previous post I said she could be fired for misconduct ( foolishly assuming that her work performance went South after she was refused a loan) but obviously the reasons are your friend is uncomfortable with her and she could do without a hired hand. If she decides to fire her, then she should. After all, it's her house and helper is supposed to make things easier around the house.


However, being a helper myself I know what it is like to be jobless and how shocking it would be to go back to hong kong thinking you still have your job but instead you will be meet with a termination letter.


I suggest they should sit down and your friend should lay down the ground rules/guidelines that could ease her discomfort. But if your friend really think she could do without a helper and that she has to go, then I hope she would state those as her reasons and not find fault ( ie the loan, though it could be the straw that broke to camel's back, so to speak) that way the helper has a better chance of finding an employer without being sent back home. After all, to your friend the helper is a "pain" to someone else, she could be a "star".


Just my 2 cents.

don't worry ..she will find a new job.

my maid was terminated before her contract but i hired.