Help! DH holiday

My new helper started in May this year. She did not return to PP before she started her contract with me. My ex-helper only gave me a month's notice and I wanted my new helper to start ASAP. Thus she has to get out of HK once and come back before May 2008.


She wants to return to PP for X'mas for 16 days. I have organized that we are going away for X'mas as well. She won't have any AL left when she finishes her contract in May 2009 as she would have taken her AL in advance.


I have few questions


1. Is it legal for me to let her have her AL in advance?


2. What happens if she decides to quit after the AL in advance?


3. Her return air ticket costs $3660 (peak season over X'ams). She said that she only got $1000 from her ex-employer. It means that I would have to pay $2660 for half of the ticket for her to return to HK. Is this how it supposed to work?


4. Is there anything else I have to be careful with if I let her go home for X'mas? I don't want her to tell me that she is pregnant upon her return to HK ( although she is single).


I am new in this DH business and I did not hire her through an agency. Would be very grateful if any of you can answer my questions.

it all depends how nice you want to be to your helper. You have a right to give her as much time off as you wish, most certainly AL in advance! My helper started in May as well and is going to PH for Christmas for 2 wks. Also - my other helper who started in Jan this year - has just been to PH for 10 days and is going again in Jan for 2 wks. And then both are going again next June (when we are on hols) for 2 wks - so just to give you an idea.

Just imagine that you have a family (no kids I guess in your helper's case)somewhere in a different country and you get to see them once a year if you are lucky?

THere is always a risk that she decides to quit, you can always deduct the leave from her finaly pay I guess?

The flight is indeed expensive - I paid around $1,800 for our helpers, but that was a couple of months ago - why dont you suggest you give her another $1,000 or something if you dont feel like paying the whole lot? She can always try alternative dates and see when tickets become cheaper?

As for her getting pregnant - there is nothing you can do about it I am afraid... There is always a chance that they might do just that... But then, what right do we have to stop them? I am just as worried about it as you are - one of my helpers is very young and married... Guess I will have a little talk with her and hope for the best before she goes for Christmas!!

Idsllvn, thanks for the advice. The info really helps.

Just curious, did you pay for your helpers' air tickets every time when they go back to PH?

We have never paid for our helpers tickets unless at beginning and end of contract.

yes, we did - but I try to make sure we get the cheapest we can find - tends to be not Phillipines Airlines but the other one, budget airline - forget what it is called - they have a website so you can buy online - they are much much cheaper! And dont fall for "oh, you will never see me alive again if I fly it" line - mine tried it. I did my research and statistically it is safer than Phillipines airlines!

ah, yes - another thread on this forum reminder me - it is cebu pacific.tends to be half the price of PH airlines..