Posted by
kilwinning
16 yrs ago
Hi. One of the posters on this forum had some interesting suggestions on how she "rewards" her domestic helper- not necessarily through money, but in other ways. For example, buy her magazines/ treats in a fillipino store, buy her a new mobile phone, bake treats for her to give to her friends on Sundays, give her a little money to buy her friends lunch, let her take fun classes at the YWCA, etc. Would others like to share their suggestions?
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I think its important to treat helpers with respect and kindness, and we are so happy with ours and how she looks after our children that we love to do nice things for her - and in return we she is fantatic to us. We buy ours an airline ticket home each Christmas to see her family (and still pay her for the full month), also randomly buy her groceries that she likes (Milo, shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser, toothpaste, biscuits), give her food to share with her sister in addition to the food allowance we give (who lives down the road) eg. pancakes that I make on Saturdays, extra cash here and there and also for her birthday this year we are buying an airline ticket for her husband to come and visit HK for 2 weeks (while we will be on holiday, but he will arrive a day earlier so we will get to meet him).
Our helpers are human beings and deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. Remember - its in the giving that you receive.....
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- Make a cake.
- Pitch in with a bottle of wine or a sixpack of beers when she has dinnerwith her friends.
- Give her old clothes, furniture, other stuff.
- Give her a second hand laptop so she can surf using our wireless.
...
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Joeuk
16 yrs ago
These are really great ideas. Although one of my firm favs is just to give her the time off on Sunday with no disruptions from the kids! They always want to see her but it's the firm rule that Sunday is NO HELPER DAY!!!! I always offer her cakes I've made and will offer her clothes when my kids have outgrown them etc. All these things really help them out.
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Good one about "no helper day". We have the same rule.
Some more:
- Christmas and birthday gifts.
- Lai See.
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i personally do not believe in paying anyone below market price. I also do not believe in setting up another set of laws just for "foreign domestic helpers".
There is nothing you can do to make it better.
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There is a fine line between rewarding and spoiling. All the suggestions sound good, but don't overdo it or there'll be expectations. And only those who deserve to be rewarded get rewarded.
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Ed
16 yrs ago
We rewarded our helper here in Bali with an English course - she was super pleased!
And with the AX staff, if we have a good month we often kick everyone a bit extra in their pay packet
I agree with Cara - if someone who is less fortunate does a great job why not reward them - a trip to Japan is probably small money for many of our members and would be so appreciated.
Reminds me of the anecdote from Obama last night about the banker who got the 60M bonus.... and shared it with his colleagues who helped him do such a good job....
The world needs more of this eh....
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amyHK
16 yrs ago
I love all these ideas. I will have to remember them myself. I think that the movie and popcorn is so great. And i love the idea about the birthday party for the helper....and the employer prepares and cooks everything
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ah yes a trip to japan is a small price to pay for a job well done.
hopefully though, if and when the helper is employed by another employer who cannot afford such luxuries, that she does not demand nor expect this to be a part of her employment package.
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It's great to be kind and generous, but I doubt that a plane ticket to japan is a small amount of cash for most of the web visitors here, especially now.
I'm interviewing helpers now from this site (Ed, you can thank me later for boosting your bottom line), and practically all of them are earning the minimum wage. The days of HK$5k salaries for walking a dog from fresh off the plane expats are over.
In fact, there is a migration out of HK at the moment, and quite a few of the helpers I am interviewing were released because their employers were leaving "for good".
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I doubt many helpers has ever been paid 5K just for walking a dog tsuiwah, most helpers do 12 hours plus a day for there minimum wage.
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things i've done: invited our helper to go out for lunch with us (up to her whether she wants to go); cooked the CNY dinner and invited her; bonus, gift and chocolate and cookies for the holidays; other small freebies from time to time like a purse, cosmetic samples, etc. not so much a reward for good job (her performance has been ok but not really great) but to show kindness and appreciation (for the efforts).
re the spoiled employees, yes bankers WERE spoiled -- that's why a lot of them were still whining about the much smaller bonus this year. really a natural reaction from an ordinary person in the position of an employee -- we may discuss who deserves what, but nobody loves the idea of downward adjustment of benefits and will almost surely show some attitude (and probably slack performance) as a result. that's the dilemma all employers face regarding rewards to employees and some management skill is needed to keep things under control and people happy.
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my chinese boss gave me hk5 in chinese new year and a broken mobile phone as a christmas gift.
--- totoy, you mean your employer only gave you 5 dollars or 5thousand dollars for new year?
Regarding the post, I'm half filipino myself, I don't call nice gestures as rewards. Everyone deserves to be treated nicely. My helper is not superb but we get along well, my kids love her and we treat each other like friends (She knows her limits). She respects me as an employer and listens to my advices as a friend and vice versa.
--I give her buffet coupons sometimes to treat herself on Sundays when my kids aren't around to bug her. I know how much she enjoys eating out so it's very appreciated.
--I've taken her to the a beauty spa where I go to have a facial once. So she can have a feel of how's it like as she said she's never been to one before. I'd love to take her again if our schedule permits.
-- I've given her a second hand laptop that I bought from this site. I know how much she misses her daughter in Philippines and having a laptop which she can use when she's free surely saves her some money. I let her use our wireless at home, she only chats with her daughter on Sundays so I told her to just stay in her room while she chats with her daughter so my kids won't bug her. She leaves for a day off after chatting
-- She usually comes home 8ish to 9ish on Sundays. I've never asked her to come home early but still does. I cook dinner on Sundays most of the time and there's always food for her if she comes home and hadn't eaten yet.
-- I would buy her little girl presents whenever I shop for my 3 girls. I know as a mom that she'd appreciate more. I would also shop some clothes for her, most of the time just the mediocre ones. I don't care about brands myself so I guess she's pretty happy with those too.
These aren't rewards, just some little things that I can show my helper that I treasure having her around to help me and look after my kids when hubby and I are both working.
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"my chinese boss gave me hk5 in chinese new year and a broken mobile phone as a christmas gift"
Insulting, to be sure.
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FKKC
16 yrs ago
$5 for Chinese New Year in a laisee packet is not insulting as it's just lucky money, even $1 will do for the gesture. Learn about the tradition before passing judgement! A broken mobile phone as a Christmas gift is definitely not right unless there's a story behind it.
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"$5 for Chinese New Year in a laisee packet is not insulting as it's just lucky money, even $1 will do for the gesture. Learn about the tradition before passing judgement!"
The Lai See itself is not the problem. The fact that this is the only reward the helper only seems to get is.
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you have the good heart rewarding your helper,"what you sow you shall reap"its not spoiling but giving back to the needy!you will be rewarded in return much more than you haven't expected!
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The Lai See itself is not the problem. The fact that this is the only reward the helper only seems to get is.
---- I think so too. I've never given out lai sees to anyone but my helper and I think $5 is too little especially if you're giving it to someone who works for you.
I know my helper somehow expects to receive a lai see from me though she knows I'm not into this tradition so I give her $200 for CNY lai see. It's not too big but she can use it for her day off for sure.
As for the broken mobile phone, I think it's insulting too. Why on earth would you give your helper a broken phone when you're aware that it'll cost him/her some money to have it fixed? I'd rather give my helper a cheap mobile phone but sure it's working full function :/
Oh and I hope totoy, your employer is not treating you bad :) Some employers may not give their helpers rewards and treating them like part of the family is definitely enough.
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Regarding "Sunday as no-kids day". Isn't that a given? I can't afford extra treats, but our helper works set hours, has an hour off for lunch, finishes at 7pm on the dot and gets one and a half days off a week. If she works extra, she gets time off in lieu or is paid overtime.
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agree with leighboy, it's not so much the wage helpers get it's the amount of hours they are expected to work for it. If you can't afford to reward a helper with extras making there wages equal the amount you expect from them can work just the same. If a helper is working more in line with what we would all class a normal working week and paid more if you expect more seems the fair way to do things.
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"Regarding "Sunday as no-kids day". Isn't that a given? I can't afford extra treats, but our helper works set hours, has an hour off for lunch, finishes at 7pm on the dot and gets one and a half days off a week. If she works extra, she gets time off in lieu or is paid overtime."
It is of course a given. But since helpers live in the same home, the kids may want attention and the helper (being kind) may feel compelled to give it. It is important to instill on the kids that on Sunday she should not be disturbed beyond greetings.
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Thanks for your replies so far. I now have a few ideas of how to say thanks when my helper works beyond her job description, it's her birthday, etc. Feel free to start a new thread regarding the most recent postings, as they are a bit off topic from my original question. Cheers.
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We give old things to our helper which she keeps and send home. TV's which work, but which we don't need, clothes, etc. I know what she likes so i buy her some Philipino foods and take her places with us like the markets and see if she needs anything. we let her do things she likes or i give her time off when I can. she has a vcr, tv, dvd player, etc. she gets some trips and dinners with us. Rewards like cash or time off will always be appreciated. a friend gives her helper a few hundred dollars every few months. she thinks it makes her helper appreciate it and the helper feels like it's a gift. she could just increase her salary, but this is how she feels most comfortable.
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As it's Mothers Day soon we are taking our helper out for lunch - she is a mum and works hard all year to put her kids through school - as she cant be with them it's the least we can do. I also buy her clothes when I am out shopping as she never buys herself anything and generally treat her like I would like to be treated if I was doing her job ........she is brilliant and works really hard.
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Just wondering, how come totoy's "chinese boss" only give her hk5 and a broken phone but allows her to surf in the internet.
Just curious! are you using your boss's computer. If so, they are treating you not too bad. Right?
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"Just wondering, how come totoy's "chinese boss" only give her hk5 and a broken phone but allows her to surf in the internet.
Just curious! are you using your boss's computer. If so, they are treating you not too bad. Right?"
So basically if a boss gives Internet access, he is generous by definition?
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FKKC
16 yrs ago
I think what jnjnjn meant is that totoy's "chinese boss" could not be that mean as described and BTW, totoy did not say there's no other occasion of other rewards either. I myself reward my helper from time to time over the years she worked for me and was appreciated but it's not a compulsary thing as long as employers treat their DHs fairly...it's not a competition, neither is their monthly wages.
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"it's not a competition, neither is their monthly wages."
Yes and no. Certainly a very good helper with stellar references can get paid more. Supply and demand.
However I see no point in showing off as an employer towards other employers.
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Hello,
We give her extra $$ or cinema tickets or a saturday off.
But what she prefers is the $$ !
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my father pays the maid 20% over the minimum requirement, whcih she is very happy about. Also, he would ask her to go out to buy small things everyday, just so she can have some free time by herself instead of being stuck int he house all day.
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