Posted by
atltohk
15 yrs ago
After 9 months, I think it is time to terminate our helper. She’s very honest and generally good with our children, but she’s lacking the household skills we need and I’ve lost the enthusiasm to continue training her over and over.
I know that the law states that one month wages or one month notice is mandatory along with travel. From a helper's perspective, she's losing her job and residence with only a month’s salary and two weeks to find a new position. We would give her additional notice, but we know that living with her after we’ve announced our plans to terminate will be misery. She’s very sensitive and every correction, no matter how mild or how constructive, is met with tears. I can’t imagine living with that for a month!
Would it be reasonable to pay for a boarding house or an agency fee to find a new position?
Any advice on how to handle the situation? It's not as if she needs to leave due to a horrendous event, it is just time to part ways.
Please support our advertisers:
Ed
15 yrs ago
You can post an ad for her to find a new job here http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/helpers/
Please support our advertisers:
I think you are being very generous to offer a boarding house for the time. Perhaps offer her one or the other, I daresay the boarding house might be the better solution.
Perhaps even write a good reference to help her out as well.
Good Luck
Please support our advertisers:
I agree with beerboy. Also you are then making yourself vulnerable to having her turn the situation around on you and inform on the Labour Dpt.
I have heard a number of stories of the sudden (and unexpected) aboutface on the part of the DH on learning that she is terminated. What was formerly a good working relationship (at least from the employer perspective) turned immediately sour and the DH is able to cause a lot of trouble. Better to protect yourself, your family and your interests by terminating the relationship in a fair but clearcut way that leaves no strings attached.
If you feel really bad, you can give her some additional money over and above what you owe her in terms of payment in lieu of notice and ticket.
Please support our advertisers:
I think she means offer to pay boarding house once she is terminated on the spot. so if she terminates effective immediately, then she is giving her extra money for accommodation elsewhere instead of the 1 months notice.
Please support our advertisers:
Sorry for the confusion. We feel it would be best for her to leave immediately when notified and will pay her the one month's salary in lieu of notice. But, that leaves her with two weeks while she is trying to find another position in HK with no residence. I was considering additional funds to cover her housing costs during this time. Any idea of the cost of a boarding house?
Please support our advertisers:
hi, can I ask what you decided to do in the end and how it worked out for you ? We have a very similar situation, and in this climate 2 weeks just doesn't seem long enough to find work.
Please support our advertisers:
With early school dismissal and holidays, we've still not found a replacement, so I've not terminated the contract yet. Current plan is to find replacement and start processing the paperwork before we tell her. Two weeks isn't much time, but I think we'll give her funds for a boarding house and a listing fee in addition to return fare and one month salary. If she did something horrid, I don't think I'd be so generous, but she's not a horrible person, just not the right person.
Please support our advertisers:
25HKD / day for boarding house pending area and that sort of thing.
DH pay 2000-2500HKD to agency for job placement, again sometime less or more depending on agency and all of that.
Please support our advertisers:
If you give her one month notice, and everything you owed to her, that's all you are responsible for.
You're being very kind but that is life, how she deal with this is her problem.
If you really worried, give her one month salary in lieu of the notice.
Isn't it illegal for an employer to HELP the terminated helper to stay more than 14 days?
That means you are not going to inform the immigration of your terminated contract?
When the helper leaves your household, you are supposed to inform the immigration department that this helper has been terminated and left your household, so that she is legally entitled to be in HK for 14 more days, and also anything that happens to her is NOT your responsibility anymore. Also allows you to process a replacement helper faster.
So if you pay for her boarding house 1 month, and extra 12 days, that means she has left your household, terminated contract, but you are covering for her?
you're thinking way too much for her.
Please support our advertisers:
You must be logged in to be able to reply.
Login now
Copy Link
Facebook
Gmail
Mail