Advice Regarding Helper Who is Currently in the Philipines

My helper has been with us for just over one year. During this time we have been extremely patient and generous (she is fairly young 24 and has not had much previous domestic help experience). She has been on courses to get her cooking and I have also demonstrated various tasks myself. She has a fairly easy job, as my husband travels and my daughters are 11 and 14 and with the exception of holidays spend all their time at school.


After 4 months service we sent her home for a weeks holiday and as we were in Hong Kong this Christmas decided to send her back again to spend Christmas with her family (for 10 days) as she was here last year taking care of my dogs. She went off on the 15th with her Christmas gifts and my idea that she would return on the 28th (my daugther´s birthday). However Christmas morning at 8 am I received a call to say that she had an operation in the Philipinnes to remove a cyst. The operation took place on Christmas Eve. She has asked to stay there for an additional 2 weeks.

She did imply that when she went home in March the doctors told her that she had to have the operation (however I did not know anything about this until 8 am yesterday morning) when I got her call asking for more time in the Philipinnes. . I have let so much go in the past (breakages to personal stuff and having her family turn up at my apartment as soon as we have left for our own holidays, without our consent). I really feel like I am being taken for granted this time. Can any one tell me what my obligations as an employer are ???? Would this be considered misconduct?????

frankly i would let this one go (as long as she sticks to the 2 weeks) but become more tight on other stuff, e.g. family or any stranger turning up in our apartment when we are on hols would be immediate dismissal in my books

You need to find out from the Labour and probably the immigration dept as to where you stand with this.

Housekeepers are employed to make your life easier. If this is not the case, then replace the housekeeper as you have a lot of doubt about her story. If you cannot trust her then it's time to move on.

She has obviously lost your trust previously with strangers being invited back to YOUR house, you don't trust her story so if the labour dept gives you advice and its okay then let her go.

Thanks for your comments, will speak to the Immigration Dept. it's a shame as we had even just given her a raise as a bit of an incentive. But on a couple of occasions I have questioned her behavior in the past. If it wasn't for the fact I have 3 very small dogs who I prefer to leave in their own environment on the odd occasion we are away I could certainly manage without help!

I would definitely ask her to bring back all the doctor's certificates and notes about her condition and the operation. She does not need to reveal this info to you, but you can send her for a follow-up appointment in HK to see if the operation ever even was done and/or if it was necessary to have it on such non-existent notice to you. Then you know if you're being taken for a ride or not. - As to asking strangers into your house without your consent, that would probably result in immediate dismissal in my books as well, especially as you have three small dogs. H**k I would probably strangle my helper with my own bare hands if she let people to my house without permission and if that resulted in any accident happening to my cats!!

I did have another call from her informing me the operation was not on Christmas Eve but on the 20th and according to her she did not mention anything about March to me in her previous call!! So she is now implying I am loosing my mind!!

if the helper do the operation here in hk it must be a sick leave but as u said she is in philippine uou the thing u can do is as her to comeback and talk to her if ever u will decided to terminate the contract to mke it legal in both of u