Posted by
net_girl
16 yrs ago
Well, my helper went to the labour dpt and she complained that she doesn't get a full salary. I actually do give her a full salary and she's taking advantage of the fact that I pay her by cash.. I haven't got the letter from the Labour Dpt yet, but someone from there called me to let me know about the case. What should I do? Should I kick her out? Even though I'm not at fault, I'm still panicking 'cause I have heard cases of other domestic helpers getting more money out of their employers by cheating them and going to the labout dpt. so.. help me.. what should i do? any advice?
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I do have receipts. but the helper is just taking advantage of the fact that i'm paying cash. she's worked with me for 6 months. she has not resigned. i think her intention is to get more bucks.
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Thanks Peggie. time consuming it will be - but I also dont want to pay for something I am not responsible for. I feel like I am allowing her to take advantage of me. I tried to look at myself from her angle and still cud not come up with any wrong doing. I have forgiven her for serious issues in the every beginning of her contract and then she pleaded and cried and I fell for it. are there good helpers out there? i never used to get signatures but hearing from my friends and colleagues led me to take this safety measure. guess one cant get everything their way. there is always a good n bad side. i always tend to give in rather than deal with disputes - its like my weakness.
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Net_girl, you say you have receipts? Do you mean you pay her in cash but then you get her to sign an acknowledgement? I ask as that is what I do with my helper (i.e. pay and then sign in a book each month stating that she received this amount). Just wondering if that is enough of a safety net for employers in general.
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cd
16 yrs ago
Thats all we do too, we have a notbook, write the amount cash in each month and our helper signs.
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i dont get my helper to sign either but after reading all these stories what i started doing is, rather than giving her cash is deposit a cheque into her account every months. This way at least i get to keep the slips for the deposit....
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FKKC
16 yrs ago
That will take a couple of days to clear and if she needs the money in a hurry like most helpers do, it would be a good idea to deposit the cheque a bit earlier.
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NET GIRL, DID YOU ASK HER WHY SHE DID THAT EVENTHOUGH YOU'RE PAYING HER FULL SALARY INCASH WITH RECEIPT? I THINK THAT THERE'S A REASON WHY SHE DID THAT. OTHER COMMENTS SAID THEY NEVER ASKED THEIR HELPER TO SIGNED ANY PAPER AND NEVER HAVE ANY PROBLEM ABOUT THAT...AND WHY YOU ARE SO WORRIED?IF YOU REALLY PAYING HER IN FULL WITH RECEIPT THEN NOTHING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT IT...
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We have employed our Helper for 4 yrs so far...pay in cash, always signs a receipt (numbered in a book). We look as a benefit for us as much as it is for the Helper. Some of the best advice we got at the beginning..."Your the employer, not a new friend".
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Make sure you give them and retain a receipt for all monies owed and paid. Also double check the signature. When I first did this with my first helper she took the pen, hesitated for about 10 seconds then signed. I looked at the signature and it looked different so I took out the contract there and then and it was! I told her to sign it properly if she wanted her salary and she did. That was a sign of things to come as I fired her 5 months later.
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Wait a minute, a lot of abusive employers force their helpers to sign fake receipts anyway, so do these recepits really mean anything?
Whether you have receipts or not, it's your word against hers, she'll have to prove what she says is true.
Don't know about firing her now, though. On the one hand, it could make you look bad (i mean guilty), and on the other, can you trust her around your stuff and your kids now?
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First - when I went through something similar, I asked around and almost NO employers bothered with receipts. Since you have them, that is in your favor.
Second - this is a her word against your word case. How much is she saying you underpaid?
Thirdly - go to the labor dept, they have an excellent pamphlet on your rights to the helper. This is important if you need to fire her over this (this is now a trust issue right?) You cannot fire on a documented sick day and I am pretty sure you cannot fire her while she has a labor claim against you.
Good luck and keep us all posted
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Hello, If she is new to Hong Kong. She is supposed to pay a huge loan like $15,000 and $3,000 each month. Can you prove she can afford to pay off the loan and can you contact her agent?
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