Posted by
crj
18 yrs ago
I thought the minimum was 3,400 and the food allowance is 300.
We pay this.
Also, some families (many on this site) give a 'bonus' at christmas, chinese new year and sometimes for birthday. Usual rate is about HKD 500.
From experience, I would suggest starting with the minimum and if it goes well you can increase on next contract renewal, or just suplement with bonuses. But always put the minimum in the contract, even if you agree to pay more.
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crj
18 yrs ago
I pay monthly, at the end of each month, directly into the bank account.
If helper does not have a bank account, ask her to set one up at HSBC with an ATM card.
This way you can pay online and have records of every transaction, and she can access the money easily.
Also, the food allowance covers the food she eats (rice, meats, fish, vegetables, fruit, etc...) We give her a drawer in the fridge for her food and if she needs freezer space can use it too.
We provide: pots and pans, cooking oil, cooking spices, silverware, dishes. Sheets, towels, etc...
We do provide: washing up liquid, laundry detergent, cleaning materials, etc... so what she uses on the rest of the house she can use in her room and bathroom.
We do NOT provide: shampoo, soaps. This she has to provide herself.
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Food allowance is paid only if you DO NOT provide food.
However, normally our helpers eat whatever we eat and sometimes they have special request for certain things ie. fish. Which is OK because it's only $ or $20.
It gets difficult if you pay food allowance because you can't work out how to charge for oil, rice, electriciity and so on....
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crj
18 yrs ago
I pay food allowance and I do NOT charge the helper for the oil, condiments or elecricity/gas used to cook.
The food allowance is to pay for the food they eat (rice, meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, juice, etc...), not the actual cooking process.
Every family is different, but we often eat vegetarian food, and often spicy. I think it would be cruel and unusual punishment to force this on our helper! ha ha.
On the other end, I have heard horror stories of helpers eating the Ben and Jerry's ice cream and putting the almost empty tub back in the freezer.
It is really a personal matter whether you want to pay food allowance or have the helper share your food or even eat with you as some families do.
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