Posted by
Susie1
13 yrs ago
Find a new helper, with all the qualities you would need, preferably highly recommended by employer leaving HK who is willing to come to interview with helper.
You maybe need to lay down some rules with new helper, work rewarded maybe by bonus or slight wage rise,if she performs well, be willing to show/explain her how you like things doing around your house, and ask her to tell you if she doesn't quite understand this and that.
As far as paying your helper money to work her day off, I am not sure if this is legal, and then allowing her to sit doing nothing all day,well you have been a bit soft, and she is taking advantage, maybe she is not as daft as she seems! As for the helper being in 'your space' when she has finished her work, that is up to the individual, she needs to have a comfortable room of her own, and know when not to block your settee, and give you privacy.
Lots of helpers are drama queens, don't let this effect your decision.
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As cara says, I think you know the answer to your question.
Get a new helper and get rid of this one. The helper is an employee. Yours is acting unprofessionally.
The book "Hiring and Managing Domestic Help" is a great resource in these situations.
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http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/forums/hong-kong-domestic-help/threads/145359/inspiring-worker-needs-a-little-help/
look at this thread. There are plenty of good helpers with crap employers and crap helpers with good employers... You sound like you're a reasonable one so you deserve a reasonable helper!
It's so good she made the decision for you so it takes that stress off you. Has she given you 1 months written notice or just verbal? It must be written and signed or it counts for nothing.
We hired our 1st helper in a similar situation to you. I was 6 weeks off having baby number 2 and we were about to move house. I'm a hands on mum but needed some help with household stuff. We hired someone who was not much better than useless and after 2 months had enough. The helper we hired next is just brilliant. Sure she has bad days here and there and she isn't perfect, but who is right? I couldn't imagine our household without her.
The right helper is out there for you, just don't be afraid to 'be the boss'. Have expectations which are fair and treat her with respect and you will do fine. Good luck!
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has she written he notice? if she hasn't get it in writing, witnessed. If she is absent minded and broody-is there any chance she could be pregnant already? if she was you would have bigger problems, expense and not able to fire her.
You can always pay her till the end of her months notice and let her go immediately, give her the one way ticket and door to door expenes to her hometown. If she is not already pregnant she can get that way at Home in Phils and have her baby there, won't cost any unfortunate employer a penny.
I am sure as a stay at home mum you can manage till you find another better helper.
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Gailey,
I feel sorry for you in your current predicament....but Hellurrrr !! She is taking the p*ss out of you, and from her past behavior, I wouldn't even trust her to look after my pet hamster.
Check with the rules and regulations for hiring and firing DHs in Hong Kong, and get rid of her ASAP !!!! particularly, if she is not "planning to have a baby"....rather she is already pregnant, and using with the local DH laws to her advantage, to make you unable to fire her and/or assume certain medical costs associated with the birth.
Anyone who can provide Gailey with some constructive advice, on where she stands on this matter, and what she legally can or cannot do, pls advise.
Fyi, I am very happily married to a Filipina woman (not a former DH), a soon to be father, previously lived in the Philippines and have my own experiences with maids and drivers. Thus, nothing against DHs, but sometimes you get a bad apple !!
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P.S.
Get her 1 month's notice in writing now !! If she's not willing to provide a written notice, then she's being deceitful in her intent to find another employer....or stalling for time, before she makes her big announcement "Maam, I'm pregnant" (Unofficial translation: ohhh and now you are responsible for my pre-birth medical care and don't even think about firing me...cuz immigration says you cannot fire a DH mother to be).
I apologize if my postings seem a bit over-emotional and biased, but I have been manipulated by conniving maids and drivers before, albeit not the "I'm pregnant" scenario.
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James, you're almost right. You can't fire a pregnant helper for being pregnant but if she has a history of negligent and incompetent behavior and work dating from before she got pregnant and has been given warnings, that is ground for dismissal.
If she hasn't already handed in her notice. Hand her her notice with a witness present so that you cover your butt.
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She is due a month's wages from the date of dismissal/quitting. If she works during the period or not does not change the wages due.
In other words, if she works for you for a month from today (date of quitting) you stop paying her on the date she actually leaves.a
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1. If she has given you a month's notice you pay her until her last days work (in a months time) assuming she works her notice.
2. If she quits and leaves you with out giving you a month's notice, then she owes you a month's salary in lieu of notice.
3. If you give her one month's notice, and she worls it, you pay her until her last day's work (in a month's time).
4. If you give here immediate notice and tell her to leave, you pay her a months pay in lieu of notice.
Since you suggest she is giving you a month's notice and she will work her notice then 1. (above) applies.
Don't forget though that you are then (in any circumstance) required to pay for her travel (one way) back to her home town as written in the contract, plus money for food for the journey, and any untaken leave that she has accrued.
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Oh please... I bet the helper had never encountered anything close to this kind of furniture before, and had no idea how to treat it.
Anyone with a good attitude can learn domestic work. But the employer needs to ensure they guide the employer.
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I can quite believe that story, my maid has being doing daft things since the beginning
no matter how often you instruct things can go wrong. I instructed my maid not to use the metal ladder to wash my car because it can scratch it, so instead of using the wooden one which is always in the garden shed so just a bit further away she climbed up onto the car roof via the back (4x4) leaving huge dents in it.
I had a beautiful scarlet minimalist settee extremely expensive from Conrad, I brought it with me from London, one of our visitors children spilt some milk on it and it left a cheesy looking round patch so without a seconds thought the maid grabbed some liquid floor soap and went at it like a dervish. Its still lovely but has a large scrubbed bleached patch on it which is a pity. You just have to accept these things will happen, unless you spend every waking hour instructing and believe me the maid wont stick around very long if you do that.
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True Lawrence. You expect a certain level of common sense but then again, my friend's helper will air out the house and have all the windows open whilst running the air conditioners and dehumidifiers.
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Gailey, sorry to hear what had happened to you. Wish you good luck with the next one.
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@dreamerseven20033: Being a doctor, lawyer or pilot requires years of study and a solid academic grounding that are simply not needed for someone doing domestic help. A good attitude is a start but it is not enough, Not saying these professions are "superior" but the barriers to entry are certainly higher. A helper is hired on a 5-20 minute interview and there is no formal training requirement. It takes a bit more to fly 747s for Cathay.
Having said that, a good attitude is the basis for everything else. Common sense, reasoning, proactivity all stem from it and by "good attitude" I certainly mean having all those qualities.
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