Posted by
jarde
15 yrs ago
I am about to renew my helpers contract and she has requested that she be changed to a food allowance - before she could help herself to anything. The new min food allowance is around 760pm. Does anyone know what the policy or norm is then with regards to things like -
Washing powder and softner
Butter and olive oil etc
bread, milk, tea, sugar, coffee etc
She seems to think she will bank more on a food allowance - which may be true if she is very careful, but i dont want to think that we will pay her 760 extra a mnth and still have her using everything of ours besides our veg and meat. I was planning on giving her a raise but with 760 more a mnth plus her potentially using all our condiments, milk, tea etc ends up quite a bit more a mnth.
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It's a FOOD allowance, and you can't eat laundry soap and softener.
So I would say it's everything that edible - including all cooking condiments. That's why it's so awkward to have a separate food allowance, unless you have a big flat and you can say, okay everything on these two shelves belongs to you.
If it's more money she wants... can't you discuss with her that you're happy to give her a raise... because if you give her food allowance, it sounds like you are concerned that she may end up cheating a bit by using your food and pocketing the extra cash?
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We give a food allowance. However if our helper wants a soda or something that's no big deal. As long as it is within reason. There's no reason to be nitpicky about it unless the helper seems to be abusing the privilege of taking stuff you have allowed her to take. Have a clear and frank talk with your helper about what the rules are and things should be ok.
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Hi, we also give our helper a food allowance and she can take the rice + the cooking condiments from us, that's all. So far no problem (she's been with us for a year).
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"Because sometimes if she just worked from simple chinese family, some of the helpers do not know the expensive food items that the expats are consuming."
Thought I like to comment on this.... it's not JUST the expats that have expensive food... chinese families have super expensive foods and herbs. Bottomline, you just need to be very clear to your helpers what is ok, and what are off limits.
My friends' helper worked for her for 1 year, came from finishing a contract with an expat family. she learned dried scallops and abalone were good for our health.... she kept making herself a meal every couple days with those. My friend wondered how come these were going so fast at home.... hahaha.
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cd
15 yrs ago
We have always supplied a food allowance, and apart from washing powder our helper (and past helpers) have brought evrything else themselves, including rice etc.
Saying that, I do give him stuff quite often, like bananas, he likes them ripe, I don't so once they start going brown he has them, if I make too much of something and I know it'll get wasted he has it, some of the fruit I get at the market. His money for luch when he takes my son out.
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