Salary For Maid/helper

[Fred & Mimi]

There are very few Filipinos I would trust to be in my home unless either me or my wife is watching the person every minute.

 

Just a digress but I wanted to put a case to this point. My partner's sister has a house and is a good christian with a kind heart. She let a work colleague of her cousin who is staying at her house to sleep over as it was convenient for both of them to go to the work. This girl that was kindly taken in and fed as well stole 4000p from the sister. She managed to recover most of the money so proof of theft is there so even with all this kindness bestowed on this lady, she stole money none the less.

 

I doubt that paying a maid / yaya more to keep them honest will solve anything. Better to pay the basic and then once their loyalty and trust is proven, help the maid where you can with life's situations where necessary so she has some sort of security for herself and her family if life defecates on the fan.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Fred & Mimi

[OnMyWay]

Here is an example, One day I bought flowers at the market for my wife. The vendor said P200, no biggie I paid it, sounded fair. Naturally it was about P50 more than a local pays. 6 months later the wife went to buy some flowers for a religious festival. Vendor said P200, she tried to haggle, vendor says to her "that's what your husband pays" and wouldn't budge.

 

This is why I have never been to the wet market with Abby and never will!  Once she is seen with me, a copy of my $ sign will be transferred from my forehead to hers!   :hystery:

[OnMyWay]

 

You can be extremely generous with your domestic helpers, but this has unintended consequences. My wife paid them nearly double the going rate, and the aunties and cousins came around to explain that the helpers talk among themselves. It creates pressure for others to be also generous. If not relatives, your neighbors might resent it. The explanation given by the family is my wife is American so she felt obligated to pay the American rate.

What you pay your employee is between you and them, not some meddling relatives or neighbors. You don't owe anyone an explanation. The aunties and cousins need to mind their own damn business.     

 

 

Mike, I think I interpreted what JJR said a bit differently than you did.  I don't think most people would feel obligated to explain why they are paying higher, but you can't keep anyone from talking about wages.  They are going to talk and find out what others are making.  Paying over the upward boundary of a wage range naturally puts pressure on the entire range to move up.

 

It really was the same in the US corporate world.  Especially during annual review time, "The Company" would always tell the employees not to discuss their salaries, but you know that many do.

 

Here is the Philippines, it is multiplied 10X because you know most Filipinos want to know the cost or price of everything.  When we had our first visiting relatives here in Subic, several asked me "how much is the rent", etc., and I politely told them that is private.  I even explained to one (someone I like and get along well with) that in my culture it is impolite to ask about things like that.

 

We paid our former nanny 3200 and then 3500 for live-in services.  Within a few months she knew what our friends nanny's were making, and one of them is being paid p7000, which seems a bit much, but she does it all.  The parents were back and forth to SG a lot then, and she ran the entire house including paying bills etc.  Obviously they trust her.

[Thomas]

but you can't keep anyone from talking about wages.

It really was the same in the US corporate world. Especially during annual review time, "The Company" would always tell the employees not to discuss their salaries, but you know that many do.

Yes. But many exaggerates...   :)

[JJReyes]

Here is the Philippines, it is multiplied 10X because you know most Filipinos want to know the cost or price of everything.  When we had our first visiting relatives here in Subic, several asked me "how much is the rent", etc., and I politely told them that is private.  I even explained to one (someone I like and get along well with) that in my culture it is impolite to ask about things like that.

 

The Curious Filipino Syndrome continues. When American male friends ask, they want to know about the engine for the RV (3.0L V-6 Turbo Diesel 188 horsepower). Then we discuss the merits of gas over diesel. They are astonished I will get 18 to 22 miles per gallon because of the new ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. It is also less polluting that gasoline.

 

First thing Filipinos asked is, "How much?" That is followed by more money questions like, "How much will you spend?" My wife's Filipina friends must think we are rich because she teases them by saying, "The RV includes maid's quarters." They have no idea that a Class B motorhome is the size of a van. She knows that in the Philippines every home and condominium includes a closet size room for the maid(s).