Agency fees paid by helper?

[lesliefu]

yes - i use Emry's too - they have various locations...wanchai, central (apart from worldwide)..haven't had any problems with them - they are owned by Chinese but day to day staff appear to be philippine ladies so they can talk directly in tagalog...nothing is lost in translation.

 

[Portia]

I've used Emry's twice. The first time they were good. The second time they were very slow and very inflexible and I kept having to call them all the time and chase them. I think Emry's is only as good as the individual employee who is handling the file. The second time I was hiring back a helper who had previously been employed by our family. Emry's insisted that she take a medical even though I said that I did not require it. After the medical, she was required to pay extra to get glasses and have her teeth fixed.

 

[Gracey]

Hi everyone, Thanks for all your advice.
I wasn't trying to be critical of the agency. So far they have been honest and upfront, both about their own charges and some problems with other agencies. Plus, she is a "new girl" for them, and went through a one-week training course and medical check.
When I asked why fees were so high, I didn't mean for this particular company -- just in general.
Anyway... it's not that I'm unhappy with the agency. I'm glad they are so forthright. I'm just wondering what happens if the amah can't pay her share? Does she owe the agency later? If so, it probably wouldn't take her more than 3 months, since we are paying her extra for all sorts of stuff, like food, transport, etc,
As nice as I am, I don't want to pay the amah's share outright, since it is technically not my responsibility.