Helper issues. help please

[rs2000]

Hello All,

we have been having numerous issues with our helper who came in Jan this year.

in past 2.5 months, we have been subjected to lots of lies and complaints.

i.e. inc. the agency calling me that I dont let her sleep before 1 am. when I asked her she said she did not even mentioned anything like that. Then her husband finding a job abroad and she asking me who will take care of her kids. Then in 1-2 days, the husband's job just disappeared again. When I asked her if her mother can take care of her kids? she told me that her mother had died many years ago.
Now last week she said she want to go home and give us 1 month notice and I said its OK. then today she came crying saying that her mother (who had died many years ago) has passed away and she needs to go home asap
i did not say anything
she said she cant give me 1 month notice

Now in this situation, I have been given 1 day notice and have 2 young kids.
Am i supposed to

1. pay for her ticket?
2. pay her last month salary?
I spent 5k on herin Jan inc. agency fees etc and with this kind of attitude I dotn want to pay anything unless its legally required.
I am feeling very bad that I am being deceived . I did not say anything on her mother's passing but I know its a lie. She also mentioned that if she stay any longer, my kids will be put at risk!!!! now i am feeling ver unsafe with her. I am planning to have her sign the notice of termination (from her side) today and then will ask her to leave tomorrow morning.

 

[carang]

if she has given you 1 day's notice, SHE PAYS YOU one month salary.

yes, you still pay for her ticket.

you need to pay her for any outstanding salary. i would also call immigration NOW and tell them that she has threatened the safety of your children. they will give you the definitive response. get rid of her NOW, even if she changes her mind, she should NOT be in your house with your kids at all.

 

[rs2000]

Hi Cara

how does it work then?
she def. does not have the money I think so wont pay 1 month salary. I have to pay her last month salary.
Shall I not pay the salary in lieu of the notice?
or shall I pay her and then she give it back to me?
How do we document this? please can you guide me into what shall I get her to sign?

so I pay for the ticket even if she resigns? thats a bit unfair? anyways, so shall I book her flight and give her the ticker or shall I just pay her? the problem is that the flights so close (in next 1-2 days ) will be expensive due to easter etc
I dont want to bear the extra cost as she is the one who chose to leave
so can I pay her in $ and then get her to sign? will hk$700 be OK?

I am feeling a bit unsafe with all this

thanks a lot!

 

[carang]

yes, you pay for the ticket even if she resigns. that is clear on the contract. the employer is responsible for repatriation to home.

like i said, contact immigration & labour depts TODAY... tomorrow is a public holiday, they will be closed. they will give you the definitive answers to your questions. you do NOT want her to come back at you for "unfair dismissal"....

 

[Gemma]

I would have thought your agency would be able to help you with all of this. Afterall you did pay them a commission at the start. Have you tried calling them?

 

[rs2000]

Hi All,
yes I called them and explained. and they said they will also talk to the helper.

an update, she woke me up at 6 am a few weeks back and said her mother had passed away and she need to go back immediately. I told this to my husband who then remembered that she told a few weeks back that her mother had passed away a few years ago

she then told my husband that "its her biological mother whom she never met but she was taking care of her kids" now i am not sure what sense this sentence makes

anyways, we called agency and they told us that she was telling a lie and that she wants to go back as her husband has left the job after she came here so now she does not want to work and let her husband rest at home....

in short, she went without igiving us a notice and without any reason from our side.....
in past 6 months, this is the second helper from Arrow Agency that we had hired ..first one would not say anything and would not listen to what I say too...and the second one would throw tantrums every other week as she called him and got an update from what was happening.....in short...horrible experience for us...

 

[matemate]

this is the second helper from Arrow Agency that we had hired

sorry to hear your bad luck. we hit the jackpot with our first one from the same agency

 

[Gracey]

If you feel your kids are at risk, then get her out of your house immediately. You can sort out the money later.
I'm surprised, because I also used Arrow, and they were so thorough and responsible. We are very happy with ours. I'm sorry yours did not work out.

 

[erina320]

If she threatened my children's safety, not only would she be out on her butt, but I would call the POLICE not immigration! That's criminal!!

 

[fingerscrossed]

I heard a recent case of helpers coming and going within 3mths to earn some quick money in HK as they don't have to repay their agency fees if they don't work for more than 3mths. So what happens is, they come over and at the end of the first month, start to do things to get fired! We give them a month's notice OR they give us a month's notice (because they're homesick or someone's died etc.) and return home....all within 3mths! I was shocked to hear about this but apparently it's been quite common lately.