Helper now what to do :-(

this is going in a totallt different direction to what my purpose was


she herself told me about her husband, i never even asked about it , not even during the interview

my worry is that she might want to change, work part time and might even have planned it before hand. I obviously dont want to sit back ans relax till the day it actually happens
All I wanted ti ask here is that has it actually worked out for someone who had her husband in hk and did thet manage the work and their life well?
 
she can't just change her mind. she is contractually bound to give you notice to terminate her contract. she can't just decide to live out.
 
Being a betting man that I am, I predict :
- she will trade in her FDH visa in exchange for a dependent visa as soon as practical
- give up her minimal salary and trade up for a much higher paying, relatively unskilled job of waitress or supermarket worker
- signup for some courses to better herself and prepare for an even better job.

The OP is right to be worried but I doubt there is anything that can be done at all.
 
and you know the amount of time & effort it takes to hire a new one
1 month of notice is just not enough :(

my worry is that she was working fine with us but with a husband being here, I cant see why would she not try to get somnething to suite more (a better job in a restaurant etc)
while thats good for her and I dont want to stop it, it just worrries me that I would have to try another helper and hope it works out (and the painful process of interviewing etc :( )
 
btw guys do you know whats the minimum salary to sponsor a dependent? she mentioned he would work in a "security company: in mongkok (i think as a secuirty guard)
do you know 10-12k hk can sponsor wife as a depenedent?
 
The thing is in life....you can't micromanage people and expect it to go well. You can't eliminate uncertainty. You can't control others' choices. You can't predict the future.

So, nothing we say is going to "put your mind at ease." It is likely your helper is going to switch to "greener pastures" as soon as she can. And as an employer, you're not giving her any incentive to stay with you by not giving her the legal amount of leave that she's due. In fact, if she does part ways with you she could very well be taking you to court. If she's smart, that's probably what she should do.

In the meantime, yes, hiring a new helper isn't convenient and it's not easy. That's life. There are many women (and men) here on this forum who can tell you their stories of seeking out a helper that is a suitable employee for their family. That's the "nature of the beast"--most people have to go through the same thing.

If you want to do something pre-emptive, there is nothing keeping you from firing her and looking for another helper. I don't think that's a very ethical thing to do but people do it all the time. Basically, it's all your choice and no one is going to tell you for certain what to do or what you should do--except, start following the law and allow your helper 24 hours off (out of your home) if she asks for it.
 
To chime in to what others have posted, you really do need to give her her basic 24 hours off. That is mandated by law and you can't just exempt yourself as you have a greater need. In truth, the 24 hours off is already pretty mean (its the law and the MINIMUM you should give your helper off), but I do think if possible families should give their helpers more down time/personal time as a well rested and balanced staff makes a better one.

Put yourself in her shoes (and the truth of the matter is that it is only by the grace of God that you aren't the helper and she the employer), would you be happy if your employer cropped your already meager time off?

I also want to say that I hear this ALL the TIME. Almost every person I know thinks they are a fabulous and if not at least a fair employer, but I have said this before, the proof is in the pudding, if you have a high turnover of staff, chances are, it may not be the helpers themselves but you and your job. I have never met any person who readily admits they are a completely nasty boss even though in my assessment, the job they have on the table sounds like a nightmare. I have met people who have given their helpers days old sashimi and sushi and patted themselves on the back at their own generosity at giving the helper something they could never really afford(I am not saying this about you at all, it is an example only). Just something to think about.

Finally, I agree with Carang and think asking her honestly is the best policy. Then make some contingency plans. I find that when helpers have been treated with genuine kindness and fairness (objectively), then they will try to be accommodating to you and your family and not leave you in the lurch. However if she feels you don't have her best interests at heart and may do something that is not in her interests (i..e fire her straight up) then she's likely to do something that will at the very least severely inconvenience you.

I find that being sincerely happy for your helpers, sharing in the their joys, being fair to them and genuinely having a good relationship with them is the best ward against staff leaving you suddenly. Just like with my boss, if I genuinely believe he/she cares about me then I wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardise their livelihood but if I thought my employer was just keeping score and doing less than the minimum due to me than I would reciprocate. We are not all different really at the end of the day.
 
all, thanks for your inputs....

firstly, she has not asked for the 24 hours off and its not deal-breaker honestly. What I was more worried about is that she having her own plans even before we sponsored her to come over. I still have a feeling she is not going to last long with us (just my gut feeling).

I am NOT going to stop her or spoil her plans or personal life. Just that it puts me into the situation of having to meet helpers again and then chosing someone and then hoping the next is atleast as workable as the current one.

anyways, i hope things work out for both of us.........
 
she DOESN'T NEED TO ASK FOR 24 HOURS OFF! it is her RIGHT and your RESPONSIBILITY as her employer!

aiya! i really don't understand why you cannot see that what you are doing is illegal, unethical, morally wrong and detrimental to the health and welfare of your employee. do you mean to tell me that you, a mother of 2 children, cannot manage your own kids for a 24 hour period? what special circumstances do you have exactly? if this is truly the case, there is an easy solution. hire two helpers, giving each one a different day off. as i said, i am a mother of 2 and i run 3 different businesses. i went back to work 7 weeks after giving birth. i had 2 very hard pregnancies where i was hospitalised 13 times..... yet we still managed to give our helper 24 hours off/week. what makes you special/different?

i try to offer honest advice. but this point is really upsetting me.... i can't wrap my head around it.

as for her having her own plans? she's entitled to that. almost everyone has plans for the future and i can guarantee you that not every employee out there tells their potential employer exactly what those plans are.
 
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