Dear moms! I hope to get your advice what to do in my situation. I live in HK over 6 years. Now I have three kids, as I stay at home mom, I take care of them full time, also I BF 100% my youngest. My helper only do the house work, very basic cooking(she's really bad at this, I spend more than 6 month to teach her very basic), she does everything slipshod. Even I always ask her to clean her room, it's always dusty. She's so lazy, that she stay ay home every Sun, hang on the phone whole day. I tried to treat her with money, raised her salary a little and promised more if she does her best. She also damage our stuff: kettle, fan, iron, furniture, vacuum cleaner. I know, I could terminate her, but I am not sure, that new one would be better, I heard the same info from my friends about their helpers. Does anybody have a great helper, if yes, how did you find them, and how much do you pay?
Lazy helper
- Thread starter PNatik
- Start date
Of course, I could do that, and everybody knows how to interview helpers,but at the moment, my baby hang on me all the time, my husband can go for a walk with him for one hour, a have to breast feed quite often, it's not enough time to have an interview, so I want to persuade her to do her job better, how can I do that? I ask if anybody know the way, how to control and train your helper, or it comes from the personality?
firsttimemom
Registered User
My opinion, it's her personality, if she's like that, you can't do anything anymore, if she's more than 6 months and still the same, terminate her BUT get a new one first so you won't be alone without help. Go ask around if they can recommend anyone, if not, call an agency and helper can go to your clubhouse or meet in coffee shop for interview. When i got kids and my priority is for them to take care of them, i let the helper come to our house on a Sunday and let her read, play with kids, so i would know if she has rapport or patience with them. Pay them $100 for half day or whatever time you want. Do this only if you have found someone who seems qualified.
In my experienced, i prefer finished contract, or terminated with good reasons.........never never get someone direct from Philippines as it will take time for them to learn. My friend got direct hire and helper end up always crying as she missed her family, she terminated her too as she was SO slow.
Good luck to you! It's luck too to find a good helper.
In my experienced, i prefer finished contract, or terminated with good reasons.........never never get someone direct from Philippines as it will take time for them to learn. My friend got direct hire and helper end up always crying as she missed her family, she terminated her too as she was SO slow.
Good luck to you! It's luck too to find a good helper.
carang
Registered User
i guess my point was that there is no way you can change her attitude or abilities. hence, you need to find a new helper. you don't need a lot of time.... that was another of my points. you need a couple of hours on a sunday in order to interview.
you can continue to do everything or you can find someone who actually helps you. it's up to you. if you don't want to change it, there is not much anyone else can advise.
good luck!
you can continue to do everything or you can find someone who actually helps you. it's up to you. if you don't want to change it, there is not much anyone else can advise.
good luck!
TheQuasimother
Registered User
Any Chinese family with a GREAT/GOOD helper pays minimum wage. I see lots in my neighbourhood which is predominantly Chinese. They ALL get minimum wage - no food allowance either or any other perk AND, they will work around the employer's schedule of holidays.
carang
Registered User
we just hired a new helper a couple of months ago. she is getting $4k/month plus $1k/month for food. she is an EXCELLENT cleaner and a fairly good cook (she doesn't know how to cook any western food, so i'm going to teach her). she is getting better with my two "monsters" and is starting to get them under control, which is good, too!
PNatik, it isn't about money as others have said. I have found that the more you give, actually the more you are taken advantage of, and I have heard the same from numerous other people. I was given advice from an agency recently that you should always start a helper on minimum wage. You can increase for good performance, but always start on minimum.
Having said that, I am paying my new helper about $1000 above minimum but this is because I desperately wanted to hire her as she used to work for a friend of mine and I know she is very very good. If I didn't know the helper then I would definitely start on minimum.
Having said that, I am paying my new helper about $1000 above minimum but this is because I desperately wanted to hire her as she used to work for a friend of mine and I know she is very very good. If I didn't know the helper then I would definitely start on minimum.
My helper is a great cook and loves cooking with new recipes. She is not great with cleaning but it is clean enough for me. Things that need to be redone or clean i let her know nicely and she will try her best. She can bathe, feed and babysit my kids (3yrs old + 9mths)
When we were hiring, the agent pushed us to look for someone with childcare experience but i was adamant on good cooking and cleaning because i cant cook and am a horrible housekeeper and am a stay at home mum, so childcare is covered by myself. We hired her because we could hold a decent.conversation as well as she had a sense of humour.
She is kind, funny, easy going, chatty and patient. when i was heavily pregnant, my son had gastric flu and was vomiting and crying through the night, she opened her door, helped and was there for us.
We pay her min wage, anallowance of $800. She does not have a food allowance but eats with us as housemates do.
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When we were hiring, the agent pushed us to look for someone with childcare experience but i was adamant on good cooking and cleaning because i cant cook and am a horrible housekeeper and am a stay at home mum, so childcare is covered by myself. We hired her because we could hold a decent.conversation as well as she had a sense of humour.
She is kind, funny, easy going, chatty and patient. when i was heavily pregnant, my son had gastric flu and was vomiting and crying through the night, she opened her door, helped and was there for us.
We pay her min wage, anallowance of $800. She does not have a food allowance but eats with us as housemates do.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using GeoClicks Mobile