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Helper queries: salary advance and travelling abroad

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  1. #11

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    I advanced money to our helper. Per @Mat, we had the helper sign a document indicating the loan and repayment schedule. I further had the helper sign/date the repayment schedule at every pay period to account for the deduction going for repayment so there would never be an accusation that we withheld wages. I also co-signed every payment period. Everything documented. No possibility of misunderstandings or funny business. The advance worked out without issue.

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  2. #12

    Join Date
    Oct 2014
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    4,188

    They always ask for advances. Doesn't matter if the lady is good at financial planning, her family most likely is not. Especially the husbands, they are the worst (sorry for the generalization).

    We agreed no advance more than one month salary, and that includes anything she already owes. Because she would ask for $3K then before paying that back ask for $2K then $4K etc. So we told her your balance can't be more than your salary anymore.

    Just agree with your spouse and yourself what your limit is and don't go over it. Tell her you can't afford more. One time she asked for some large sum for medical bills, like $15K or something silly. I told her A) bring the bill and B) get me details of medical insurance in Phils and I will pay the monthly fee for the relative so they don't have these unexpected costs anymore. Turned out they were trying to get her into a private room etc. and when I pushed back the number dropped significantly. I explained I didn't stay in a private room when I gave birth or had an operation so why am I paying for her relative to stay in one.

    And they never followed through with getting me any info on health insurance which in my opinion was extremely foolish.

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  3. #13

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Tri-State
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    Quote Originally Posted by merchantms:

    And they never followed through with getting me any info on health insurance which in my opinion was extremely foolish.
    I offered to pay for first aid training if my helper was willing to attend courses on her own time. Not interested. Too bad as it would have been an added skill for the resume.

  4. #14

    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Manchester, UK
    Posts
    7,790

    We the EMPLOYERS are the ATM machines for the Helpers relatives back home, they try their best to get the helper to ask for as much $$$$ as they can get LOL


  5. #15

    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    69

    the boss = the wife... ok lol

    It is very common for them to run away, and I know at least four persons who have had their helper ran away in developed countries eg UK etc. .


  6. #16

    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Taiwan and HK
    Posts
    6,158
    Quote Originally Posted by madoju:
    the boss = the wife... ok lol

    It is very common for them to run away, and I know at least four persons who have had their helper ran away in developed countries eg UK etc. .
    Really?! I had no idea...I guess it might be hard for them to get tourist visas to some of those places where they could then just overstay (US, super easy to do this, no one checks when you leave the country...). I guess it is pretty easy to find work in a lot of developed countries, I only know the US and even with Trump, you can still find work and send money home. And I guess there is the added attraction that if you have children, you could bring them somewhere like the US and live together with them so now I see that there could be a real motivation to jump ship on vacation...
    Last edited by MABinPengChau; 26-06-2018 at 01:08 PM.

  7. #17

    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Tuen Mun
    Posts
    2,074

    Another issue to consider if taking your helper with you overseas is that some (many?) countries will expect you to undertake to provide the same wages and working conditions that are legally mandated for that country's workers.

    MABinPengChau likes this.

  8. #18

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Tri-State
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    Considering the downside of bringing along the helper during holiday to help with the children is a very Hong Kong kind of problem most of the world doesn't have to consider.

    hullexile, shri, orel100x and 3 others like this.

  9. #19

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Pampanga, Philippines
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    29,768
    Quote Originally Posted by madoju:
    the boss = the wife... ok lol

    It is very common for them to run away, and I know at least four persons who have had their helper ran away in developed countries eg UK etc. .
    Which countries? I don't know anyone who has taken their helper overseas let alone had them runaway. That four, out of how many?

  10. #20

    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    4,188
    Quote Originally Posted by hullexile:
    Which countries? I don't know anyone who has taken their helper overseas let alone had them runaway. That four, out of how many?
    I was discussing visa to the US for a helper with a consular officer and he told me they’ve had an increasing number of HK based helpers running away when taken to the States. I didn’t ask a number though.
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