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Helper queries: salary advance and travelling abroad

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  1. #1

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    Question Helper queries: salary advance and travelling abroad

    This whole full time helper thing (along with babies, etc) is all new to us and trying to navigate the joys of being an employer.

    Helper has asked for an advance of about half her salary to pay for her kid's school fees. Salary is due in two weeks time. She says if we don't give her the advance she will find it by other means. "Other means" I hope is not a loan shark. Now I appreciate helpers don't earn a lot of money, but at the same time I expect an adult to manage their financial affairs on their own. If this was first time salary, I would understand. I will probably give the money to the helper but want to understand other peoples thoughts and maybe look at options of taking collateral (I'm not talking about holding her passport or anything).

    Other question is that helper will come with us on summer holidays. The boss is worried helper could run away. Reality is this is a risk we would have to take on by having the privilege of being able to take a helper with us. Short of holding onto her passport is there anything else we can do to mitigate any risk (again, have no intention of holding onto her passport)?


  2. #2

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    Cant really talk about your helper but for oursWe have advanced a few times (6K, 6k, 10k, 8k) over 3.5 years.Never had an issue. It was for school fees, bad crop etc etc.What we do is:We giver the money (she signs a letter to this effect)She agrees to reimburse every month 1K (in effect we pay her 1K less)Always worked very well so far.and forget your "I expect an adult blabala" - you (and I) have no real clue what's going on behind the scene.I prefer she comes to us and ask us for some reasonable amount than she goes elsewhere.


  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by pin:
    This whole full time helper thing (along with babies, etc) is all new to us and trying to navigate the joys of being an employer.Helper has asked for an advance of about half her salary to pay for her kid's school fees. Salary is due in two weeks time. She says if we don't give her the advance she will find it by other means. "Other means" I hope is not a loan shark. Now I appreciate helpers don't earn a lot of money, but at the same time I expect an adult to manage their financial affairs on their own. If this was first time salary, I would understand. I will probably give the money to the helper but want to understand other peoples thoughts and maybe look at options of taking collateral (I'm not talking about holding her passport or anything).Other question is that helper will come with us on summer holidays. The boss is worried helper could run away. Reality is this is a risk we would have to take on by having the privilege of being able to take a helper with us. Short of holding onto her passport is there anything else we can do to mitigate any risk (again, have no intention of holding onto her passport)?
    IF she does run away, then you know she wasn t the right person to let your babies with.
    Mrs. Jones likes this.

  4. #4

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    I'm confused, why would she run away? She could "run away" now if she doesn't want to work for you...you mean run away with your 2k? Could happen in HK... Or are you going somewhere like the US where she could leave and just work illegally?


  5. #5

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    "The boss is worried helper could run away."

    What do you mean by the boss??

    They often ran away. Keeping their passport doesn't help. The least developed the country you travel to the least likely they will ran away.


  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by madoju:
    [COLOR=#444444][FONT=Roboto]"The boss is worried helper could run away."

    What do you mean by the boss??]
    The BOSS = His WIFE
    @pin - I have given early salary to my previous helper for her kids education fees etc and always got it back, what Mat did was sort of what we did as well. The part of her running away while on holiday with you guys, there is not much you can do about it apart from telling her that if she does, you have the responsibility of telling the authorities of that country that you went missing, you will file a police report that you ran away to protect yourself from any issues.
    Jhen0411 and raiza10_bibo like this.

  7. #7

    Boss = Wife

    There are stories of them running if you are going to places like Europe, US, Canada or Australia. Places where they could earn a lot more money but can't easily get to.

    Mrs. Jones likes this.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by MABinPengChau:
    I'm confused, why would she run away? She could "run away" now if she doesn't want to work for you...you mean run away with your 2k? Could happen in HK... Or are you going somewhere like the US where she could leave and just work illegally?
    Yes, this happens often enough where there is a genuine concern - UK, US, Canada, Australia, EU - list goes on (countries considered more desirable than their home country / asia etc)

    Urban legend has it that some countries require a bond of sorts from the employer, before granting the helper a visa.
    MABinPengChau likes this.

  9. #9

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    An advance for school fees is pretty normal (it is the start of the school year here and I have to find three lots). Plus there are books, uniforms, school supplies, etc. I gave our pt helper here an advance last week.

    As to running away, she would have to be desperate to do that.


  10. #10

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    Just saying

    If some employers paid a decent salary above minimum wage then the chances of them asking for an advance is drastically reduced.

    Not having a go at you Pin by the way.

    pavel_010 likes this.

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