Lai see for helpers

[hullexile]

I didn't give my helper a lai see but then she stung me for HK$700 playing cards over CNY (and another HK$60 last night) so she did not need the luck anyway

[jimbo]

I didn't give my helper a lai see but then she stung me for HK$700 playing cards over CNY (and another HK$60 last night) so she did not need the luck anyway

Send her to Macau to make you some cash on the tables and you could retire early then

[MicheleMyBelle]

I didn't give my helper a lai see but then she stung me for HK$700 playing cards over CNY (and another HK$60 last night) so she did not need the luck anyway

Lol!
I want your helper. Mine is always preaching the gospel.

[Renotommy]

You must be very rich spiritually, what else do you need? Lai Se or no Lai se

[Beanieskis]

I was given lai see in the office. It actually felt pretty odd - some of the local girls, a lot more junior than me and so earning it less, giving it to all the unmarried girls in the office (including western), regardless of how much more senior we were. To me it would seem to make a lot more sense for employer to give to employee. What's behind the married people giving it to unarried people tradition?

[Renotommy]

As I indicated previously that Lai Se is a token to wish you good luck and can only be given by married people to single people. Why? It is just one of the rules in the tradition, I guess. It doesn't matter if you are the Director of the company, a janitor can still give you a Lai Se OUT OF KINDNESS to wish you luck. The montary amount inside the Lai Se is immaterial. It can be from $1.00 to whatever the "giver" can afford.

[MovingIn07]

As I indicated previously that Lai Se is a token to wish you good luck and can only be given by married people to single people. Why? It is just one of the rules in the tradition, I guess. It doesn't matter if you are the Director of the company, a janitor can still give you a Lai Se OUT OF KINDNESS to wish you luck. The montary amount inside the Lai Se is immaterial. It can be from $1.00 to whatever the "giver" can afford.

I think you are abit out of touch with how lai see is treated in the office in HK these days. I certainly know a single female friend who is a manager and who is expected to give lai see to juniors ... there appear to be "rules" about it in her organisation ... alot less "married to single" and alot more "senior to junior" going on!

[MicheleMyBelle]

I think you are abit out of touch with how lai see is treated in the office in HK these days. I certainly know a single female friend who is a manager and who is expected to give lai see to juniors ... there appear to be "rules" about it in her organisation ... alot less "married to single" and alot more "senior to junior" going on!

I 2nd that.

I am Western, a sr. manager in my office, single, and also the Mom of a 4 yr old.

-My company gave lai see to all employees (Chinese, Western, etc.)
-I gave lai see to all my employees
-All my employees gave me lai see for my child
-I received lai see from my boss (she's married)
-I gave lai see to all sr. security and maintenance employees in my apartment block
-I gave lai see to my employee's children

The 'tradition' is all over the place. I just and hand over the red pocket.

[Renotommy]

-My company gave lai see to all employees (Chinese, Western, etc.)
-I gave lai see to all my employees
-All my employees gave me lai see for my child
-I received lai see from my boss (she's married)
-I gave lai see to all sr. security and maintenance employees in my apartment block
-I gave lai see to my employee's children

************************************************** *

Michele:

1). Employers as tradition goes, always have been giving their employees "lai se" as a "thank you token" or a year end bonus. Obviously in this case, it has NOTHING to do with being married or not.
2). Since you have a child, people assume that you're married. Whether it is a fact or not, you are still considered "married" in Chinese eyes.
3). Think back....all your employees? Even the single women and men in your office? If so, then they are just trying to kiss your ass because you're their boss. I bet, they're also the ones who have been giving you Christmas gifts every year.
4). Your boss is married, of course
5). Again, "Lai Se" in this case represents a gratitude for the services of the security and maintenance employees in your bldg so since you're married, why not? For a single guy. it would be more appropriate to enclose a little cash in a CNY greeting card.
6). You gave "Lai Se" to your employees' children. Of course, you're considered a mom.

The reason I remember so vividly about the tradition - only married people giving out "La Se"- was because as a young child, I cried one CNY when an "old maid" relative of my family didn't give me a "Lai Se" when everybody else did. Both she and I were being teased for months after that. My mom reminded me repeatedly, "Only married people give out "Lai Se"."

Who knows, may be traditions have changed in HK but in SF, they are still pretty much in tack.

Furthermore, if you're a single mom, you should only give out 1 "Lai Se" per person, but if you have a husband, you should give out 2.

[Renotommy]

Lai See Customs
In addition to children, married couples will also give red envelopes with money to unmarried people and some business and managers have started giving gifts of red envelopes with money to their staff.

Lai See is not a general giving of gifts but rather a custom in which some people are givers (married people, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, bosses, etc.) and others are recipients (children, single people, employees
, etc.).


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I extracted the above from an article on the internet. Apparently, it is true that more and more employers in HK are giving out Lai Se to their employees......another new trend, I guess.