How much should we pay?

S

sarahesther

Registered User
My hubby 9 month old son and I just moved here.
We are planing to have a couple form the Philipines come work for us. We met them through our part time help and they seem great.
Her as a maid and him as a driver. We want them to live out, and want to give them a food allowance.

So how much do we pay her and him for a salary and how much for a room and how much for food expenses?

Please give me some advice, all a bit overwhelming right now.
Thank you.
SE
 
Living out DH 's are illegal, however, I know a few people who have them. You should pay them the min salary plus food, around $300 for food on top of the salary. Then their living and transport allowance, I know living around Clearwater Bay they pay around $1200 per room, they will be sharing a room so it isn't too bad.
Good luck.
 
Thanks, that helps already.
Well she would be half the time staying with us and the other times with her hubby in the boarding house. Wouldn't want to do anyting illegal.
SE.
 
$300 a month for food is just the legal amnt you have to give, if you do not provide your helper with food.

But I don't think anyone could ever live off $300 food money a month....you would likely starve!
 
i agree... i think $300 for food is insane, especially now that prices are going up steadily! i would say $1500/month for food for the two (not each) would be reasonable.

keep in mind that $1200 is not necessarily for a room, rather for a bed-space where there can be up to 4 people in a room. for a private room for the hubby and wife, it could cost considerably more.

good luck!
(PS) even 1/2 time living out is illegal. one or two nights per month would be permissible, i think, but immig may have a problem with 1/2 time if they ever found out about it.
 
Sorry I meant to say that the min is $300 food but yeah it is very little - we pay $300 plus our helper uses our food, we always cook more and she enjoys our food too. If we are having something she doesn't like then she cooks something herself. I know that our helper has lunch out with all her mates and they pay $150 each for the whole month food, this is 6 days a week.
I was also saying that most rooms available here in CWB are $1200.
Hope this helps.
 
i think it would depend on whether he was here on a FDH permit, in which case, he may not be eligible to work as a driver at all.... (only driving if it is incidental to domestic chores is ok, this means he can drive the children to school, but not you to work...silly, isn't it?)
 
I am new to this Geobaby and have been reading some posts, I think that $1500 food allowance for 2 helpers is way too much. Most of the DH's don't like Western food and are happy to eat noodles, rice, pork or chicken and local veg, this is really cheap to buy from the markets. They do eat really cheap and probably don't even spend $300 per month on food.
I think that what CB Mum is giving her helper is great, the helper sounds like she is on a good deal.
I think the best thing for you do to is call the Labour department, they are very good at answering questions or you could even go to a DH agency and they will tell you the rules and regulations on hiring a helper.
 
I'm sorry but I would have to challenge anyone in HK, of any nationality, to eat well and nutritiously off $300 a month, espec. with the way food prices have increased in recent mnths.
Even food in the mkts, especi. meat, for example, is more expensive.

The reason most eat really cheaply is because all they have is $300 a month!!
 
$300 a month translates to about $10 a day. I think you could marginally live off 3 meals of instant noodles a day on that budget - which is un-nutrious to say the least if not inhuman. I would think that at least double of that amount would be reasonable.
 
Doesn't the $300 just buy the meat and veg and they are allowed to use rice, pasta, milk herbs, pastes etc from their employer?
I think everyone gives more than $300 anyway. Our new helper is getting paid the min wage plus $300 food plus an additional $500 bonus each month, she lives in with us full time and uses most of our food anyway.
We got told to keep the bonus payment separate as if they have been with you a long time you have to pay the long service payment which apparently goes off the last months payments????? We are newish to HK so we are not sure about all this.
I have been to some markets though and asked my helper and her friends how much they pay for food, they said that $300 is fine as they often share meals anyway when they go out to lunch or dinner.
I think everyone gives their helpers different salaries and the government rule is just the basic. You can follow that guide and then give additional allowance on top.
 
if you read the post... she is looking for LIVE-OUT so there's no way they can help themselves to rice, oil etc. also, as what she is looking to do (have the helpers live out) is illegal, i would NOT suggest calling the labour dept!

personally, we don't give a food allowance at all. our helper is MORE than happy to eat our food. there are some things she likes more than others (took her a few times to enjoy tacos!), but all in all she's happy having what we are. i don't think she'd change it unless forced to.
 
Before I gave birth to my second one, I only had one helper and I did all the food shopping and she share our food most of the time. At that time I also gave her HKD500 for "household money" for her to buy food she wants to eat and I will replenish it with the "expense report". I normally only have to replenish every 3 months.
After I gave birth to my second one, I hired an extra help. I asked them what they want for the food arrangement.( I still get rice, oil, noodles, coffee...etc) And they told me they would like to cook their own food, so I gave them HKD1,000 and replenish it when they give me the "expense report". In average, I have to replenish every 4 weeks. I'm a stay home mum, so I know clearly what they eat, and it is nothing expensive.(most of the time they have the same dish for two days)
The point I want to make here is HKD300 is really not enough for an adult to buy food in HK if they aren't allow to use the oil, rice, noodle...etc. espically with the increases in food price.
 
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