Need help with your helper?
- Thread starter Julie Jacobson
- Start date
sharonwong
Registered User
tks again julie...great advice!
my x-helper is with another employer right now and contract ends march 2005. i will need her sept this year. she said the rules are that she needs to go back to the philippines for 3 months if she breaks a contract. if contract is fullfilled there will be a 2 week waiting period before starting a new job.
i would like her to join us...however i don't know what the conditions are for "breaking a contract". rani do you know?? see, if i start off with 2 helpers then i may face an early termination of one once my x can start. that's not ethical.
i may just have to start with one new helper and bring my x on board in march next year. .....but that would mean that my new helper would have set her territories with everything and me trying to make my x as the leader will become quite hard and ackward. and vise versa. no one will be happy.
my x-helper is with another employer right now and contract ends march 2005. i will need her sept this year. she said the rules are that she needs to go back to the philippines for 3 months if she breaks a contract. if contract is fullfilled there will be a 2 week waiting period before starting a new job.
i would like her to join us...however i don't know what the conditions are for "breaking a contract". rani do you know?? see, if i start off with 2 helpers then i may face an early termination of one once my x can start. that's not ethical.
i may just have to start with one new helper and bring my x on board in march next year. .....but that would mean that my new helper would have set her territories with everything and me trying to make my x as the leader will become quite hard and ackward. and vise versa. no one will be happy.
Julie Jacobson
Banned
Sharron,
I believe the process is that if a helper breaks her contract willingly, she does have to return to the Philippines for three months, but then can return to start new employment.
If your ex helper is willing to return home for three months, she would be able to return ready to work in September even if she has to work out a month's notice to her current employer.
Perhaps she would be more likely to agree to do this if you could give her a signed contract ahead of time and compensate her for the three months of lost wages.
It really depends on how keen she is to return to work for you and how loyal she has become to her new employer.
If she is reluctant to quit now and return to the Philippines - even with compensation - she may be happy where she is and it may pay to take a good look for another great helper who can start to meet your schedule. Then when March comes around you can take another look at your options - who knows what the future may bring.
Good Luck - and remember if you do need to advertise for a helper, try the classified ads on this site.
Julie
I believe the process is that if a helper breaks her contract willingly, she does have to return to the Philippines for three months, but then can return to start new employment.
If your ex helper is willing to return home for three months, she would be able to return ready to work in September even if she has to work out a month's notice to her current employer.
Perhaps she would be more likely to agree to do this if you could give her a signed contract ahead of time and compensate her for the three months of lost wages.
It really depends on how keen she is to return to work for you and how loyal she has become to her new employer.
If she is reluctant to quit now and return to the Philippines - even with compensation - she may be happy where she is and it may pay to take a good look for another great helper who can start to meet your schedule. Then when March comes around you can take another look at your options - who knows what the future may bring.
Good Luck - and remember if you do need to advertise for a helper, try the classified ads on this site.
Julie
Last edited:
sharonwong
Registered User
well taken. just spoke w/a friend and she said that having 2 helpers who are related is an ideal situation because they speak the same language, they are familiar with each other and the chances of them getting along is high.
you have provided me with very useful tips. thanks!
you have provided me with very useful tips. thanks!
Graham
Registered User
I wish I'd known about this forum, or even thought to search online for help when going through the process of hiring a helper.
As this was our first time hiring a helper and we had no idea what we were doing, we decided it would be safer and more convenient to go through an agency recommended to us by one of my wife's colleagues.
After examining the profiles of about 20 diferent helpers, we finally chose one that we thought would be suitable and the agency started the paperwork to bring her to HK. That was back in March and we are still waiting for the HK Immigration Department to appove her. We just received a letter yesterday from the Immigration Department asking for additional information on the helper. I'm not sure why they sent the letter to us and not the agency as they were asking for things like a copy of the helper's passport?
Anyway, as my wife's due date is in 2 weeks, I'm getting pretty worried. It's not the end of the world if the helper arrives after the baby is born, but it would have been nice to have her here earlier, so we could all have some time to get used to each other.
The agency has just offered us the option of hiring a helper that is already in HK and has recently finished her contract. We are interviewing her tomorrow.
Not sure if my experience is normal, or whether the Immigration Department is just being slow and/or difficult, or did we choose a bad agency?
Just wanted to get this off my chest.........sigh
Graham
As this was our first time hiring a helper and we had no idea what we were doing, we decided it would be safer and more convenient to go through an agency recommended to us by one of my wife's colleagues.
After examining the profiles of about 20 diferent helpers, we finally chose one that we thought would be suitable and the agency started the paperwork to bring her to HK. That was back in March and we are still waiting for the HK Immigration Department to appove her. We just received a letter yesterday from the Immigration Department asking for additional information on the helper. I'm not sure why they sent the letter to us and not the agency as they were asking for things like a copy of the helper's passport?
Anyway, as my wife's due date is in 2 weeks, I'm getting pretty worried. It's not the end of the world if the helper arrives after the baby is born, but it would have been nice to have her here earlier, so we could all have some time to get used to each other.
The agency has just offered us the option of hiring a helper that is already in HK and has recently finished her contract. We are interviewing her tomorrow.
Not sure if my experience is normal, or whether the Immigration Department is just being slow and/or difficult, or did we choose a bad agency?
Just wanted to get this off my chest.........sigh
Graham
sharonwong
Registered User
graham
i would interview helpers that are already in hk in your case. for your wife to be juggling between the emotions of being a first time mother and diapers....maybe nursing too, i think it's best that there is someone that can be by her side from the get-go. i'm speaking through my experiences. chances of you liking the helper fm phil is 50/50 why not work with ones already here so that the whole waiting period is not an issue. anyway, she will already have hk experience and are familiar with their surroundings.......
i would interview helpers that are already in hk in your case. for your wife to be juggling between the emotions of being a first time mother and diapers....maybe nursing too, i think it's best that there is someone that can be by her side from the get-go. i'm speaking through my experiences. chances of you liking the helper fm phil is 50/50 why not work with ones already here so that the whole waiting period is not an issue. anyway, she will already have hk experience and are familiar with their surroundings.......
rani
Administrator
Graham,
Sorry to hear about your difficulties with the agency. It definitely sounds like they're incompetent, how could they submit her application without a copy of her passport? Assuming she does have a paspport it should only take approx 6-8 weeks to process her papers.
Hope the interview with the other helper went well. I'm with Sharon, at this point its best to hire locally. There are some good helpers in HK and I hope the advice on this thread helps you select the right person.
All the best!
Rani
Sorry to hear about your difficulties with the agency. It definitely sounds like they're incompetent, how could they submit her application without a copy of her passport? Assuming she does have a paspport it should only take approx 6-8 weeks to process her papers.
Hope the interview with the other helper went well. I'm with Sharon, at this point its best to hire locally. There are some good helpers in HK and I hope the advice on this thread helps you select the right person.
All the best!
Rani
Graham
Registered User
We interviewed a few helpers over the weekend that are finishing their contract soon and found one that seems perfect. She has experience with newborns, is a qualified midwife and her present employer is in Tai Po, where we are, so the helper is very familiar with the area.
My wife and I were impressed by her during the interview and both got a good vibe from her.
Thanks to the people on this forum especially Julie, we had a much better idea of what questions to ask.
Graham
My wife and I were impressed by her during the interview and both got a good vibe from her.
Thanks to the people on this forum especially Julie, we had a much better idea of what questions to ask.
Graham
rani
Administrator
Hi
I have this book for sale if anyone is interested. I bought this a few months for my helper but she hasn't used it at all. Honestly, its brand new.
It retails for HK$99 and I can sell it for HK$50. Pick up in Wanchai only.
Pls email me on [email protected] if interested.
Cheers.
I have this book for sale if anyone is interested. I bought this a few months for my helper but she hasn't used it at all. Honestly, its brand new.
It retails for HK$99 and I can sell it for HK$50. Pick up in Wanchai only.
Pls email me on [email protected] if interested.
Cheers.
kelsey's mom
New member
Is Helpers' Helper meant to be read by helpers or employers? Is it written in English only? My Indonesian maid can't read Eng well.
AlexGuitel
Registered User
Hello everyone, happy to find that forum as I am close to become crasy looking for the perfect helper !!
Hi Julie, I read your book, it helped a lot, thanks ! I also inspired my check list with yours, your sort of my helper'mentor ;-)
Hi Graham --> Dymocks is the simplest place to find books.
Questions for everyone:
I'm desesperatly looking for my first full-time helper to start mid july and after a lot of terrible interviews, I seriously thinking about hiring an agency (also because as nice their resume or / and recommandations letters are, I never get to have a last employer number to call to check on the helper and that stresses me a lot). Can you recommend one to me please?
Alexandra
Hi Julie, I read your book, it helped a lot, thanks ! I also inspired my check list with yours, your sort of my helper'mentor ;-)
Hi Graham --> Dymocks is the simplest place to find books.
Questions for everyone:
I'm desesperatly looking for my first full-time helper to start mid july and after a lot of terrible interviews, I seriously thinking about hiring an agency (also because as nice their resume or / and recommandations letters are, I never get to have a last employer number to call to check on the helper and that stresses me a lot). Can you recommend one to me please?
Alexandra
helper
HI Julie,
Is it possible to buy your book from bookstores in Hong Kong? If yes, which bookstore?
Thanks!
HI Julie,
Is it possible to buy your book from bookstores in Hong Kong? If yes, which bookstore?
Thanks!
rani
Administrator
This is a bit tongue in cheek but one question I would ask and clarify is 'are your parents alive, do you have sisters and brothers, family elsewhere etc?
It might sounds stupid but i asked our helper this and she told me that her parents were both dead and that she had only two sisters left. Two months into her contract she told me her father died and she had to go home to the Phillipines for two weeks! I remembered our conversation and quizzed her on it and she told me she meant her foster father.... It patently wasn't true.
It might sounds stupid but i asked our helper this and she told me that her parents were both dead and that she had only two sisters left. Two months into her contract she told me her father died and she had to go home to the Phillipines for two weeks! I remembered our conversation and quizzed her on it and she told me she meant her foster father.... It patently wasn't true.
Is your new book ready?
Is your new book, the US version of Helper's Helper ready? If yes how can I buy it?
Will appreciate if you give the details.
Is your new book, the US version of Helper's Helper ready? If yes how can I buy it?
Will appreciate if you give the details.