When should I start looking for helper?

Gataloca

Gataloca

Registered User
Hi,

I was wondering when I should start looking for a helper? I am currently 5 months pregnant. As I am planning to continue working after maternity leave, I would need someone to look after my baby and do the home chores during day time when I am away at work.

Also, when would be the best time for the helper to start working with us? I remember one old colleague said at least 1 month prior EDD, so that we can make sure she is reliable, and find another helper in case she does not meet our requirements. ....
 
i would say 6 weeks before due date to start.

we got ours to start one month before due date.... only problem... i had an emergency c-section (REAL emergency) at between 36-37 weeks... so, essentially i got NO time to train her as i was already in the hospital when she arrived to start work!

i REALLY wish i'd had her start earlier.
 
I would start looking right away. Sometimes it takes a little while to find the right helper. Also depending on the helper's situation she might need to leave HK and go back home and wait for the visa to be approved (takes at least 6 weeks). It took me 3 months to finally find a helper that we liked. Perhaps I was just being really picky since I was looking for a replacement but I'm glad that I took my time and waited to sign with someone I liked and thought would do a good job . We are really happy with our current helper.

In terms of start date, even if you find someone right away, you can easily negotiate the start date. But I agree you probably want her to start 6-8 weeks prior to your due date so you have a little bit of time to train her.
 
I agree with wenyihsu, start looking right away. It takes 4-6 weeks for immigration to process the visa, then 1 week before the papers go to immigration for the Philippine consulate to do their stuff. After approval there is another week in the Philippines before she gets here. This is with a helper who was terminated, finished contract maybe quicker but you want to be prepared for all circumstances. Good luck.
 
sorry, just to clarify...
i meant that 6 weeks before due date, the helper should start working... so, you need to add 4-6 weeks before that to process the paperwork. then the time to find the right helper...

so, minimum 12 weeks before due date, i'd start looking for a helper.
 
And if you decide to go with a helper who is a first timer in HK, then having the extra 4-6 weeks before the baby arrives is even more important, as the helper will need the settling in period because they need to adjust to a new country as well as new employer.
 
gosh, i would start looking NOW as you'll never know how you'll need to interview before you find the one you like. You've got energy to interview and if you like a helper, then hire her. What's the use of waiting when tons of helpers are passing you by and you'll need to hire one eventually. This way, you can train them while you've got the time/energy w/out the baby.
 
I already know and want to hire a Helper who terminated her contract due to medical reasons and went to Philippines. I would be submitting her papers myself, so how much would it cost me? Including the airfare that is. Not worried about the time.
 
I don't think you can do direct hire any more - but I used Dahlzhen as my "agency" for direct hire - I think it cost $3150 for all the paperwork/fees and airfare to HK... And it took probably about 2 months or so... she should be here next Wednesday.

The agency was ok - really didn't have much to do with them. They did make a mistake on some of the paperwork but fixed it quickly so it probably only slowed it down a day or so. It was definitely easier than me doing all the running around!!

Hong Kong Branch Office:
DAHLZHEN INTERNATIONAL CO.
Room 801, Wan Chai Commercial Bldg.,
194 Johnston Road, Wan Chai,
Hong Kong, SAR

• E-mail: [email protected]
• Tel. No.: (00852) 2957-8868
• Fax No.: (00852) 2957-8869
 
Hi, when I got my helper last year sometime in June, we both applied directly with immigration and didn't pay any middle man. I think the HK visa itself is like $160+ another $200 for Phil consulate. Buy helpers insurance $500+ plus her one-way fare to HK approx HK$1k+. That was all I paid, no agency fees whatsoever. Oh and her transportation fees to your house on her start date think it was HK$100 (guide).
 
I would avoid using Dahlzhen's services for Direct Hire if I were you. I went through them recently and our application has now taken nearly 2 months. The immigration has gotten back to them saying that there's something wrong with the address.
I submitted to them the govt demand for rates as address proof so there really shouldn't be any problem with it. I suspect they filled in the application wrong! And also, it's not easy communicating with the staff there.. even just trying to get their email address over the phone proved to be a challenge (they don't use a typical company email, but her personal one)!
 
I started looking when I was 6 months pregnant. It took 2 months to find a good one, get all the paperwork filed, and wait for her Visa to be issued. She started work one month before I delivered and it gave me enough time to train her and for her to help get everything ready for the baby's arrival.
 
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