Trades & Labor Finding a Helper

You get what you pay for. What the law states is the absolute minimum. I wouldn't expect above average performance for a monthly salary that borders on modern slavery.

I'm not saying every potential helper will work better if paid better, but you have a bigger chance to attract good helpers if you offer a reasonable amount. Taking the helpers circumstances of living into account might as well help - a woman with kids will naturally need more money but may still be the better option in the long run (less probable to 'run away', not totally clueless with house chores)

 

It depends on how they work. I got my helper and she's from bukidnon Mindanao,she woke up so early I think 4am to do the breakfast thing for my son who goes to school.and cleaning the house also.When I woke up at 6 I got my food on the table and my son ready to school.she do everything like cleaning the house,washing clothes ,do the dishes and bring my son to school.and she deserve 4K a month.and she's an honest person as well. And she have no time for Facebook because she's focusing on her job.

 

One thing I don't fully understand is how the new law gets implemented (to pay for SSS and Phil Health). Laws like this can be very dangerous to an employer, not only for the criminal implications of not paying but also for the civil implications of a helper being hospitalized without insurance or retiring with no pension benefit. It seems that some or most of these employees want the employer to give the cash up front, as part of their salary. Then they use the money for other purposes.

Do employers fulfill their responsibilities by just giving them the money? If so that leaves loopholes for employers that make the law useless and would not meet the intent..."I pay her 2500 but she must use 500 for Phil Heath and sss".

But you know she probably does not.

The other extreme would be to require her to set up SSS and Phil health accounts & somehow authorize you to pay into her accounts.

Most employers would probably refuse the record keeping task! I would.

So, how do they implement this and how do you prove you comply(Ied) with this law if/when challenged for any reason? Or is it just the honor system? I don't like honor systems especially when courts would be weighed against "rich" foreigners vs poor helpers. Does anyone have an understanding as to how this works? Thanks for any input to this newcomer!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Not so hard I would think (but keep in mind I don't know more than you about the legal obligations for the employer towards SSS/Philhealth).
I would tell the helper (if we had one) to get enrolled at both, and show me the monthly receipts for her contributions.
However, if there is not just an employee contribution but also one for the employer, then it might be more complicated than that.

 

Wow, I just reviewed the kasambahay law guide and it really puts most of the responsibility of compliance on the employers. Employer must ensure there is an account and employer must pay into into it. It seems like sss is just like in the us; I guess a condition of hiring would require having an sss account that employer can pay into for 13 months per year (yeah 13). For employer contributions it seems that employer must be an sss member and is responsible to go to the sss office or the bank every month and contribute. Phil Health and Pag-Ibig benefits (some Tagalog sounding thing & dont know what it is). Like anything else, it seems that the record keeping for these 3 govt offices are quite ominous, almost as if one must hire another helper to do all the chasing around and record keeping. Or you could just assign the maid you just hired to do the work (haha just a joke). There are penalties for non- compliance, between p20000 and p40000. We would be perfectly willing to cover these costs, I am used to this and have problems at all. But the paperwork and bureaucracy that I see here is another matter.

I wonder if there is some private service that can handle all this for us,


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

You mean like hiring services through an (employment) agency, like what our subdivision does for the guards. No idea if such agencies might also offer domestic helper services though.

 

There are those about BUT it is all a matter of Trust and trust is sometimes mussing here

 

Yep,there are some agencies also for domestic helper most of the rich people do that ,because it's safe.

 

I will have to check that out. Thank you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk