[Graham]

Thanks rani. I'm placing an order right away.

Graham

[cindee]

I would like to add that it's best to get the rules of the house sorted out as soon as possible. It would be hard to change certain ways of doing things a few years or even a few months after the helper has started work for you.

I made a mistake of always doing things my helper's way, given it was my first baby, I was clueless, she had been a maternity ward nurse back in the Philippines and was higly recommended by a relocating friend. I ended up feeling very helpless. Took me a while to say hey... it's my baby, I am the employer.... but despite attempts to show her who boss was, some things have been too entrenched to change.

[sharonwong]

thank you julie and everyone else. all this is helpful info.
julie i do agree with you that you must use your instinct when interviewing. i hired my first "amah" 4 years ago without a face-to-face interview. i hired her through a video and a profile sheet. guess i was a risk taker (or just didn't know any better)! she turned out to be what i expected. she was not a 100% though because nobody is....but she was diligent, gentle, patient and efficient and cooked a marvelous meal! she loved my baby so much she called him her own. we had to give her up when we moved back to the states and now relocating one more time to hk.....we're on the search again.

we are planning to re-hire her and possibly employ one more helper (that in itself is another conversation! -does anyone have experiences with 2 helpers? fights, jealousy....etc...)

tell me if this sounds right....one cleans, laundry and take care of infant....one cooks and take care of 4 yr old. or one should clean and cook whilst the other take care of both children??

cindee, i agree that we must lay down our rules and set straight our agendas her 1st day otherwise she gets into a routine. since my 1st child i've been through abit of a learning curve with my helpers...and yes my list of "rules" and what "we" want now has become very long.

if anyone knows of a good agency....please let me know!

[Julie Jacobson]

I had two helpers for several years and it was a great experience. They shared their roles but primarily one took responsibility for the baby and the other the cleaning etc.

If you already have one helper and are looking to hire another, it is very important - in ensuring a smooth relationship between the girls - to include your existing helper in the interview process.

Tell your helper you need her input. Ask her what jobs she would like another helper to assist with and use that combined with your own expectations to create a job description and time management plan.

During the interview try to read her body language to indicate whether she likes a candidate or not, as she may be too shy to say anything negative. It is VERY important that the two get along especially if they are sharing living quarters.

Also there has to be a "boss" between the two and this is likely to be the exisiting helper. However it is a good idea to win the trust of the new helper by ensuring her - privately - that although the exisitng helper has been with you a long time, you want her to know that YOU are her employer and that if she has any problems she may come to you for assistance.

Good luck!

[JennyB]

Does anybody know how long it takes to sort out the paperwork for hiring a helper from the time you first agree to hire them?

[rani]

Jenny,

If the helper is already in HK then its around 4 weeks and if abroad 4-6 weeks.

Rani

[sharonwong]

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.

[Julie Jacobson]

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