I can honestly say that my house helpers don’t have debts. They do not earn a fortune working for us but we have tried to teach them to make their money work for them, not the other way around. When I talk to different people about their helpers, it’s always about their problems with money.
Most employers complain about their helpers’ inability to pay for the money advanced to them. Often, I am tempted to give a warning to the
yayas who attend the seminars we give not to compare salaries because they might develop a mindset that they’re not earning enough and leave their employers for greener pastures. But what is enough? Can we really prevent our helpers from discussing what they feel they should earn from working with us? What are the key factors to keeping good help? This is the first of a series on managing our home so that we can properly deal with our helpers. Let’s begin with money matters.
Our house helpers come to us with the hope of finding a good source of income. Majority of them have siblings who rely on them for schooling, ailing parents who need a regular supply of medicines, a family to feed, etc. Most of them come from faraway places which require them to be away from people they love. The least we could do is to give them a decent wage to make them feel that their sacrifices are worth it. Ideally, the following starting rates are substantial bases for hired help depending on their experience and expertise: P2,000-P2,500 for a housegirl/all around and P2,500-P3,000 for a
yaya/cook.
On Sept. 1, 1993, it became compulsory to have household helpers covered by the Social Security System. It would be good to inform your helpers that this is an added perk for staying with you. The countless benefits that they will experience as members of SSS can relieve you of headaches in the future. As employers, we must give them their due. On top of the salary I give my helpers, I give them a monthly allowance for their grocery expenses. On special occasions, I treat them to a movie. For those who stay with me for a period of six months straight, I offer free one-way ticket to their hometown. If they stay for a year without extended leave, a round-trip ticket awaits them. Such perks have really made them excited and a joy to be with. I have some expat friends who give food allowances to their helpers because they prefer to eat a different kind of food from their employers. In our home, our helpers eat what we eat except when it’s a favorite of mine, Anthony’s or the kids’. In that case, I just ask for additional entrees to be cooked. I have found that it has saved me a lot of time and energy in food preparation. They cannot survive on fried fish every day. We must make sure that they have nourishing meals and, believe me, it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. In the end, you would have to decide what works best for your family.
| Living According To One’s Means |
I have learned from the book
Rich Dad, Poor Dad that making our money work for us saves us from poverty. Poor people, according to the book, work for money, while the middle class work to pay the bank and other loans. When I shared this with my helpers, it made sense to them. I challenged them to have a vision for their future and make good use of their money so that their sacrifices would be worth it and they would see their dreams come true. I encouraged them to open a savings account, depositing even P200 monthly. They may send the rest of their salary home, and I always remind them that even a small amount can go a long way if they make a consistent effort to save money. I don’t encourage them to make advances on their salaries but I always support them for emergency expenses. Phone bills are automatically deducted from their salaries. It may have been difficult to observe this kind of outlook in money but since we have struggled together to make it work, my helpers have higher dreams for their future and do not feel obliged to stay because of an outstanding debt. I know they are here because we need each other.
I was so thrilled when I went to Shopwise in Libis. I went with three hyperactive kids (Ella, Donny and their cousin Joey) after picking them up from school. It was especially memorable because I enjoyed my shopping with them even if it was 2 p.m. and they were supposed to be really difficult to handle because it was their
siesta time. The kids and I enjoyed the spacious aisles where we were able to walk with three shopping carts (two with little tyke cars) together. Because I went there to do my groceries (as Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco informed me that his prices were cheaper than those of the public market), I decided to ask the kids to assist me. I gave them one plastic each to get what I needed. They had so much fun trying to find the items on my list and made sure they got the quantity I needed. We counted, sorted and played catch. We enjoyed choosing different kinds of fish and learned how to tell if they were fresh or not. We had no qualms about touching and feeling the fish because there was a nice sink with soap and towel at the side of the section to wash our hands when we were done. When I was about to pay, the cashier observed that I failed to weigh and put tags on several items I bought. It was a good thing they had several runners on roller blades to get the merchandise tagged. Shopping has become a family affair, thanks to Shopwise. Hope they could incorporate a play/romp room for the kids.
Mommy Vicky: The venue of our church service was converted into a brand new theater-mall-trade center.
Kara: Mama,
di ba Jesus gets angry when they make His church a market?
There will be a weekend couples rendezvous on April 27-28 (Saturday to Sunday) at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) Tagaytay City. Cost per couple is P2,000, which covers room and food (transportation cost excluded). For registration, call Shai Salbuelba at 635-34-11/18.
