Nanny Gets a Bonus

By this time, we've received our Christmas bonuses (and maybe burned most of it already on shopping and other expenses) and are in the peak of the holiday season.  Hopefully, we have not forgotten to share our blessings with our indispensable househelpers  -  who bear the brunt of keeping our houses and children clean and safe. 

Some of them may have gotten home to spend Christmas with their families, but for those who do stay to help out like mine did, a BIG thumbs up to all of you.  Christmas is really a crazy time for families living and working in the metropolis, and for nannies who stay is a big blessing.  

So why give a bonus?  Same reason as everybody else!  A bonus is an incentive for somebody who has rendered service to the employer, and hopefully for a job well done.  Under the Labor Code, a 13th-month bonus is mandatory for all employees receiving a basic salary of not more than Php 1,000 a month, regardless of the nature of their employment.  So everybody is practically entitled to it, including yayas and maids.

Sadly though, some employers do not observe this at all.  More than the complying with state regulation, why not give your helpers what they are entitled to?  If you are in a good disposition to share your blessings with your family, why not include them in this merry month?  You will be a better person for it, and I guarantee you they will always be grateful for it.

A BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!

Good Yaya, Bad Boss

Since my kid was born, I've had to deal with entrusting my son to a nanny as my husband and I went to work.  Like I've said before, we've had hits and misses on a lot of househelpers, but most of them (and thank God for that!) were never serious cases that would push us to put them behind bars. 

I would like to think that we were considerate enough with our staff to keep them from leaving us and our kid  -  but leave they did.  The first one eloped, the second and third were sisters who returned to the province to study, the third wanted too much money which I adamantly thought was too much (2 months advance and another month for ship fare and food... now you understand WHY), and there were 3 others.  

But there are some nannies and househelp who stay long even as their bosses are so difficult to work with.  I've heard of maids here who have stayed more than 5 years with their current employers but have been treated like slaves, do not have proper sleeping quarters, are not given sufficient food and medicine, and are not allowed to go out of the street.  We wonder how these people manage to stay that long, and yet they do.  They can't even imagine finding another place to work.  These are real people, and I've met them.  Sometimes, life just isn't fair at all!  Makes me think: if I was a mean boss, would any of our househelpers stay longer than they did?  Would that have made the difference?

So far, my son's current yaya is heaven-sent.  Not only that, we received twice the blessing by having her twin sister as well!  I hope this one will stay with us for a long time.