Filipino / Philipino Live In Advice

[Jimberoonie]

Hi there

We are a young-ish (early 40's) working couple with 2 daughters (8 and 13) and are looking to make the transition from Au-pair + cleaner to a live-in Filipino.

Any do's and don'ts from you wise people? Such as pay, duties, visa aggro?

Would really appreciate some guidance.

All the best

Jimberoonie

You can't just employ a random Filipino from abroad and bring her over on a domestic worker visa.

You are well within your right to employ someone who is in the UK and who already has the correct documentation and is looking to switch employers (this is permitted under the Immigration Rules).

Have you tried contacting Kalaayan (sp?) which is an organisation which supports ands helps foreign domestic workers in the UK and helps them find new positions.

'live-in Filipino.'

lovely

Agree with ReetPetit.

Any particular reason for wanting a Filipino? Why not a British housekeeper or any other nationality? And yes, the "visa aggro" will be considerable to impossible!

I agree that your attitude to staff needs re-thinking, primarily because it makes you seem like a hard and unpleasant person, but also because both your staff and children will pick up on it. In my experience the story ends like this - Filipino maid/nanny brought in on crap wages resents her employer and shows little or no affection/interest in the kids.

Kids recognise the the maid dislikes them, and that the parents have no respect for the maid, and so speak to the maid like shit whenever mum's not around.

Maid is miserable and resentful, kids learn a crappy disrespectful attitude to the household staff, mum is at work and oblivious.

Why not pay an extra £2/ hour and employ someone you like and respect to look after your home and children?

I'm guessing you want to brush up on your Tagalog?

Or did you have another reason for wanting to employ a Filipino person?

"a live in Filipino".

How about A Dog? Or buy A Washing machine? As opposed to getting "A Filipino"?

Do you intend to treat this person like a commodity, or a person?

How about getting a live in nanny of whatever nationality?

Hi there OP. I have employed filipinos before and have found them to be very hard working and friendly and nice to be around. I employed as live in nannies and live out nannies - pay - exepct to pay top £ as most filipinos are here for the primary purpose of sending money home to support their families. I paid £350 live in after tax but that was in london - maybe you are not in london. That was from 7-7 but with 1 hour lunch break and quite a bit of time off during day while baby slept etc.

As with all nannies from a different culture/background expect to spend some time explaining how you want things done childwise.

Thanks for all of your candid and rapid responses. Clearly being specific on nationality has upset some of you which was not the intention - just to get some honest (and supportive) advice.

I assure you our treatment of staff is exceptional - over the years we have treated our au-aupairs, nannies etc.. like an extension to our family and with mutual respect.

We would want to pay a fair wage and would hope that the successful individual is hard working as well as being capable of having a trusting relationship with us and our kids.

Please do keep the comments coming..if there is a social stigma as well as other concerns we'd rather go into this with our eyes open.

£350 for a 12 hour day?? Please say that was per week bet it fucking wasn't though

I think you'll find the female is a Fillipina. Not being pedantic, just give some dignity to the unfortunate that potentially finds herself being employed by you.

The kalayan org has an employment agency and can put you in touch with potential nannies. Expect to pay around £300-£350 plus weekly for a live-in. And agree that it doesn't bode we'll to talk about how respectful you are, when you aren't even using the correct gender in your description.

By the way, you will not be able to bring in anyone from outside the EU/commonwealth to work for you - visas are no longer available for this.

I think you'll find it was, Hellsbells. Why do you automatically assume that because Lisalisa has employed a Filippina nanny that she would pay her peanuts? We used to have a live in Filippina nanny and her basic salary was £1500 a month net (live in), working from 0830 to 1800, with paid overtime after this, and babysitting on top. That was in 2002.

Why would I assume a poor woman from a developing country is being exploited by a rich one in the west? Gosh, no idea - it's not like it's ever happened before is it? . Glad you paid yours a reasonable-ish wage. You're in the minority.

reasonable- ish wage???? very reasonable you mean surely.

£1500 pcm for a minimum 12 hour working day? Offer that to a British nanny and watch her laugh in your face. It's probably decent if you're an impoverished woman from a poor country separated from her family for months on end, but that makes it exploitation. OP is specifically looking for 'a Filipino' (and even the language used is dehumanising). Not because she has a burning desire to expose her DC to another culture, but because people from the Philippines are cheap to employ. They're cheap because of massive global inequality. Exploiting that to save yourself a few quid...well, it's not something I could do with a clear conscience.

Hellsbells. I would have been delighted to earn £375 net a week in 2002. I'm a nanny.

Hellsbells. 35O net for 5 days live is a good wage. Lots of nannies work for that amount of money. Don't see a problem.

There's nothing morally wrong about employing a Filipina nanny/housekeeper per se and the wages/t&c mentioned on this thread are perfectly reasonable.

But, personally, I just couldn't do it. We are surrounded by DC who spend a lot of time with Filipina nannies/housekeepers and they grow up entitled and unskilled. It really isn't good for DCs to have someone running around after them all the time, and it is really hard to break the Filipino mindset that that is their job.

I realise this is getting away from the original point of the thread but am sufficient irritated by Hellsbells posts to comment. Do you actually know anything about being a nanny? Your reference to £1500 per calendar month is the NET figure, gross that is almost £21k for a LIVE-IN position where the nanny has no rent/mortgage to pay, no council tax, wifi or utilities. Many people would be delighted to have that £1500 per month after all those bills are paid. I know I would! Nannies also traditionally work long days, it's an expected part of many roles, but is often compensated for by having time off during the day while charges are at nursery/school.

OP - I was an expat in HK for a while where the company paid for accomodation plus a Filipino nanny.

The nanny was degree qualified but employment opportunities being what it was back home, being a nanny in HK paid better than an office job in the Philippines. Then there was the attraction of getting residency after two years.

Sorry ladies but back home in the UK, unless you go for a graduate of one of those posh (read expensive) nanny schools, you be lucky to get a nanny with A levels. And then there are limits to what an English worker will do. Our nanny would only clean the children's room and wash only their clothes.

I would choose a Filipino nanny over an English one any day (puts crash helmet on).