Domestic Help How Much Is Right?

[jpw]

its just so confusing that when you go out to find domestic help you hear different figures and sometimes they are so low you feel like you are cheating them and sometimes so high that you feel like you are being ripped. I have been looking for domestic help for hours or on monthly payroll but it confuses me what is the correct monthly payroll or how many hours qualifies for hourly pay and what should either of them be as most of you have domestic help I think this is the best place to ask ?

 

[Bajo_cero2]

http://m-elsalario.com.ar/main/Salario/salario-minimo-del-personal-domestico

 

[John.St]

I have been looking for domestic help ... or on monthly payroll

Are you fully aware of the obligations, which follows from this?

I advise you to stay with 'for hours'.

 

[etoile]

its just so confusing that when you go out to find domestic help you hear different figures and sometimes they are so low you feel like you are cheating them and sometimes so high that you feel like you are being ripped. I have been looking for domestic help for hours or on monthly payroll but it confuses me what is the correct monthly payroll or how many hours qualifies for hourly pay and what should either of them be as most of you have domestic help I think this is the best place to ask ?

I guess it all depends on whether you want her to be "en blanco" or not. I suggest you go by the hour. My boss has been working with his housekeeper here in Buenos Aires for a while now, she's been also in charge of babysitting and tutoring in time. But as a housekeeper, domestic help, maid, whetever you wanna call it, she was being payed $50 ARS the hour and would work 4 hours a day, sometimes 6 if requiered.
Quite a fair deal if you ask me and she covered all her expenses and health insurance. If you are still looking, PM me and I'll send you over her details. I know she's not fully busy since my boss and family are back in Canada.

 

[Irelander]

I've been given to understand that 40 pesos an hour is a reasonable rate for starting someone at the moment, but with inflation the way it is, think about a rise every 3 or 4 months; a reasonable rate quickly becomes a miserable one if you don't. Also, it's good to employ people "in blanco", as you can see from the AFIP form here:

http://www.afip.gov.ar/genericos/formularios/archivos/interactivos/F102B.pdf

... the employers contributions are very little, and it's illegal not to, no matter how many hours your employee works. Also, if you pay the 'impuesto a las ganancias' you can write it all off against tax.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

Are you fully aware of the obligations, which follows from this?

I advise you to stay with 'for hours'.

135 pesos cost to have a mucama en blanco while 50.000 cost the afip fine for having her en negro.

 

[jpw]

Thank you guys, Bajo_cero2, specially thanks to you, I did need that confirmation regarding govt. rules.

John. St, I don't fully yet understand a lot in Argentina, but I'm learning through experience!

Etoile thanks!

Irelander, I am informed by my friend to pay 130 a month and that's good against hiring and employee so I am intending to do it right.

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

You might look at getting someone from an agency, the agency will take care of the administrative side of things, you pay them for providing the employee and handling the payroll and holiday stuff. Not sure how it works out economically. I would go for this option but for the fact that the lady who comes and cleans out our bombsite is often alone in the house, i wouldn't change her now because we trust her.

 

[jpw]

I have checked that Option too, and it makes more sense since they do say that they do all the background check and stuff not that I had any bad experience with the ladies who did work for me part time, except no matter how much increase I put in the amount I pay them, they still end up telling me its too less and leave, hence the question!

 

[Bajo_cero2]

The problem with agencies is that they might not pay the 130 pesos and then you have the sue and the fines.