VietNamNet Bridge – All families that hire charwomen want to have their assistance during the Lunar New Year in order to have really free and relaxing days. They have to employ adequate ways to persuade charladies to stay with them during the longest holiday in the year.

 

 

Previously, the New Year bonus for charladies was usually a Tet gift basket worth VND300,000-VND500,000, plus VND100,000 of traveling expenses. But in recent years, Tet bonus for maids has become a big headache for many families.

It is very popular that the Tet bonus for charwomen is even bigger than the Tet bonus that their employers receive from their companies. This year, a difficult year, when many companies have slashed the Tet bonus for their employees, the salary and Tet bonus for maids keep increasing.

As the need for charladies is rising, many maids ask for very high salaries and bonuses to work during the Tet holiday and after Tet.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Huyen in Cau Giay District, Hanoi, has two children, at the age of 6 and 2. Huyen works for a foreign company. Because of work pressure and strict time requirement, she depends on her maid for housework.

Because of economic difficulty, last Tet Huyen gave her maid VND2 million ($100) as the Tet bonus. The maid immediately said: "I'm afraid that next year I cannot continue to look after the house for you." A few days later, she said goodbye and did not return after Tet.

The maid of Mrs. Tran Thuy Lan in Trung Hoa, Cau Giay district, made a straightforward proposal: "I would like to have a saving book as this Tet bonus." Although Lan’s company did not mention about Tet bonus yet, to keep her charlady, Lan had to give her VND6 million, equivalent to her two months of salary.

Mrs. Thuy Linh, from Ngoc Ha Street, Ba Dinh district, said: "My maid has lived with my family for three years. I currently pay her VND2.5 million per month. Annually, I pay her the 13th month salary as the Tet bonus, plus confectionary worth about VND300,000."

This year, despite common difficulty, Linh said she would maintain the Tet bonuses. By Linh’s experience, she usually gives the Tet bonus to her maid 15 days before the holiday so the maid has time to go shopping.

"Many families often buy candy, clothes and home appliances as a Tet bonus for their maids, but I prefer cash. Anyone prefers cash than gifts because they do not know the real value of the gift,” Linh added.

Mrs. Ha An, also from Hanoi, said: "My charlady has lived with my family for nearly six months so I will give her half of her one-month salary as the Tet bonus, VND1.5 million". In her experience, it is necessary to have a transparent “policy” on Tet bonus.

 

 

Mrs. Thu Ngoc from Thai Thinh Street, Dong Da district, said that her trick to force her charlady to return after Tet is only giving the Tet bonus when the maid returns after the Tet holiday. She also encourages the maid to return early by promising big lucky money.

Mrs. Nguyen Thanh Hue in Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, said: "Charwomen now give themselves superior airs. They self suggest the New Year gifts, not waiting for the employer’s decision as before. This New Year my maid asked for the Tet bonus of at least VND5 million ($250). She told me to extract VND2 million to buy a coat which is the same with my coat and give her the remaining to send home."

Many women are willing to spend a lot of money or even “hunt” unique Tet bonuses to please their maids.

Having a qualified maid, Mrs. Nguyen Quynh Tram in Tu Liem District, Hanoi tried her best to keep her maid: "I had to buy clothes and worship items for her because her family just built a new house. I also gave lucky money in advance to her children."

To keep her maid to stay with the family until the last day of the lunar year, Mrs. Pham Mai Anh in Kham Thien Street, Hanoi had to take her mad to a supermarket to purchase a new coat. However, the maid also chose a coat for her daughter and a skirt for her grandchild.

"At the cashier desk, when she managed to pay for the two additional items, I had to pay for her to please her in order to keep her staying with us until the last day of the year," Mai Anh said.

This year, her company did not work well but Tran Hoai Anh, an office worker in Hanoi, planned to give Tet bonus of VND3.5 million to her maid, plus presents like candy and clothes...

She explained: "I have to try to win her heart. If she quit the job after the Tet, my family routine will go upside down." Hoai Anh’s anxiety is also the concern of many other women.

Gia Van