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Of maids and supermarkets.

I pay 3200 pesos the hour. That is more or less what many pay but normal to increase with inflation for most people that have their worker many years. With inflation if you don't raise they will find someone else to make more. Most people don't want to lose their maid if they are good. But now the problem is many people can't afford their housekeeper full time or maybe cut back hours. This recession very difficult.
 
You all are paying fair prices. I get angry when people expect to pay almost nothing for maid cleaning. I met American girl that was renting my cousin's airbnb rental and she didn't have maid. She asked to use mine but she wanted to pay only 1500 pesos the hour. I tell her that too cheap. I get mad when expat people think we will take anything and so desperate and don't want to pay fair wage.

Last month the legal minimum hourly wage for maid is 2,325 pesos. This adjust with inflation each month. Last month it 7% more. People should not only be paying minimum hourly wage as that not enough to live on. I see some of you paying double this minimum for that I happy.
 
You all are paying fair prices. I get angry when people expect to pay almost nothing for maid cleaning. I met American girl that was renting my cousin's airbnb rental and she didn't have maid. She asked to use mine but she wanted to pay only 1500 pesos the hour. I tell her that too cheap. I get mad when expat people think we will take anything and so desperate and don't want to pay fair wage.

Last month the legal minimum hourly wage for maid is 2,325 pesos. This adjust with inflation each month. Last month it 7% more. People should not only be paying minimum hourly wage as that not enough to live on. I see some of you paying double this minimum for that I happy.
I think some of you are on the low side. The minimum hourly wage shouldn't be used as a guideline in my opinion. That isn't nearly enough to get by. We are now paying double that including the bus fare in. We are paying about 5000 pesos per hour for ours. She comes half a day and stays about 4 hours during the week.
 
I think some of you are on the low side. The minimum hourly wage shouldn't be used as a guideline in my opinion. That isn't nearly enough to get by. We are now paying double that including the bus fare in. We are paying about 5000 pesos per hour for ours. She comes half a day and stays about 4 hours during the week.
Sure if you want to pay more there is nothing stopping anyone. But I also don't believe that expats necessarily should be expected to pay more than normal just because we are foreigners. I am all for paying fair wages wherever I am traveling to but it seems like there are a lot of locals that expect us to pay more just because we are gringos. I read some online posts about people paying 7k or even 8k pesos per hour. That ain't normal here. I have no problem with people being generous and paying more if they want but that shouldn't be the norm.

The problem with paying people more is it seems like they will still expect to be paid more if inflation goes up. My friend was paying his housekeeper much more than normal rates but then she hit him up for even more claiming inflation so that is the downside if people aren't grateful with the good situation they have and want more.
 
Sure if you want to pay more there is nothing stopping anyone. But I also don't believe that expats necessarily should be expected to pay more than normal just because we are foreigners. I am all for paying fair wages wherever I am traveling to but it seems like there are a lot of locals that expect us to pay more just because we are gringos. I read some online posts about people paying 7k or even 8k pesos per hour. That ain't normal here. I have no problem with people being generous and paying more if they want but that shouldn't be the norm.

The problem with paying people more is it seems like they will still expect to be paid more if inflation goes up. My friend was paying his housekeeper much more than normal rates but then she hit him up for even more claiming inflation so that is the downside if people aren't grateful with the good situation they have and want more.
Exactly correct. While the minimum wage is too low for a reasonable living wage, some people paying 7k to 8k while good for them is not what most locals are paying. I have no problem with people being generous at all. @Digital Nomad you make a very good point about many locals expecting an expat to pay more just because their country of origin. That is just wrong. It is a form of discrimination. Whether it is for tomatoes in the local store or for a plumber that wants to charge more than fair local prices it shouldn't be tolerated.

If someone wants to pay 8,000 pesos per hour for their maid that is great for the maid. I learned several years ago that I would pay more than minimum but I had the exact same problem that although I was already paying more than fair salary the person would keep asking for more with inflation. While I would steadily increase it, they would discount the fact I was already paying over double of a normal wage. After living here many years I just expect to pay fair wages but nothing sky-high or out of line with what locals are paying because I have a limited budget.
 
You all are paying fair prices. I get angry when people expect to pay almost nothing for maid cleaning. I met American girl that was renting my cousin's airbnb rental and she didn't have maid. She asked to use mine but she wanted to pay only 1500 pesos the hour. I tell her that too cheap. I get mad when expat people think we will take anything and so desperate and don't want to pay fair wage.

Last month the legal minimum hourly wage for maid is 2,325 pesos. This adjust with inflation each month. Last month it 7% more. People should not only be paying minimum hourly wage as that not enough to live on. I see some of you paying double this minimum for that I happy.
Seems like there is a reason why a minimum hourly wage is set. The same is set here in the USA for each state. Some states are higher than others. I can't see places paying 3 times the minimum wage here. Maybe things are different there. Is there somewhere that the minimum wages are published? Can someone post a link?
 
Seems like there is a reason why a minimum hourly wage is set. The same is set here in the USA for each state. Some states are higher than others. I can't see places paying 3 times the minimum wage here. Maybe things are different there. Is there somewhere that the minimum wages are published? Can someone post a link?
Yes, on the official government website, you can see the current minimum wage and all the updates about it. Here's the link:



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This news might be useful as a reference. It's about the wages that should be paid in July and August to domestic workers.



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Thanks @Melibaires. Based on this it sounds like everyone here is more than paying fair wages and well above the minimums.
 
Exactly correct. While the minimum wage is too low for a reasonable living wage, some people paying 7k to 8k while good for them is not what most locals are paying. I have no problem with people being generous at all. @Digital Nomad you make a very good point about many locals expecting an expat to pay more just because their country of origin. That is just wrong. It is a form of discrimination. Whether it is for tomatoes in the local store or for a plumber that wants to charge more than fair local prices it shouldn't be tolerated.

If someone wants to pay 8,000 pesos per hour for their maid that is great for the maid. I learned several years ago that I would pay more than minimum but I had the exact same problem that although I was already paying more than fair salary the person would keep asking for more with inflation. While I would steadily increase it, they would discount the fact I was already paying over double of a normal wage. After living here many years I just expect to pay fair wages but nothing sky-high or out of line with what locals are paying because I have a limited budget.
Why would someone pay 8000 pesos per hour. Isn't that like over triple the minimum wage? I guess sure if you want to do it but what is the likelihood of them finding another job where people are willing to pay that much? When you pay above market rates like that will they expect more raises each year? How does that work there? Because here in the USA if I'm paying my employees a salary that is more than fair they still hit me up for a raise at the end of the year.

Sure if you want to pay more there is nothing stopping anyone. But I also don't believe that expats necessarily should be expected to pay more than normal just because we are foreigners. I am all for paying fair wages wherever I am traveling to but it seems like there are a lot of locals that expect us to pay more just because we are gringos. I read some online posts about people paying 7k or even 8k pesos per hour. That ain't normal here. I have no problem with people being generous and paying more if they want but that shouldn't be the norm.

The problem with paying people more is it seems like they will still expect to be paid more if inflation goes up. My friend was paying his housekeeper much more than normal rates but then she hit him up for even more claiming inflation so that is the downside if people aren't grateful with the good situation they have and want more.
Agreed! Why would a foreigner be expected to pay more or less than locals? That would be like someone coming to the USA from a rich country and people expecting them to pay more for something. I would routinely tip people more because the bill was lower but I would get angry if I was expected to pay more just because I'm American.
 
Why would someone pay 8000 pesos per hour. Isn't that like over triple the minimum wage? I guess sure if you want to do it but what is the likelihood of them finding another job where people are willing to pay that much? When you pay above market rates like that will they expect more raises each year? How does that work there? Because here in the USA if I'm paying my employees a salary that is more than fair they still hit me up for a raise at the end of the year.


Agreed! Why would a foreigner be expected to pay more or less than locals? That would be like someone coming to the USA from a rich country and people expecting them to pay more for something. I would routinely tip people more because the bill was lower but I would get angry if I was expected to pay more just because I'm American.
I think if people want to pay higher salaries that is fine as long as the employee is grateful and acknowledges that they are getting more than fair market rates. I have had employees like this where I was paying higher than fair yet they always complained. I had an employee complain and I called her bluff once and she quit only to figure out that she couldn't make that anywhere else.
 
This news might be useful as a reference. It's about the wages that should be paid in July and August to domestic workers.



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Just saw a similar pay scale in the La Nación today.


The Government published today in the Official Gazette what the salaries of domestic service personnel will look like from July 1 and August 1 of this year, after the adjustments that were defined of 8.5% and 4% respectively. The second percentage will be applied cumulatively, and for the first, the values in force in May and June will be taken into account (for the sixth month of the year no modifications were arranged).

As these are increases with retroactive effect, employers who already paid during July for the tasks of that month and had not applied any increase or paid amounts that were below the new basics (which have not yet been officialized by the Government), must make a readjustment and pay the corresponding differences.

Remuneration from July 1, 2024​

Supervisor: Coordination and control of the tasks carried out by two or more people in charge.

Staff with retirement Time: $3038. Monthly: $379,071.

Staff without withdrawal Time: $3328. Monthly: $422,242.

Personnel for specific tasks: Cooks hired exclusively to perform this task, and any other household task that requires special suitability of the staff to carry it out

Staff with retirement Time: $2876. Monthly: $352,178.

Staff without withdrawal Time: $3154. Monthly: $392,034.

Homemade: Personnel who perform tasks inherent in the general care and preservation of a home where they live on the occasion of the employment contract.

Time: $2717. Monthly: $343,606.

Assistance and care of people: Includes the assistance and non-therapeutic care of people, such as: sick people, with disabilities, children, adolescents, older adults

Staff with retirement Time: $2717. Monthly: $343,606.

Staff without withdrawal Time: $3038. Monthly: $382,913.

Personnel for general tasks: Provision of cleaning, washing, ironing, maintenance, preparation and cooking of meals and, in general, all other typical household tasks.

Staff with withdrawal Time: $2519. Monthly: $309.001.

Staff without retirement Time: $2717. Monthly: $343,606.

Remuneration from August 1, 2024​

Supervisor: Coordination and control of the tasks carried out by two or more people in charge.

Staff with withdrawal Time: $3160. Monthly: $394,234.

Staff without withdrawal Time: $3461. Monthly: $439,131.

Personnel for specific tasks: Cooks hired exclusively to perform this task, and any other household task that requires special suitability of the staff to carry it out.

Staff with withdrawal Time: $2992. Monthly: $366,265.

Staff without withdrawal Time: $3280. Monthly: $407,715.

Homemade: Personnel who perform tasks inherent in the general care and preservation of a home where they live on the occasion of the employment contract.

Time: $2826. Monthly: $357,350.

Assistance and care of people: Includes the assistance and non-therapeutic care of people, such as: sick people, people with disabilities, children, adolescents, older adults.

Staff with retirement Time: $2826. Monthly: $357,350.

Staff without retirement Time: $3160. Monthly: $398,229.

Personnel for general tasks: Provision of cleaning, washing, ironing, maintenance, preparation and cooking of meals and, in general, all other typical household tasks.

Staff with retirement Time: $2620. Monthly: $321,361.

Staff without retirement Time: $2826. Monthly: $357,350.
 
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