Am I unreasonable?

On the odd occasion that I do get someone to help I'll just give them a list of stuff to do and we negotiate a price, normally around R150 then they can go when done. I find it absolutely irritating to watch someone work slowly and just sit around because they have to wait for a certain time.
 
A domestic is someone that does very personal work for us, and they almost become part of our lives. We put immense amount of trust in them, and when they are loyal, trustworthy and hard working, repaying them by firing them and throwing them into destitution? It's disgusting to think that people will treat others like that, employee or not.

When the OP initially moved, this should have been discussed properly in advance, like any other employer would. I would have mapped the route out for my employee and asked them to take a test run. A jump in 80km per day in travel is not fair at all. The law should have been followed way in advance.

OP, you are being unreasonable. Find out what the law states should apply in this situation and start that process. I hope you have registered her for UIF and made the payments as well. Alternatively, the way I see it is you will have to allow her shorter hours until such time as you can help her find alternative work closer to home.
 
Emjay said:
A domestic is someone that does very personal work for us, and they almost become part of our lives. We put immense amount of trust in them.
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Yes and no. I trust my cleaning service enough to give them a key to my house. I trust that the one day in the week they do come out to clean they will get in, clean the house and then leave. I never see them.

So there is trust, and cleaning someones living space is somewhat personal. But that does not mean it is part of my life.
 
maumau said:
? Is it up to the employer to find her a new job?
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He's inconvenienced her one hell of a lot, now he's being a douche.

I believe that he owes her that courtesy. I would do that, wouldn't you appreciate that if you were in her shoes? What about the impact this has had on her home life, kids etc.
 
Was this an actual legit question?

I live 11km from work I can barely get to work the same time everyday Joburg traffic is a life of its own.
 
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We have spoken about this before and after the move. We told her it was much further and she was at the new place before we moved.

She doesn't really want to move to a new employer as she says one does not know what to expect from new employers, which I understand. UIF being paid and she gets a payslip.
She does a decent job, unfortunately we are finding that the extra travel time is causing her to not get to all her tasks.

It's a sad situation really, we would like to keep her but financially it's a bit of a strain paying her more than the R280 per day at the moment, so the realistic options are:

Allow these new hours and accept that she will not get through all her tasks.
Start the retrenchment process and try and find her something closer and get someone closer or a cleaning service.

ps. Saw somewhere kids were mentioned, her kids our out of the house. But doesn't mean anything.

Thanks for the input.
 
Does she work every day?

Maybe cut her days and increase her salary on the days she does work.
 
She works half the days in a month. Her other employer is in Fourways which she works at the other half.
 
In your position I'd increase her daily salary but cut one or two days to make up the difference.

Them's looooong travel times.
 
oober said:
We have spoken about this before and after the move. We told her it was much further and she was at the new place before we moved.

She doesn't really want to move to a new employer as she says one does not know what to expect from new employers, which I understand. UIF being paid and she gets a payslip.
She does a decent job, unfortunately we are finding that the extra travel time is causing her to not get to all her tasks.

It's a sad situation really, we would like to keep her but financially it's a bit of a strain paying her more than the R280 per day at the moment, so the realistic options are:

Allow these new hours and accept that she will not get through all her tasks.
Start the retrenchment process and try and find her something closer and get someone closer or a cleaning service.

ps. Saw somewhere kids were mentioned, her kids our out of the house. But doesn't mean anything.

Thanks for the input.
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Post on the People of Midrand & Kyalami Neighbourhood Facebook Groups. If she is good she will find work quickly, especially with an endorsement from her current employer.
 
oober said:
We recently moved from Midrand to Helderkruin and now we are having troubles with our domestic who stays in Tembisa. We were tolerant with her arriving at work between 8:30-9am and leaving between 3-4pm.

Since we moved to Helderkruin she has been coming in at about 10am and leaves again at 4pm. She asked for an additional R800 increase of which we said we will give R300 more, she is now getting R280 per day.

According to her she get's up at 5am to be here at 10am which just sounds impossible. If she left at 6am that means 4 hours of traveling via taxi...

So I've been waiting a bit to see if she would start coming in again at 9am but doesn't look like it. Thinking of starting to give warnings now.

So am I unreasonable?
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Whether it is unreasonable or not, fair or not, is worth for you to keep her? Maybe find someone that stays closer, makes it more practical, get there at 8 and leave normal hours or as agree upon. The work is done properly and with reasonable pay. I would also help her to find other work maybe closer where she stays.
 
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Rouxenator said:
Far to many people think they are obliged to bend over backwards for the people they employ. This is simply not true. I could get fired today. So can everyone else.

The main reason I opted for a cleaning service is because I refuse to be taken hostage by the demands (implied or not) of someone working for me.
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I'm more concerned with work output than hours of input. I'm also more concerned with having someone I trust be alone in my house. The OP has not mentioned her quality if work, but as there have been no complaints I assume it is of a decent standard.

A cleaning service can hire dodge people quite easily, and they generally shaft the poor workers, so I'm not really one for them.

Edit: I see the OP has commented that work is suffering a bit.
 
Rouxenator said:
Yes and no. I trust my cleaning service enough to give them a key to my house. I trust that the one day in the week they do come out to clean they will get in, clean the house and then leave. I never see them.

So there is trust, and cleaning someones living space is somewhat personal. But that does not mean it is part of my life.
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My domestic works for us three times a week, and I trust her with my home. She has keys. She has access to all my valuables and personal items. It really does not get more personal than that. She looks after my animals when I am away, and will do certain things for me around the house. She is an important part of my family's life as without her I wouldn't have the time to pursue anything else. She has been with us for 8 years, and in that time she has stolen nothing, she has not caused any large financial losses, and she treats our animals and home as she would treat her own. That type of person is someone you treat well, and not keep at an arm's length as you would a regular employee.

You are a bachelor? I have a big home with animals and other beings staying there, so my needs are different. You are willing to accept the risk of having strangers in your home, I am not. Especially not in this country.
 
Emjay said:
My domestic works for us three times a week, and I trust her with my home. She has keys. She has access to all my valuables and personal items. It really does not get more personal than that. She looks after my animals when I am away, and will do certain things for me around the house. She is an important part of my family's life as without her I wouldn't have the time to pursue anything else. She has been with us for 8 years, and in that time she has stolen nothing, she has not caused any large financial losses, and she treats our animals and home as she would treat her own. That type of person is someone you treat well, and not keep at an arm's length as you would a regular employee.

You are a bachelor? I have a big home with animals and other beings staying there, so my needs are different. You are willing to accept the risk of having strangers in your home, I am not. Especially not in this country.
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+ 1
 
goth_nerd said:
Local Taxi in Tembisa is R8...
From Tembisa to JHB CBD is R20...
From JHB CBD to Roodepoort is R12/R12.50...
Then a taxi to Heldekruin from Roodepoort is R8...
So in total just going to work she will pay R50 rounded off...
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That's R100 a day for transport, for a domestic worker. That's quite expensive, not even taking time into account. She must really need that job otherwise she would have told him where to shove it. You haven't got an outside room that she can stay in during the week maybe?
 
I'd say, tell her you're paying her per hour. Say if she is getting R40 per hour - that includes paying her for lunchtime, and R280 per day at 09:00 - 16:00 work hours. If she gets there 1 hour late, give her R240.

We have a lady who started working here in September, she travels from Meyerton via taxi from around 05:30 and she's here by 8 every day, so I don't think your maid's excuse that it takes her 4 hours to get there, holds any water tbh, unless she insists on taking a friend's taxi who drives 20KM/h all the way.
 
I.am.Sam said:
does your company allow you to come in late everyday and not get punished for it ?
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Yep. As long as the work is done they couldn't GAF. That works both ways though, sometimes you'd need to pull ungodly hours...
 
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