Why domestic workers should be paid at least R40 an hour in South Africa

Have to agree with Vigras here. Once I didn't clean my house for over a year and my earnings stayed the same/went up.

The same could theoretically be said for a company that hires domestics to clean the office space, it doesn't directly impact the companies revenue.

And just for clarity, I'm somewhat playing devils advocate. The government expects residents to behave as employers in terms of all the different things that are required, UIF, BCOE etc but the residents don't get the benefits that companies do for having to follow the same requirements.
 
We have not had a domestic in years, too much government interference and not worth the cash spent when a daily routine that takes 30 minutes off everyone in the household's day gets the same result without strangers in the house.
 
The same could theoretically be said for a company that hires domestics to clean the office space, it doesn't directly impact the companies revenue.

And just for clarity, I'm somewhat playing devils advocate. The government expects residents to behave as employers in terms of all the different things that are required, UIF, BCOE etc but the residents don't get the benefits that companies do for having to follow the same requirements.
It's an interesting discussion indeed.

I don't think paying UIF and complying with the BCOE act could be deemed to be particularly onerous though.

And companies have more admin anyway - I'm not aware of private individuals having to submit EMP 201s and EMP 501s etc. Maybe they do and I just didn't, lol.
 
Lol. I stopped using people directly, I pay a cleaning service R380 to send one lady for 1 day. What the cleaner makes from that is not my concern, UIF etc. not my concern.

It is better and easier not to use domestic help. ANC legislation meant a lot of people are doing without.
This is a very good idea. I'd love to have a domestic, but I can't afford it every month. Let me look into this.
 
It's an interesting discussion indeed.

I don't think paying UIF and complying with the BCOE act could be deemed to be particularly onerous though.

And companies have more admin anyway - I'm not aware of private individuals having to submit EMP 201s and EMP 501s etc. Maybe they do and I just didn't, lol.

Its not about it being onerous.. I do mine and its generally 5 minutes of my time.
Its about the legal requirements to do so, and the NMW applicability and the requirement to do the UIF \ Compensation fund thing etc etc, but not even being able to claim even those figures back from tax. Those specific costs are in effect double taxation if you think about it.
 
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I still don't understand why home-owners are considered employers, rather than customers. Especially in the instances where they clean more than 1 household. They're freelancers (unless they want to join a cleaning agency who then need to pay them accordingly).

Most people I know pay their cleaners more than minimum wage and with a ton of unofficial benefits (including housing and paying for their kids' school/clothing) but are increasingly weary to employ new cleaners due to all the risks and labour laws.

Same goes for gardeners.

That said, the concept of hiring someone (much less employing them) to clean your house doesn't exist here.
 
Well, we are letting our Domestic go next year, its just unaffordable but she is also quite elderly. We don't have heavy demands on her, house is not a major mission to clean, main thing is the ironing.

She works from about 7.30 to 3.30, including meals and we pay her R240 a day ( she only works two days a month ) and I pay her share of UIF as well as mine.

R40/hour will see many unemployed.
 
The same could theoretically be said for a company that hires domestics to clean the office space,
I suggested firing the cleaning company at work to save money, and everyone else at the meeting exchanged looks and then pretended I didn’t say anything.
 
I suggested firing the cleaning company at work to save money, and everyone else at the meeting exchanged looks and then pretended I didn’t say anything.

Of course they did, cos they're all lazy shytes who don't want to clean up after themselves.
 
I'll keep playing to nit have to iron shirts or clean ****. My time is valuable to me and I'd rather pay someone else to do the kak work.
 
You lucky they leave your sugar, Tea and Coffee, sunflower/olive oil, bath soap, toilet paper, and clothing alone.

Jees the sugar tea and coffee costs are mental..

I don't even use that much sugar when making Iced tea a big batch of iced tea.
 
What happens if, instead of just hiring someone, you force them to register as a sole proprietor, and then they invoice you to clean your house, at less than minimum wage?
 
What happens if, instead of just hiring someone, you force them to register as a sole proprietor, and then they invoice you to clean your house, at less than minimum wage?

In the strictest sense of the world, that is a their problem not a my problem. They aren't pricing their services correctly and are in breach of the NMW regulations in terms of paying themselves.
 
What happens if, instead of just hiring someone, you force them to register as a sole proprietor, and then they invoice you to clean your house, at less than minimum wage?

They also bring their own cleaning materials, and appliances, including a power station/generator, for said appliances.
 
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Mine gets to live in a secure estate for free, so how much is that worth?

I'm not being facetious, I'm just saying there must be some value attached to their accommodation, water, lights, security, some free food, environment etc.
 
Dear white people: please pay your domestic and gardening helpers reasonably.

Thanks in advance.
 
Mine gets to live in a secure estate for free, so how much is that worth?

I'm not being facetious, I'm just saying there must be some value attached to their accommodation, water, lights, security, some free food, environment etc.

For the rental, from what I can see.. no more than 10% of her salary.
 
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