Pay the price you deserve
Ms. Vu Quynh Mai (Ba Dinh district, Hanoi) is a department manager of a large FDI enterprise, located in Bac Ninh.
Ms. Mai said that for many years now, in addition to giving the 13th month salary, every year she gives the maid who has been with her for 5 years 1 tael of gold. “I think I pay a fair price for the sacrifices of the workers. My family often travels during Tet, after the New Year's Eve ceremony, we leave on the morning of the first day of Tet and the trip usually lasts a week. After that, I arrange for the maid to return to her hometown for a week, starting around the 13th or 14th of the first lunar month. She said that on the 15th of the first lunar month in her hometown of Thanh Hoa, there is a big feast, so I create the best conditions for her,” Ms. Mai said.
Ms. Le Thanh Ha (Bac Tu Liem district, Hanoi) is a civil servant in a state agency but also works as an English interpreter and opens an English class at home.
For the past 4 years, her family and the maid have agreed on the following Tet holiday schedule: From the 23rd of December, she lets the maid go back to her hometown for 3 days to worship the Kitchen Gods and prepare for Tet for her husband and children. Around the 26th of Tet, the maid returns to work, and on the afternoon of the 3rd day of Tet, she returns to her hometown for a week of Tet holiday - this is also the time when Ms. Ha's family goes on vacation.
“I gave her 10 million VND for the time she worked during Tet. Many people think this amount is a lot, working for a few days is more than a month's salary, but I don't regret it for two reasons. First, it is almost impossible to hire someone to do housework during Tet. Second, even if I can hire someone, the price is sky-high. I would rather negotiate with her to help her earn more income and feel secure because she is used to the job and doesn't have to balance or arrange anything,” said Ms. Ha.
Where there is supply, there will be demand.
Commenting on the need to hire domestic help during Tet, Ms. Tran Thanh Tu, Director of a human resource supply center located in Hoan Mai district (Hanoi), said that for many years now, many families in the capital have had the need to hire domestic help to work during Tet.
“With many families already having a housekeeper, not everyone is willing to stay and work during Tet. Meanwhile, there are families who are too busy with work or have young children, or have sick elderly people who need care, so the demand for hiring people is even higher. For Tet 2024, since the beginning of the fourth quarter, we have received dozens of orders to hire people to work during Tet. The remuneration depends on the needs of each family. If you only cook and clean the house, the average remuneration is about 500,000 - 600,000 VND/day; if you take care of sick people, raise pets, take care of ornamental plants, etc., the price can be up to 1 million VND/day,” said Ms. Tu.
According to Ms. Tu, most of the maids who stay to work during Tet want to earn more income or are not too tied down to family matters in the countryside (children are grown; divorced or husband/wife has passed away). Most maids who stay to work during Tet, when paid, in addition to their wages, often receive lucky money from the homeowner.
“Last year, a maid we introduced came to take care of an old man over 90 years old in Hoan Kiem district. That Tet, all the old man’s children came home, and when they saw the maid taking such good care of him, everyone gave her lucky money to thank her. So in addition to the agreed salary, just the lucky money from the homeowner’s children, the worker got nearly 6 million VND more, which was very exciting,” Ms. Tu recounted.
Mr. Vu Quang Thanh - Deputy Director of Hanoi Employment Service Center said that at the end of the year, some industries have increased recruitment demand such as Wholesale, retail; Processing and manufacturing industry; Banking and finance activities and insurance; Information technology; Construction.
“In particular, through the Hanoi Employment Service Center, businesses register to recruit full-time and part-time workers with many targets. For part-time positions, businesses do not require much in terms of qualifications but need candidates to be healthy, hard-working, and meticulous. This is an opportunity for ordinary workers and students to work extra during Tet,” Mr. Vu Quang Thanh added.
