I’m flipping livid. My domestic has been working for me three half days a week for the last ten years. She earns way above the minimum and gets double bonus every year and I’ve paid for about three family members to be interred in this space of time as well.
So the bloody dept of labour goes cruising around the neighbourhood and gets their “Madam’s” details and then the badgering starts. She doesnt qualify for UIF as she doesnt work the required 27 hours a month for me, she does have a contract with me but who knows in which file that bloody thing is mouldering away.
I have just been subpoena’d by the dept of labour to appear IN PERSON with the relevant documentation and a sworn statement as to why she has not been registered for UIF and who knows what other shit.
She’s due back on Monday from leave, she’s getting two month’s worth of severance pay and needs to go immediately after surrendering the house keys. What a fuckup. After ten years and a great relationship, the farking government just stuffed up another woman’s earning power.
I have nothing good to say about them either. My experiences with this office immediately after my retrenchment led me to believe that efficiency of the whole UIF system is very suspect.
The cut off is 24 hours a month. If she worked for you 3 half days a week, that exceeds 24 hours a month, and therefore she should have paid UIF contibutions of 2% of her salary (well, you pay 1% and she pays 1%). But why are you canning her? It isn’t her fault, and why chuck away a good worker over this?
The hassle factor involved here is not worth the bit of money collected for UIF. For this reason I agree with brianvds - stack the dirty dishes in a dishwasher and wear clothes that do not require ironing rather than employ a domestic worker. The system does more to discourage employment than it helps the unemployed.
The hassle factor is one, the second is that I had a bloody government employee screaming at my front gate to get my attention. The less I have to do with the government (taxes is enough thank you), the better. To have to answer to the government when it comes to a personal contract between me and my domestic, I certainly dont want nor need any inteference.
I dont need the lady really, I needed her when the kids were little but they all but gone now, I kept her because I’m genuinly fond of her…
I have’nt decided what to do as yet, she’s coming back from leave only next Monday and I’ll have to sit her down and have a discussion. Whether I’ll have the heart and the guts to send her on her way is debatable, but I can possibly contract her for only once a week and she’ll have to take the paycut that goes with it and go look for alternative work for the remaining days. I’ll see what her reaction is and take if from there.
Make sure you explain to her that the problem was caused by the government. The same government that she in all probability helped to vote into power, and will in all probability vote for again next election.