Home › Forums › Costa Rica Living Forum › Night guard questions
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September 28, 2012 at 12:00 am #158543dbservMember
We have been told we should have a person as a “night guard” at our CR home while we are back in Canada. We have a room with private entrance to accommodate but need to know what we should expect to pay.
What other compensation is expected other than guard pay? I understand CR has a 13 month pay period? Is Holiday Pay involved?
We have been told that ALL employers pay Socialized Medicine – the full package, not the basic but are not sure what the difference is.
If a person does not work out, what are the correct steps to take to replace the person? Thanks for any info
September 28, 2012 at 7:15 am #158544waggoner41Member[quote=”dbserv”]We have been told we should have a person as a “night guard” at our CR home while we are back in Canada. We have a room with private entrance to accommodate but need to know what we should expect to pay. What other compensation is expected other than guard pay? I understand CR has a 13 month pay period? Is Holiday Pay involved? We have been told that ALL employers pay Socialized Medicine – the full package, not the basic but are not sure what the difference is. If a person does not work out, what are the correct steps to take to replace the person? Thanks for any info[/quote]
According to “salarios minimos” a guard is paid a minimum of ¢ 253.448,08 per month with a “Christmas bonus” equal to a months pay.
This information can be found at [url=http://www.mtss.go.cr/salarios-minimos.html/]Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social[/url]
The latest update on the web site is for the first semester of 2012 (January 1 to June 30).
There is a difference in paying a salary or by contract. As I understand it there is no Caja payment for a person under contract but there is for someone being paid a salary. Scott or others who have hired help may be able to provide that information.I have no information on your other questions.
September 28, 2012 at 1:17 pm #158545costaricafincaParticipantIf you are hiring him as an individual, it as follows.
Depending on whether or not you want your guard to be armed, you need to see his license to carry. In this case, you should also confirm that he is a licensed guard.You do not want to offer too much luxury, i.e. a bed, in his ‘room’ as he is not expected to relax while on duty.
You are expected to pay CAJA and INS as INS covers a work related injury and CAJA does not.If he doesn’t work out, it is easy to remove him from your employ. Then, you will pay for 1 day per month ‘holiday’ pay’. Even if you fire him, for stealing, or sleeping on the job you are required to pay this.
Also, take into consideration, that you will need to have someone work on the nights he has off.
Get recommendations that this person is trustworthy and reliable. Make sure that ‘someone’ nearby can check to see if he is actually working… as in being physically present … when he is supposed to be ‘on duty’.
Guards have been know to assist in a robbery, so I repeat, check out his background and get recommendations.
If your property is empty and no-one around during the day, does it make sense to hire a guard at night?
Consider adding an alarm system, with some[b] very loud alarms[/b], which will work day and night, instead.
September 28, 2012 at 10:39 pm #158546VictoriaLSTMemberHow about a nice house-sitter?
September 29, 2012 at 4:22 am #158547waggoner41Member[quote=”costaricafinca”]If you are hiring him as an individual, it as follows.
Depending on whether or not you want your guard to be armed, you need to see his license to carry. In this case, you should also confirm that he is a licensed guard.
You do not want to offer too much luxury, i.e. a bed, in his ‘room’ as he is not expected to relax while on duty.
You are expected to pay CAJA and INS as INS covers a work related injury and CAJA does not.
If he doesn’t work out, it is easy to remove him from your employ. Then, you will pay for 1 day per month ‘holiday’ pay’. Even if you fire him, for stealing, or sleeping on the job you are required to pay this.
Also, take into consideration, that you will need to have someone work on the nights he has off.
Get recommendations that this person is trustworthy and reliable. Make sure that ‘someone’ nearby can check to see if he is actually working… as in being physically present … when he is supposed to be ‘on duty’.
Guards have been know to assist in a robbery, so I repeat, check out his background and get recommendations.If your property is empty and no-one around during the day, does it make sense to hire a guard at night?
Consider adding an alarm system, with some[b] very loud alarms[/b], which will work day and night, instead.[/quote]
Do you know what the difference is between hiring on contract and hiring as an employee?
September 29, 2012 at 1:43 pm #158548costaricafincaParticipant[i]As far as I understand[/i] that if you hire a ‘guard’ on contract through an agency’ is that his temp. replacement will have similar qualifications, and that you will not have to pay the CAJA and INS for two employees as this is supposed to be paid by the company. They are also insured.
[i]At least this is what we were told,[/i] when hiring a night guard was being considered on the farm, during a construction period after many tools, all the wiring from the electric panel and the two large panels/boxes as well plus the motor of the cement mixer was stolen.
There was an article on a local online paper, this week about security guards being removed from their job sites because CAJA had not been paid.
I neglected to mention that when paying an [b]empoyees[/b] CAJA it is [b]much more expensive[/b] than to pay your own, as it will also go towards a pension. The total cost of the CAJA payment will be approx. $200 per month, per individual (this will vary on the earnings of course) with 9% being paid by the employee, which they may object too.
September 30, 2012 at 10:49 pm #158549LisaMarie6987MemberI’m wondering why you don’t consider a house sitter type That is an option in Europe and N. America. There are orgs that provide those services and many of the sitters are looking for a vacation space with you having no outlay.
[quote=”costaricafinca”][i]As far as I understand[/i] that if you hire a ‘guard’ on contract through an agency’ is that his temp. replacement will have similar qualifications, and that you will not have to pay the CAJA and INS for two employees as this is supposed to be paid by the company. They are also insured.
[i]At least this is what we were told,[/i] when hiring a night guard was being considered on the farm, during a construction period after many tools, all the wiring from the electric panel and the two large panels/boxes as well plus the motor of the cement mixer was stolen.
There was an article on a local online paper, this week about security guards being removed from their job sites because CAJA had not been paid.I neglected to mention that when paying an [b]empoyees[/b] CAJA it is [b]much more expensive[/b] than to pay your own, as it will also go towards a pension. The total cost of the CAJA payment will be approx. $200 per month, per individual (this will vary on the earnings of course) with 9% being paid by the employee, which they may object too.[/quote]
October 10, 2012 at 9:10 pm #158550elindermullerMemberThere are 2 types of guards, the “sleeping guard” and the regular guard. The minimum wages are the same for both, but the regular guard is only allowed to work 6 hours per night while the sleeping guard can work (or sleep) up to 12 hours, for the same amount of money.
The sleeping guard is kind of a paid house sitter. He gets up if the alarm goes off or the dogs bark, or he hears something. It is mainly about to let people know that the house is not abandoned.
House sitters are an option, but someone on vacation will probably not want to be nailed down at one spot for months, plus they also may want to be able to travel or to go out for dinner etc. So a house sitter may be a short term option, changing house sitters every x weeks or months.
I have a friend at the beach, she put a Tico housesitter in her house. After she was gone the Nicaraguan girlfriend moved in. Besides a big mess, they left a $2000 phone bill after moving out (calls to Nicaragua mostly….). The guy is trying to work it off now, but it will take him years.
So, if you consider a house sitter, disconnect the phone, and/or get them a prepaid internet and cel.phone where you can call them in case of emergency.
October 11, 2012 at 3:49 pm #158551costaricafincaParticipantMany house sitters tend to have very definite requirements on where they wish to house sit…preferably near the beach or good access to shopping 🙄 and of course, high speed internet.
October 15, 2012 at 2:43 pm #158552Doug WardMemberBuy a pool table and a couple kegs of beer. Tell the “police” they are welcome to hang out while you’re away.
Make sure you pay the cable-satellite bill.Don’t worry about internet. Farcebook and Twatter can be posted to via cellular. The rest of the net doesn’t exist in a Tico’s world. I showed a “doctora” last night a new concept. Google translate Spani to Ingli. Hit the speaker button and OMFG The word get pronounced and comes out of the speakerz !!!! Increible!!!
So much for .phd’s. I guess it’s a worldwide issue.:roll: -
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