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The home we are building in Playa Panama will be completed in mid July. We would like to hire a local couple that would maintain the grounds and provide maid service during our stay and while being holiday rented or in our absence. We have formed a separate corporation that will be the employer. How difficult is it to find reliable help and are there employment services in CR that would handle this type of employment placement. Also, how much would be a reasonable wage be for this type of help? We have built a very comfortable and private apartment that the couple could live in. Should we stay away from live in help. I also assume it is not easy to replace live in employees in CR. I would appreciate any advice.
Given that this is a stand-alone home, live-in help is an absolute must. Not just for gardening and maid service, but for security as well.
Since you’ve created an S.A. (corporation), you probably also have an accountant to handle the books and filing requirements (if not, you’ll need one). He/she can also help with the payroll checks and the Caja, although this is less complicated than keeping the S.A. in order.
You’ll also want an attorney to draft the employee contract, particularly as it relates to their live-in status to insure that they can’t squat.
I don’t know of any agencies that assist in finding domestic help, but I do believe they exist. While there are a lot of good Nicaraguans around that could probably do a great job for you, they’re riskier because it’s harder to get a decent background check for them, and it would be difficult to find them if anything were to happen (i.e. theft). A nice Tico couple is preferable in this respect, as you can meet their family.
The minimum wage for domestic help (maid) is 59,593 colones monthly, plus meals, (http://www.oit.or.cr/oit/papers/sal_cr02.shtml). Again, this does not contemplate living quarters. Gardeners and guards may have a different minimum wage, but it’s probably not that different.
Figure 20% more for employee-related costs, including aguinaldo and caja. In the U.S. I’d say 30% more, so in spite of any horror stories you might hear about the governmentally mandated costs of employing someone in CR, it’s actually less onorous than in the U.S. (not to mention the low wage – 59,593 colones monthly is only $115.00 – I’d be much more generous than minimum wage myself).
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