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What are the forum members currently paying your caretakers? I know this is a broad question but I need a gauge. What is fair for a landscaper, housekeeper, pool person? I have been told everything from 900 colones to 2000 colones per hour. Any advice/input on this subject? I do not need a full time caretaker. So I may need to pay each individual for each job. Thank you in advance for your advice. Alexander
You can see the most recent salary increases at:
[ https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/2626.cfm ]
Bear in mind that in addition to the minimum salaries you will be expected to pay the usual employer expenses like the CAJA etc., which adds about 30% to that total….
Either that or you hire their landscaping/housekeeping/pool maintenance company or you hire them as independent “consultants” and pay them a different rate but, you’d better have written, legal contracts for those professional services with them as individuals or their company (with cedula etc) otherwise you could be accused of having “employees” in the future when you might be forced to pay backpayments for every month you didn’t pay the CAJA plus penalties. .
Scott
[quote=”alexander69″]What are the forum members currently paying your caretakers? I know this is a broad question but I need a gauge. What is fair for a landscaper, housekeeper, pool person? I have been told everything from 900 colones to 2000 colones per hour. Any advice/input on this subject? I do not need a full time caretaker. So I may need to pay each individual for each job. Thank you in advance for your advice. Alexander[/quote]
The minimum wages are set bythe Ministerio de Trabajo and you can find their minimum wage scale for just about everything at:
[url=http://www.ministrabajo.go.cr/documentos/pdf%202009/salario%20primer%20semestre%202009.pdf]http://www.ministrabajo.go.cr/documentos/pdf%202009/salario%20primer%20semestre%202009.pdf[/url]Where things get tricky is with live in help. There are official rates for that as well but the perks provided also have a value that MAY be taken into account.
A live-in caretaker of a friend had the perks of a place for the entire family to live, PLUS as much space as they wanted to garden or farm, PLUS a small truck or automobile for 6 months of the year. The employment people claimed the worker was being underpaid until they learned what the “perks” were.
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I see a LOT of the Costa Rica government web sites fall into disrepair and disappear. I wonder how much money the developers got and then left. . .[quote=”guru”]Where things get tricky is with live in help. There are official rates for that as well but the perks provided also have a value that MAY be taken into account.
A live-in caretaker of a friend had the perks of a place for the entire family to live, PLUS as much space as they wanted to garden or farm, PLUS a small truck or automobile for 6 months of the year. The employment people claimed the worker was being underpaid until they learned what the “perks” were.
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I see a LOT of the Costa Rica government web sites fall into disrepair and disappear. I wonder how much money the developers got and then left. . .[/quote]
Thanks for the input so far. I think the best bet for me is to keep the “manager” I have for now and after my other house is built I will provide a place for the caretaker to live and a small salary and of course pay into the caja. The perks will far out weigh what is expected and I believe I will have a loyal, honest person to do all of the tasks as a full time employee. If they don’t know how to clean a pool I will teach them ect. My friend sent me the governments pay scale. My pay and perks will far exceed the expectation so no worries on my part. Thanks.[quote=”wspeed1195″]you could do what many americans and others do.
hire Nicaraguans.[/quote]
I guess that would be a “work around”. Much like the mexicans in North America. At least the illegal ones.[quote=”alexander69″][quote=”wspeed1195″]you could do what many americans and others do.
hire Nicaraguans.[/quote]
I guess that would be a “work around”. Much like the mexicans in North America. At least the illegal ones.[/quote]the easier softer way.welcome to America.Be resourceful.
Look do it this way: hire a nica, send the money to an account that is not in his name (family member that gives him the pin#). Get a simple contract from the person that owns the account stating in Spanish that they are providing you the worker for X amount. Have it notarized.
If your Nica has problems then tell them to take it up with his employer – the one you send the money too. You now have a contracted employes through a third party. Be sure that you have all the third parties info and make it clear to your employee that if he makes trouble, then all will participate (suffer).
I pay 1100 for the gardener and he is fantastic. I have paid much less for slouch work.
I pay the maid 1200 and she is OK. I have paid less for the same quality and paid more for less quality. Finding a maid that doea not stael is nearly impossible. You have been warned so keep all valuables under lock and key. Better yet only allow here to clean sensitives rooms when you are there and all other times keep these roomed locked out.
[quote=”2BNCR”]Be resourceful.
Look do it this way: hire a nica, send the money to an account that is not in his name (family member that gives him the pin#). Get a simple contract from the person that owns the account stating in Spanish that they are providing you the worker for X amount. Have it notarized.
If your Nica has problems then tell them to take it up with his employer – the one you send the money too. You now have a contracted employes through a third party. Be sure that you have all the third parties info and make it clear to your employee that if he makes trouble, then all will participate (suffer).
I pay 1100 for the gardener and he is fantastic. I have paid much less for slouch work.
I pay the maid 1200 and she is OK. I have paid less for the same quality and paid more for less quality. Finding a maid that doea not stael is nearly impossible. You have been warned so keep all valuables under lock and key. Better yet only allow here to clean sensitives rooms when you are there and all other times keep these roomed locked out.[/quote]
Thanks for the information.
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