- Thread starter Harleysrock
- Start date
Firing our housekeeper
She doesn't work tomorrow so she won't know.
I'm also too paranoid to change the locks after she leaves!!
I'm also too paranoid to change the locks after she leaves!!
Dismiss her immediately. As domestic part time help she legally is not entitled to any severance pay as I understand the law, but that is best determined by a visit to the work office in Puerto Plata as others have mentioned just to be certain.
(Was it RED paint as in being caught RED handed?)
(Was it RED paint as in being caught RED handed?)
Pack up your wife and property and give the house to your housekeeper and her husband. Sounds like the process to get rid of her could be a real mess. Get in the car and drive away. You will probably have less headaches in the long run. Do people get upset if they loose their job. Of course. Wouldn't you. Now mutliply it times two. You have to remember the Dominicans in general can be very hard headed and resistant to change especially if your standards are North American or European and go against the way they have been doing things their whole lives. You need to handle this very delicately and if that doesn't work give her the boot and buy a big dog or maybe a weapon.
LTSteve
LTSteve
Oh come on, we fire people all the time. Nothing happens. Changing the locks if she had (access to) the keys is enough.
i dunno steve. we just got here 6 weeks ago. i don't wanna move back to canada now! lol! we're getting more dogs, and she knows we have a gun. and we'll be very careful with how we deal with it.
she was manipulative in getting us to keep her working, and has been nothing but trouble already. she's destroyed so many of my clothes, among other problems that i just don't know how much worse she could be. she's trouble alright. we're ready.
she's already made us miserable.
If you have been here just six weeks, how is it that you have residency and a gun permit? If you have a gun without them, and she knows it, she can make major trouble for you!
we do live here full time. of course we have residency. just because she 'thinks' we have a gun, doesn't mean we actually 'have' one.
Another note.
I don't know if it applies to domestic workers but don't give her any true reason why you are firing her. Just let her go. If you give her a reason right or wrong, it will give her all the motivation to go to "If we don't collect you don't pay" lawyers and see if she can collect additional money. And with the stupid DR laws, you will never win, even you have all the visual recordings and you caught them "white" handed. And it will most likily wake you up 3AM and you will be in complete disgust on one's you trusted and this country's law.
I don't know if it applies to domestic workers but don't give her any true reason why you are firing her. Just let her go. If you give her a reason right or wrong, it will give her all the motivation to go to "If we don't collect you don't pay" lawyers and see if she can collect additional money. And with the stupid DR laws, you will never win, even you have all the visual recordings and you caught them "white" handed. And it will most likily wake you up 3AM and you will be in complete disgust on one's you trusted and this country's law.
Why don't you just tell her you've decided to do the housework yourself...which is what you mentioned earlier that you thought you'd try. Pay her what you think is fair and send her off. Her husband works for you too and would see that you are indeed doing the work without help. Under the circumstances I would think it's more prudent to keep her in your good books regardless of the fact she's been way less than honest and good. Even if she's left with the impression that she's been appreciated,( although that's far from the truth) does it really matter if it makes you feel safer knowing she won't feel like 'getting back at you' for firing her? Sometimes we do what it takes to get what we want without putting us in a bad situation. Obviously, you'll still want to change the locks and take precautions. I've not been in that situation, but I think it's probably the way I'd go. But maybe that's just my 'rose colored glasses' view of things.
on the other side of the spectrum i have to restrain myself from wanting to pay my cleaning lady more..
Ya MA I saw that post :laugh:. I can understand why, it is cheap compared to where we come from!!
Just tell her that you ran out of money and can only pay her husband the gardener, she won't have a problem with that. Definitely do not try to blame her for anything she's done wrong as Dominicans are very poor in handling direct criticism. She'll definitely be annoyed when you eventually hire someone else as a maid but at that point who cares, you don't owe her any further explanations.
Ya i'm gonna go with the we can't afford her thing which is partly true!! This house is costing a lot more than i thought it would with stuff it needs!
We let her go and it went way better than we expected!!
She tried to stay on for free which I knew she would do but we kept saying no and since I just woke up she thought i was almost going to cry! (I didn't sleep much) So she was very sweet saying no problem no problem.
I don't know if we should be more worried b/c it went so well or not!
I paid her for all this week, which she only worked one day and a month and a half severance. Got it all in writing!
Thank you for all your help!
Dr1 rocks it!
She tried to stay on for free which I knew she would do but we kept saying no and since I just woke up she thought i was almost going to cry! (I didn't sleep much) So she was very sweet saying no problem no problem.
I don't know if we should be more worried b/c it went so well or not!
I paid her for all this week, which she only worked one day and a month and a half severance. Got it all in writing!
Thank you for all your help!
Dr1 rocks it!