General guidelines requested, going wage for maid in Ajijic

I’ll soon be in my house (in Ajijic) and I will have a maid working for me. Could anyone give me the recommended wage per hour for a maid in Ajijic?
She will be cleaning, dusting, moping weekly, then once a month clean refrigerator or perhaps the cabinets.
She will not do any cooking or washing of clothing.
I was thinking of starting her for two days a week Monday & Friday and if more days are needed add Wednesday.
I’m not sure on how many hours a day she will need to clean a 2200 Sq Ft home with Barney slobber on the tile floors.
But what I can read on the board it should be around 2 or 3 hours a day.
What’s your educated opinion? I’m mostly interested in a fair and equitable starting wage, (not bottom line wage) then I can go from there. I am aware of the local laws of holiday pay and severance pay but I can’t find anything on the wages for 2012.

Not a clue what you should pay but I greatly respect the fact that you asked the question. Good on you.

(By the way - I think we passed each other in WalMart yesterday.)

If you've already hired someone, forget the following.

If not, here's a suggestion (and this is what we do):
Call Spring Clean; 765-2953; ask for Letitia.
She's the Jefa, and will come to your place, check out your situation and you and she can work out how many hours and which days you want her to send maids.
You pay for the hours set up: they bring all the cleaning supplies and Spring Clean takes care of IMSS, Insurance, Bonding, sick and vacation pay and if you want to stop using it: you don't have to pay termination pay. In other words, you're not an employer and believe me, that's a big load in Mexico and can be a PITA.
Also, nobody but us has keys to our place........and that is another advantage.

We've used them for nearly five years now and are well satisfied. If we go on vacation, we just notify her to skip that session. No problem.
We have a fairly large house and a lot of tile floors. I do the cooking.
Since we don't have pets or kids, things don't get too grungy and we only have them come for 4 hours every other Friday to shovel the dirt. (2 maids).
Barney slobber may need more. lol.
PM me if you want any other information.

This is a topic I would be interested in hearing from others about as well. I faced the same decision a few months ago. I ended up paying for maid service 50 pesos an hour. I live in Chapala Centro so it might be a bit lower here then in Ajijic. My maid is very happy with this amount and from what I have heard it is more then most get. From some of the stories I have heard the amount a lot of people get for a full day of work is 150 pesos doing odd jobs, cleaning, distributing advertising, etc. I know one young man who was working for one of the large restaurants on the water front handing out brochures and roping in customers and they were paying him a measly 6 pesos an hour.

Lord have mercy, and I didn't start this one! bwahaahaha!!!

I was told that in Ajijic folks still pay $20 pesos an hour. $25 pesos an hour is good with other benefits, meal, gifts etc. Honestly, I think you really do get what you pay for and I'm willing to pay more to have someone who knows what I want and get the job done in a few hours. For someone that is trained and works fast expect to pay more. I've read that people are paying anywhere from 30-50 pesos an hour. I wouldn't pay 50 but that's just me...somewhere in the middle there for someone that does a good job.

I already have the woman in mind who I will hire. She lives very close and is a nice woman. She speaks English pretty well and as I don’t speak Spanish at the moment this will help a lot. I know she’s a hard worker because she and her son are the two that were hired by the owner of the house (my land lord) to paint the house and also clean it before I move in. I was able to see her while she was working. (She is getting paid by him for this work.)

I know she has a few children and she is looking for work, I’m hoping that things can work out and she could work for me. I’m just not sure what is the proper starting pay, I really would like to be at or slightly above the average starting pay.

(Some will disagree) but I’m the sort that feels if I find a good worker I should pay them (her) well in hopes that it will be reciprocated.

P.S. thanks for the responses so far.

I've never heard of maid's pay being $20P. When we moved to Ajijic over 7 years ago maids were getting more than that. Our maid is here 5 days a week for 3-5 hours and is paid $36P/hr. If you have someone one or two days a week you should expect to pay more per hour than if you employ them 5 or 6 days per week. Otrocanuck is paying $50 which is way high unless that's for 2 hours one day per week. I suggest you start at $30-35 and raise her after one month if you decide to keep her. You could also ask your landlord what he thinks or your neighbors if you know any.

Remember, if you hire someone they're your employee after 28 days and you'll owe them 3 months of severance if you terminate them the following week. So be sure by day 28 that you want to keep this person in your employ. There is much more to Mexican Labor Law that you'll need to learn.

David you bring up a good point!
Days per week worked and amount of pay per hour.
What do you feel is the happy middle?

The "happy middle" is what works you and your maid. If it was 2 days a week for 8 hours total I'd say $300-320 pesos/week. Just my guess. There are no rules except the daily minimum wage which is about $56 pesos for day labor. That's $56 Pesos per DAY, not hour. BTW, maids and gardeners earn more at Lakeside than in Guadalajara.

This will be my third attempt to try and leave a post. Getting interrupted every two minutes. LOL

We pay our staff $30 pesos per hour for 40 to 60 hour work week. We don't fire them, they eventually quit and then we get them to sign a release before they get their final pay.

We feed them one meal a day and they leave at 3 pm on Saturday with their pay for the week.

You will get more turn over of staff once season starts.

They have to earn your trust. Be carefully. we test all our staff. I had one guy try and rip me off. Needless to say he went running out the gate with my dog chasing him. Wonder how he felt when found out the money he stole was photocopied. We still owe him for three days work. Don't think he will ever be back. LOL



And just and extra note, we now have some very loyal smart staff working for us. We are proud of them and the work they do.

[quote="Big Daddy Mexico"]This will be my third attempt to try and leave a post. Getting interrupted every two minutes. LOL

We pay our staff $30 pesos per hour for 40 to 60 hour work week. We don't fire them, they eventually quit and then we get them to sign a release before they get their final pay.

We feed them one meal a day and they leave at 3 pm on Saturday with their pay for the week.

You will get more turn over of staff once season starts.

They have to earn your trust. Be carefully. we test all our staff. I had one guy try and rip me off. Needless to say he went running out the gate with my dog chasing him. [b]Wonder how he felt when found out the money he stole was photocopied.[/b] We still owe him for three days work. Don't think he will ever be back.

"photocopied"
LOL



And just and extra note, we now have some very loyal smart staff working for us. We are proud of them and the work they do.
[/quote]

LOL

Our kids got $500 peso photocopied bills that said Billete Cultural sin Valor from candies the bought. We had about $20,000 pesos of it. I rolled it up and put a rubber band around it and would leave it laying around. Someone took it. LOL

David's answer was the best to give $ 30 - $ 35 pesos an hour to start for 3 - 4 hours a day, 2 days a week which is all you should need for a 2000 - 2500 square foot house, especially if you live close. By giving a bit on the low end you leave room for a raise once per year. I don't see why anyone should pay $ 50 pesos per hour.

I pay more than that but don't ever give any worker keys to your house.

Me&BearDog wrote:I’ll soon be in my house (in Ajijic) and I will have a maid working for me. Could anyone give me the recommended wage per hour for a maid in Ajijic?
She will be cleaning, dusting, moping weekly, then once a month clean refrigerator or perhaps the cabinets.
She will not do any cooking or washing of clothing.
I was thinking of starting her for two days a week Monday & Friday and if more days are needed add Wednesday.
I’m not sure on how many hours a day she will need to clean a 2200 Sq Ft home with Barney slobber on the tile floors.
But what I can read on the board it should be around 2 or 3 hours a day.
What’s your educated opinion? I’m mostly interested in a fair and equitable starting wage, (not bottom line wage) then I can go from there. I am aware of the local laws of holiday pay and severance pay but I can’t find anything on the wages for 2012.

This has turned in such a difficult question. You hire a housekeeper and they’re many obligations such as raises, Christmas bonus, holiday pay and severance, if you decide you can’t afford or don’t need them any longer. Also pregnancy leave, medical insurance (IMSS) and I really don’t know what else. Please take the time to read “rollybrook.com. “.

Now there is the issue that many of the housekeepers will never affront you because they haven’t been paying their IVA tax and at 16% per year, this would not be a benefit for them, their taxes would cost more than the severance they would receive. Newbie housekeepers really have a different outlook, in fact some look for these advantages, IMHO. (especially pregnancy leave)

Then there is the issue of moral entitlement. We put into a separate account about $1,000 US per year (as in time we’ll need to increase.) just in case she would like to retire as she is older than we are. Are we required, no, but this is a very personal issue for us and I’m assuming would be for many.

The extra benefits; No matter what or when we want to do something she and her family are there to take care of our needs for very few pesos. At times they have refused payment and at times we’ve insisted. Sometimes things happen and these lovely people just become part of your life and family, granted it only happens over time but it can happen, so if you’re not prepared now is the time to step back.

Take "Gringals" good advice and use a cleaning service until you have time to learn about all the in & outs so you can make the best decisions for your needs and desires. Take Care, as this can turn out be a very important decision, IMHO.

Thanks for the advice so far.

I have read (and own) Rolly's book) and I have also read what Spencer has said to many of the questions people have asked about maids. All and all, I have been reading about hiring a maid for the past 9 months now. In all of what I read (and it's been very helpful) I have yet to read wages given, this is why I ask.

For me it’s not a matter of convenience or even prestige but a matter of keeping my health good or more to the point keeping me out of the hospital.

Thanks for every response that is given so far. :-)

Parker wrote:

Me&BearDog wrote:I’ll soon be in my house (in Ajijic) and I will have a maid working for me. Could anyone give me the recommended wage per hour for a maid in Ajijic?
...........................................................

This has turned in such a difficult question. You hire a housekeeper and they’re many obligations such as raises, Christmas bonus, holiday pay and severance, if you decide you can’t afford or don’t need them any longer. Also pregnancy leave, medical insurance (IMSS) and I really don’t know what else. Please take the time to read “rollybrook.com. “.

Now there is the issue that many of the housekeepers will never affront you because they haven’t been paying their IVA tax and at 16% per year, this would not be a benefit for them, their taxes would cost more than the severance they would receive. Newbie housekeepers really have a different outlook, in fact some look for these advantages, IMHO. (especially pregnancy leave)

Then there is the issue of moral entitlement. We put into a separate account about $1,000 US per year (as in time we’ll need to increase.) just in case she would like to retire as she is older than we are. Are we required, no, but this is a very personal issue for us and I’m assuming would be for many.

The extra benefits; No matter what or when we want to do something she and her family are there to take care of our needs for very few pesos. At times they have refused payment and at times we’ve insisted. Sometimes things happen and these lovely people just become part of your life and family, granted it only happens over time but it can happen, so if you’re not prepared now is the time to step back.

Take "Gringals" good advice and use a cleaning service until you have time to learn about all the in & outs so you can make the best decisions for your needs and desires. Take Care, as this can turn out be a very important decision, IMHO.

Parker, please help me understand something here. Yes I have employees. But all wages, fees, taxes, vacation time, IMSS etc is taken care of by my property manager. I guess I don't understand your comments about sales tax where you wrote, "Now there is the issue that many of the housekeepers will never affront you because they haven’t been paying their IVA tax and at 16% per year".....
I don't understand what 16% sales tax (you know IVA) has to do with all of this. I've never heard of the need to pay sales tax on wages. Thanks in advance for your explanation

We have had the same maid for 3 years. She started out at 30 pesos per hour plus bus fare of 15 pesos, she now gets 40 pesos per hour. Our house is about 2200 sq. ft. We have her come twice a week and she works 4 hours each time.

We use Spring Clean too and are very satisfied. It's a no hassle way of doing business since we seem to be unable to not let our "help" into our lives or get involved in theirs. Some people are good at the boundary thing, we are not. We've been through births, deaths, illness, marital disputes and drug or alcohol problems with their family members. It can be emotionally exhausting.
Parker, I would also like to know what you're talking about with IVA on wages...I think you may have misunderstood something.

What does Spring Clean charge per hour? Also, do they send the same maid each time or can you request the same one?

You should probably get a quote from Leticia.
Yes, you can organize the same maid to come each time.

$30/hour to start, $35 if you like them. My fairly large house takes 4 hours on the main day with an hour the next day for ironing, or jobs like doing the fridge. After five years my gal gets $50 an hour, and she can thank my Mom for that, because to me that's too much.

Make it clear that when they are hired, they face a trial period, after which if it doesn't work for you, you have no financial responsibilities after letting them move on.

I also make cash contributions outside of the wage for at least one of her children for school and special occasions. This extra cash is not counted as part of her salary, but does take the place of other increases.

My lady works hard, but is not very good. However, she is honest and a really good person who needs the work, so I put up with the spiders in the corners.

MexicoPete wrote:

Parker wrote:

Me&BearDog wrote:I’ll soon be in my house (in Ajijic) and I will have a maid working for me. Could anyone give me the recommended wage per hour for a maid in Ajijic?
...........................................................

This has turned in such a difficult question. You hire a housekeeper and they’re many obligations such as raises, Christmas bonus, holiday pay and severance, if you decide you can’t afford or don’t need them any longer. Also pregnancy leave, medical insurance (IMSS) and I really don’t know what else. Please take the time to read “rollybrook.com. “.

Now there is the issue that many of the housekeepers will never affront you because they haven’t been paying their IVA tax and at 16% per year, this would not be a benefit for them, their taxes would cost more than the severance they would receive. Newbie housekeepers really have a different outlook, in fact some look for these advantages, IMHO. (especially pregnancy leave)

Then there is the issue of moral entitlement. We put into a separate account about $1,000 US per year (as in time we’ll need to increase.) just in case she would like to retire as she is older than we are. Are we required, no, but this is a very personal issue for us and I’m assuming would be for many.

The extra benefits; No matter what or when we want to do something she and her family are there to take care of our needs for very few pesos. At times they have refused payment and at times we’ve insisted. Sometimes things happen and these lovely people just become part of your life and family, granted it only happens over time but it can happen, so if you’re not prepared now is the time to step back.

Take "Gringals" good advice and use a cleaning service until you have time to learn about all the in & outs so you can make the best decisions for your needs and desires. Take Care, as this can turn out be a very important decision, IMHO.

Parker, please help me understand something here. Yes I have employees. But all wages, fees, taxes, vacation time, IMSS etc is taken care of by my property manager. I guess I don't understand your comments about sales tax where you wrote, "Now there is the issue that many of the housekeepers will never affront you because they haven’t been paying their IVA tax and at 16% per year".....
I don't understand what 16% sales tax (you know IVA) has to do with all of this. I've never heard of the need to pay sales tax on wages. Thanks in advance for your explanation

Perhaps I’m confused but it’s always been my thought that many household servants pay no taxes on their income, so after working many years they would not want to expose themselves to the Hacienda as most housekeepers make more than teachers, construction workers etc.

You bring up an interesting point Parker. I have no idea how income tax works in Mexico or what the minimum salary per month or year is required before an income tax must be paid here in Mexico.

By the way your comment that most housekeepers make more than teachers, construction workers etc is very different than my experience. Yes house keepers especially if they work a few hours per week make more per hour than some construction workers make per hour, but much less than the construction worker who works 45 hours per week. Why? Because often the short term housekeeper is paid more per hour to pay for transportation etc. Again this is only my experience.