question of employee's work hours? - Page 4

bob saunders · #31 02-05-2008, 09:49 PM

You keep referring to this as a damm good salary. What is he doing for that salary? My wife pays her many of her teachers that much for half days, plus medical, dental. and Social Security...etc.

Bijoux · #32 02-05-2008, 10:58 PM

I've read your tread and I'm wondering what you are trying to achieve exactly.
My sense is that you want an employee to work for you for free because I guess he should like you? No one should work for free. I'm pretty sure this applies to DR as well.

With my employees, I always try to remember that I can only be successful if they are happy and this will only happen if they don't feel like I'm trying to take advantage of them. From the outside, it looks like you feel they should be grateful of working for you and basically give you their life in exchange of a salary. That does not make sense to me.

To me this is the same thing as this say a friend is always repeating: happy wife, happy marriage. You can translate that to the workforce.

As long as you are paying a competitive salary you should not expect above average dedication to you. Are you even paying a competitive salary to your employees?

mike l · #33 02-05-2008, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newyorkcityboy

overtime overtime is what i here all the time dont forget i pay my employee 10,000 pesos per month pluss traveling expenses pluss his seguro social 1.800 pesos per month all together about 14,000 pesos per month all i am asking for five hrs extra a week remeber he is getting a dam good salary pluss paid benifits by me.talk to me about overtime when an emolyee is getting min. wage. maybee i am wrong but look at the salary

You are obviously just trying to provoke a reaction with this repetative answer and it seems to be working!

Interesting!

dominicrush · #34 02-06-2008, 05:46 AM

First of all I just have to say that you disgust me.
You are paying the guy about $1.40 USD an hour. What's the difference if you pay him another $5 or $10 a week to compensate for the extra labor he will be doing? If the job and the salary are so great, then I bet there are 100's of people that would want his job. But if you are happy with your employee and his work, then keep him and compensate him. I don't know about legally, but morally and ethically you are WRONG.
I don't know what your business is, but in any business there should be a mutual respect between Employer and Employee. Do you respect him and want him to work for you? Then show it. I have been to Higuey and the expenses away from the resort are still very expensive. Rents are expenisve Food clothes everything it expensive. As expensive as it is here in the USA What you are paying him may be "good money" in someones eyes ( I don't know whose) I am sure it isn't enough to cover Food and shelter and other basic materials. Its like $270 USD a month what you pay him. You try to live off that. It seems you have no respect or appreciation for your employee. Are you really a New York City Boy? Because that wouldn't fly here where you live. I am ashamed for you.

newyorkcityboy · #35 02-06-2008, 11:23 AM

listen pal i am from n.y. but we are talking DR wages.compare that wage of 10,000 pesos per month compare to a cop's wages which a cop risks is life everyday here in the dr.and mind you if you have been reading all along i gave him a raise of 2,000 pesos per month for the new year and also paid him triple wages for dec. a token of my apreciation and it's not like he works on a asembly line all day he also got to other employees that help him out more than anything he controls my buisness when i am not there as far a phsical work is conserned he has 2 helpers that do that basically he is my right hand man with trust. know recap in the new yr--2,000 raise--all benifits paid by me--2 other employees to to all the phsical work needed--paid all traveling expenses per month for him--triple wage bonus for december.REMEMBER WE ARE IN THE DR NOT N.Y OR ANYWERE ELSE IN THE U.S. if i wre to put out hiring sighn out there with all these items there would be a line outside side my buisness that stretches 1 mile long but i dont want that i am happy with him but i am sure he knows he has got it good.

adrianb · #36 02-06-2008, 11:49 AM

NYCboy, you are asking americans how to pay a Dominican. They don't understand. Talk to Rocky offline and ask some local Dominicans how to handle the situation. I think Rocky's posts have been the most accurate ones.

dominicrush · #37 02-07-2008, 03:49 AM

Maybe I am wrong as far as American vs Dominican values. But as far as him being your right hand and running your business... Then find out the legalities of course, but discuss it with him. If you trust and repect him and want to keep him, which you say you do. I am sure that the extra few dollars for you to shell out for his extra few hours of work... will benefit you as much, if not more so, than it will him. The most important thing is that you have someone you like and trust running your affairs, and that is priceless, in any country.

Jumbo · #38 02-08-2008, 07:46 PM

Yes NYCBOY, if you were paying a basic skilled person, ditch digger or a cleaning lady then RD10.000 is awesome. But this person has some value to you. I pay my workers more than twice the minimum wage here in the US of A and they do work most Dominicans have the Haitians do in the DR. Pay a person what they are worth. For a business owner you do not seem too bright.

And yes, i do know what the pay rate in the DR is. A 20 year old college cutie i know in Santiago gets RD10.000 a month plus commission for processing applications for Tarjeta Naranja. She speaks English, goes to school at night and works the 44 hours a week. She gets the higher pay because she is worth it.

Look around pal. Dominicans drive cars, own houses, take vacations and spend time with family. If it was up to you they would all live in concete shacks because that is about all RD10.000 a month gets. Just pay the man what he is worth or pack up and go back to NYC.

adrianb · #39 02-08-2008, 08:19 PM

Jumbo, you're that proud of yourself for paying "twice the minimum wage" in NYC?? (minimum wage in NYC is $7.15/hr, so I presume you pay $14.30/hr??).

DR minimum wage is $4,400/month for small companies according to http://www.dr1.com/support/113/where...age-wages.html

By that metric, you're underpaying your NYC employees significantly. Better start paying them what they're worth pal!

Toddman1 · #40 02-08-2008, 09:47 PM

I read these things and I can't believe it. Just because the minimum wage of a third world (or 2.5 world) country is 4400 pesos per month, doesn't make it right. As an American who does humanatarian work, it really ****es me off when I see other Americans exploiting Dominicans just because they can. As soon as American business owners and others in the DR start paying everybody more including the policia, the sooner the DR will have less crime, less corruption and better living conditions all around. So stop thinking that just because a goverment says it's OK to underpay everybody, doesn't make it right. Then you're buying into all the same crap people complain about on DR1 Everyday! The ironic thing is except housing EVERYTHING cost more in DR. Gas, Food, Toiletries and when Dominicans try to get alittle more Americans get upset..DUH I wonder why. You try living even on 20,000 pesos per month! What a joke! And that's my rant!