When Helpers Leave Prematurely

I have often been asked about what should be done when a staffer you have personally recruited directly from her province at your own expense decides after three months that they want to leave to work for another employer. What happens then? Who pays for all the funds already spent just bringing her to Manila?

Even though I am also wary about the turnover of certain domestic staffer agencies, there are a few things to consider before you decide on hiring directly from the province. Should you face that situation where your directly-hired staff leaves prematurely, you have no recourse with regard to a candidate for replacement, unlike with an agency. In addition, the screening of the staffer is done only after she arrives in Manila so you never really know if she will meet your approval until she gets here. Although there are obvious advantages to hiring directly, be aware of the abovementioned issues.

Once you actually go the way of direct-hire, you may want to put certain measures in place:

 

1. Probationary period

One option would be to clarify things with your staffer from the beginning. Set up a probationary period - 6 months? 1 year? - wherein the staffer understands that she must pay her transportation expense in full should she leave within this duration. However, should she stay beyond the stipulated period, you will absorb the expenses extended to get her here. The period of time by which you feel you would have gotten a decent “return on your investment” is completely dictated upon by you.

 

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2. Installment payment

In order to avoid feeling cheated by this possible scenario, some employers decide to amortize transportation costs per month over a span of 6 to 12 months. This means that the staffer will pay for her transportation through monthly installments. The disadvantage here is that the staffer may have no second thoughts leaving your employ thereafter, feeling that her debt is completely paid off. 
Regardless, many seem to take this route for fear of the staff prematurely leaving.

3. Managing expectations

Running a household is a difficult task, and hiring and maintaining staff is an even more gargantuan task. Risks are a usual part of the territory. Understand that regardless of how well you may treat your staffer, she will always have the option of leaving. As sad as it is, there really are no guarantees of tenure. 

Certain employers choose to shuck any material losses to an exercise in charity. They pay for transportation expenses with the intention of maintaining the staffer in their household for a long period of time. Should the latter decide otherwise, there is a certain peace knowing that you did your best and things were not meant to be. Manage your expectations - no staffer nor situation is perfect. Perception will spell the difference between agonizing over something versus letting something go. 

Should you be faced with this worst-case scenario, honesty is always the best policy. Understand that regardless of the guilt-trips, the genuine appeals or even anger you may exhibit, the bottom line is that your staffer will always have the option to leave if it is her desire. Hence, be straightforward about how you feel about the matter but be kind. You are in a much better situation than her. You may decide to ask her to reimburse you for your trouble or perhaps find a replacement before she goes. Either way, when all else fails, just let your staffer go. It will not benefit you to have someone in your household who does not want to be there. Her work will obviously suffer and no one will be happy.

No one wants to be used as a springboard and then unceremoniously abandoned. However, just in case you find yourself in this situation understand that like life, there are no guarantees and despite it all, don’t lose hope that perhaps the staffer meant for you is just a boat/plane ride away.

Photo by Scott & Elaine van der Chijs via flickr creative commons