Employing an ayi is common within the expat world, as is hiring a driver. Domestic helpers are the unsung heroes of family life in Beijing – life without them would be unimaginable for many international households – small wonder they are in short
supply nowadays.
Two initial tips of utmost importance: First, go with your gut instinct when interviewing and hiring potential employees. They are, after all, responsible for your own well being as well as that of your children. Secondly, ask as many questions as you feel necessary to make the best decision.
The best time to find qualified help, if you have a choice, is around June or December, when many families leave Beijing to relocate elsewhere. Word-of-mouth is the best way to get a referral; otherwise, check the noticeboard in your nearby grocery store, or classified ads posted on websites like www.beijing-kids.com and Yahoo groups such as Beijing Cafe and Bejing Mamas. Customer service departments of housing compounds occasionally keep portfolios of former resident employees, and perhaps they can help with translation during an interview.
There are many services available to assist you through this daunting task if you prefer to use them. Similar hiring an employee, you should also interview the potential agency you want to use before signing a contract. Agencies receive fees that have increased in recent years, and it’s important to know what your fee covers as well as how much your ayi or driver is receiving of this payment.
Cherry (Xiong Huaying)
Cherry has been working as an ayi for foreigners for six years, and she currently works for two families: one on the weekdays and another on the weekends. One of the hardest parts of her job is when a family moves away and it’s time to say goodbye. She once moved to Kazakstan with a family for 18 months. When she returned, expat families that she knew helped her find work in Beijing again. Cherry says, “If you find a good family, you want to stay with them.”
There are agency services that can provide ayis, drivers, Mandarin classes, and more, and they frequently have discounts for multiple needs. This route can take some of the guesswork out of the process, with background and health checks completed and training offered. As a plus, if it doesn’t work out for you with one particular ayi, agencies will set you up with a new one right away.
Agencies generally require clients to pay a membership or management fee for some of these extra assurances, but the monthly pay then goes directly to the ayi for the work she performs. Wary expats may be concerned that some of the ayi’s full pay goes to a third party, but both Beijing Ayi Housekeeping Service Company and Beijing EX-PATS Service assure customers that ayis do indeed get paid as contracted. Agency websites are a great source that clearly outlines pay ranges depending on qualifications, language ability, hours and more.
To address the potential problem of agencies taking advantage of ayi pay, the Beijing Municipal Labor and Social Security Bureau issued standard wage rates and tied them to levels of service. Most agencies
abide by this code and will refer ayis with different salaries based on their skill sets and experience levels. Problems do remain, however, considering the numbers of domestic helpers in Beijing and the high demands of employers.
Regardless of how you hire your driver or ayi, present clear guidelines
for what you expect the employee to do and what you are paying for. Will there be an automatic bonus for Chinese New Year, and if so, how much? Have you agreed to pay her during her time off? Without clear understanding and communication beforehand, issues such as poor childcare, lies about family illnesses, or blackmail are bound to occur.
When new families come to Beijing, a lot of energy is spent on discussing the ayi situation here. Are ayis too demanding? Is inflation greatly affecting local residents? Arm yourself with the information you need, and make your decision accordingly. There is no right or wrong answer. If you’re happy and your ayi is happy, it really isn’t a debate any longer. What’s important is making a decision based on what you’re comfortable with. It may take a try or two to get it right, but putting in the effort to find and train your ayi will yield positive results for all parties involved.
Questions to consider when hiring an ayi:
- Does she speak English?
- Has she worked with expat families before?
- Does she know first aid?
- What were the ages of the children she’s cared for in the past? How much experience does she have caring for babies?
- Is she available for babysitting and/or on weekends?
- Does she have any experience looking after animals? Does she have any pet allergies?
- Do you want her to cook? Do you want her to cook Western food?
- Do you want a live-in ayi? If so, what living requirements does your ayi have?
- Do you want a trial period? This is normally a minimum of three weeks and a maximum of three months.
- Is she trustworthy? Was she referred to you by a friend? If not, can you keep a copy of her ID card?
- What exactly do you want your ayi to do? Make a list of the day-to-day jobs you require, as well as a list of odd jobs you may need her help with, such looking after the children at birthday parties.
- Discuss all aspects of money and time: pay, overtime, raises, bonuses, holiday leave, sick leave, etc.
If you are interested in a particular posting or referral from an acquaintance, contact the ayi immediately. Remember that ayis have different strengths and life experiences; don’t assume that they can read your mind about what you want done or how. Contact a previous employer if possible. Most importantly, you must train your ayi to meet your standards and expectations.
Here’s a glossary to help you understand the various terms and functions applied to the people who help make life easier:
Ayi (阿姨)
Although the term is typically used as a catch-all phrase for all forms of domestic helpers in China, it most specifically applies to domestic helpers (both live-in and part-time) who help with cleaning and housework.
Gongcheng Shi （工程师）
Roughly translated as repairmen or handymen, gongcheng shi are typically addressed as “shifu” (师傅, “master”) and can be found in most residential compounds as either independent contractors or on-staff maintenance men who are part of the building management (wuye, see below). These are the guys to call when you’re toilet clogs up or your sink stops working.
Wuye (物业)
The building management, or wuye, is there to manage your residential compound or neighborhood and are responsible for the general upkeep and maintenance of the buildings, grounds, and facilities – for which they charge an annual fee to residents. Many compound wuye can refer domestic help agencies and repairmen.
Xiaoshigong (小时工)
Refers to cleaners paid by the hour who usually work for an agency or building/compound management. Hourly wages vary from area to area – in the CBD the going rate has increased to around RMB 30 an hour – and task (xiaoshigong typically charge higher for things like floor waxing).
Yuesao (月嫂)
Yuesao specialize in caring for mothers and newborns, and typically do everything from cooking and cleaning to feeding and can even serve as lactation specialists. Most are contracted through agencies and demand premium prices due to the specialized nature of their work (which they make a of point of distinguishing from every day housework, so don’t expect them to iron dad’s shirts). The going rate in the CBD is current RMB 6,000 and up per month.
You’er Sao (幼儿嫂)
Most directly translated as “nannies,” you’er sao are typically hired through agencies to help care for younger children and can also do housework, cooking and chores. Their monthly salaries are a little lower than those of yuesao, and typically range between RMB 4,000 to 8,000 in the CBD.
Peter Hou (Hou Shenbin)
Peter Hou has been a freelance professional driver for more than 20 years – first as a taxi driver, and then as an English-speaking driver for expats since 2002. He feels it’s easier for him as an English speaker than it might be for others – he gets to practice the language, often gets referrals from departing employers, and has no problems with overall communication. Hired to work 60 hours per week, Peter remains flexible with his hours and responsibilities. He remarks: “I love my job!”
Questions to consider when hiring a driver:
- Do you need the driver to speak English?
- Does he have experience with expat families?
- Has he ever been involved in an accident?
- What kind of car does he drive?
- How much is his salary? Overtime?
- How much will the annual bonus be?
- What are his standard working hours?
The best way to get a driver is to go through a car rental company as they have certain certifications and requirements for the drivers they employ. Car rental companies also have a pool of drivers to choose from and are your best chance of finding a bilingual driver.
As a point of reference, car rental companies charge between RMB 4,000 and RMB 5,000 per month for an English-speaking driver. This does not include gas or tolls. Standard hours for drivers are 7am-6pm, from Monday to Saturday. If you need a driver outside those times, expect to pay overtime around RMB 10 per hour during the week, RMB 20 per hour on Sundays, and RMB 30 per hour on holidays.
Ayi Agencies
Beijing Ayi Housekeeping Service Co. Ltd. 北京家福来劳务服务有限公司
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. Rm 220, Sanxia Zhaoshang Dasha, 11 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (6434 5647, 6434 5648, 139 1136 3252, service@bjayi.com) www.bjayi.com 朝阳区酒仙桥路甲11号三峡招商大厦213A室
Beijing EX-PATS Service 北京易杨家美信息咨询有限公司
Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm. Rm.6003, 6/F, Ambassador Mansion, B21 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (6438 1634) www.expatslife.com 朝阳区酒仙桥路乙21号国宾大厦6层6003
Beijing Sunnyhome Housekeeping Service 北京午后阳光家政服务有限公司
Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm. Rm3022, 3/F, Shiyi Hotel, 1 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (5288 4727, 133 6636 9720) www.bjayiservice.com
朝阳区酒仙桥路1号世一休闲商务酒店3层3022室
Beijing Huijia Ayi Housekeeping Service Company 北京汇佳家政
Daily 8am-10pm. 16 Qianquhe, Gaoliying Zhen, Shunyi District (6040 9096) www.beijingayiservice.com 顺义区高丽营镇前渠河16号
Car and Driver Agencies
Beijing Top Rated Car Rental Service 北京首选顺达商务服务有限公司
Daily 24 hours. Rm 1012, B Tower, 39 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu (6504 7266, car-rentl@live.com) www.sxsdcar.com 朝阳区东四环中路39号B座1012室
Beijing TOP-A Vehicle Service 途安汽车租赁
Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm. Rm.6003, 6/F, Ambassador Mansion, B21 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (6438 1634) www.expatslife.com 朝阳区酒仙桥路乙21号国宾大厦6层6003
Beijing North Star Car Rental Company 北京北辰汽车租赁公司
Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm. 2/F, Bldg 14, Anyuan Beili, Chaoyang District (800 810 2280) 朝阳区安苑北里14号楼2层
Beijing North Car Rental 北京北方汽车租赁有限公司
Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm. Rm 1031, New Fortune International, 71 Chaoyang Lu, Chaoyang District (5136 8096) 朝阳区朝阳路71号锐城国际1031室
First Choice Car Rental Service 北京嘉驰商务服务有限公司
Daily 24 hours. Rm 507, Partview Center, 5 Fangyuan Xilu, Dongcheng District (6434 0778, 6433 7408) www.fccars.cn 东城区朝阳区芳园里西路5号丽园中心507室
AAA Expatcar
Daily 9am-5pm. 18 Liyuan Beijie, Tongzhou District (8152 3060, sales@expatcar.com) www.expatcar.com 通州区梨园北街18号院
This article is excerpted from beijingkids Home & Relocation Guide 2012. View it in PDF form here or contact distribution@beijing-kids.com to find out where you can pick up your free copy.
