Port Louis - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Help is cheap, but it adds up. Our nanny/housekeeper works about 25 hours a week and we pay her Rs 100 per hour (approximately US$3.50). After 5pm we pay her an additional Rs 50 per hour. Our gardener comes twice a week and keeps the place trimmed up, we pay him about US$130 a month. Same with the pool guy, although slightly less. The real trick is the 13th month bonus at the end of the year. You're supposed to pay a bonus of one month's salary at New Year, plus bump up their pay by the govt's recommended cost-of-living adjustment. If you're paying cash, you can technically avoid this, but the working class here earns so little that it just seems wrong to stiff them when we live so comfortably. You're supposed to pitch into the national pension fund and national savings fund for each worker you employ on a monthly basis. I think this costs me about US$40 a month. You're also supposed to provide a travel allowance of some sort, so we pay our nanny/housekeeper half her bus fare for each working day (she works for another family the rest of the time and they cover the rest). - Jun 2014
Yes, but it can be hard to find a qualified person depending upon where you live. The best method is via referrals from another domestic who works for a person who lives near you. - Feb 2009
