Getting paid on the 10th?!

hs0zfe wrote:

What's up, everybody?

This is a first - is this customary and quite normal?

May I ask to get paid in USD? As I have credit card and other bills to pay overseas...

Thanks for any answers!

Chris

I don't think so, the same as legally, they are not allowed to ask for payment in $US.

The official currency in VN is the DONG. No one is legally permitted to demand any other currency.

Some hotels have been fined thousands of dollars for breaking this law.

The same regulation requires that Vendors make change. If they have insufficient change, they are required to give the customer change - and NOT CANDIES.

Pay days are based on periods of employment. Daily workers get paid daily; weekly workers get paid within a week and others within a month but usually before two  weeks.

Jaitch wrote:

The official currency in VN is the DONG. No one is legally permitted to demand any other currency.

Some hotels have been fined thousands of dollars for breaking this law. So why are they talking $ 1,000 if they won't pay in USD? Anyhow, time will tell.

The same regulation requires that Vendors make change. If they have insufficient change, they are required to give the customer change - and NOT CANDIES.Really? I've been short-changed too often. Pay a motorcycle taxi with a 100 k note and see if you will get any change. Am feeling like a walking wallet.

Pay days are based on periods of employment. Daily workers get paid daily; weekly workers get paid within a week and others within a month but usually before two  weeks.

Really? I've been short-changed too often. Pay a motorcycle taxi with a 100 k note and see if you will get any change. Am feeling like a walking wallet.

Just check the change, if it's wrong, throw it on the cash desk and point to the shortage on the receipt.

If a taxi driver does this, just say: OK, Mien Phi then, as in a miracle they discover change!

I always carry VND200 coins. Parking guys usually frown on them and hand them back. Handing a parking attendant VND500,000 is guaranteed to get you free parking! (Lottie Mall in Quan 10)

hs0zfe wrote:

they are required to give the customer change - and NOT CANDIES.[color=#D90FEF]Really? I've been short-changed too often. Pay a motorcycle taxi with a 100 k note and see if you will get any change. Am feeling like a walking wallet.

I think I'll just take your word for it instead. They're getting over on you big time. The only time I paid 100k or more for a xe om was a trip from Tra Vinh to HCMC (142km) and that ran me 650k.

Xe om really shouldn't be more than 10k per kilometer (though personally I will give them 20k no matter how short the trip and sometimes give them about 10k more than the agreed upon price if they drove in a safe and conscientious manner).

If they don't accept your price walk away. If it's fair they'll holler at you or come to pick you up on their motorbike as you're walking away. In truth most of them sit most of the day and make very little (which is why I sometimes give them a little extra).

Carry small bills and don't hand over more than what you owe. I wait for them to get the proper change out before handing them the bill (at this point they could drive away but since I'm usually wearing their helmet they don't). If they really don't have change (it happens) buy something small at a shop near your destination.

As far as the candy thing goes I've never been given candy unless I was owed less than 1,000 dong (U.S. 5 cents) so not worth worrying about. If they shorted me by that little I wouldn't notice anyways.

Nam_ wrote:

... since I'm usually wearing their helmet they don't).

As far as the candy thing goes I've never been given candy unless I was owed less than 1,000 dong (U.S. 5 cents) so not worth worrying about. If they shorted me by that little I wouldn't notice anyways.

Have you ever checked how dirty loaner helmets can be? And some have creepy-crawlies in them!

All people in my company demand every last Dong of change. Then when we pass the receptionist we dump everything under D1,000 in a jar. At the end of the month the collection is totalled and the figure multiplied by 100 and the resultant total is the amount we donate to verified charities in Buon Ma Thuot.

Jaitch wrote:

Have you ever checked how dirty loaner helmets can be? And some have creepy-crawlies in them!

Yeah good point. Also they're crappy helmets which often don't fit right and who knows how many accidents they've been in. Occasionally I'll end up using one anyways because I didn't bring my own for some reason. I only mentioned it because most people who ride xe om use them rather than carrying their own around and if you do have it, it's a good way to make sure you get your change for 100k.

The goal posts have been moved yet again. Just heard that they will pay "after 45 days of work".

Doubt my Filipino predecessors agreed to that lightheartedly.

Something like this should be mentioned in the beginning. I believe in being frank and would mention little things like this policy or the charge for a room on principle. *** Some Filipina is paying an arm and a leg "for the WP".  But then, constant churn is usual in this industry... 

$ 900 for 30 h a week. Not a word about notice period, holidays or even the day off. But no deposit to pay.

The part about being charged unspecified amounts in case there will be help needed with paperwork or something is scary.

It's pretty normal, as it changes from company to company. Some pay on 1st, 15th. Some say pay on 1st but their accountancy department always pay on 10th. No clue why they dont just say straight out that "pay on 10th". It's not worth a shrug over. I got paid those ways across multiple companies.

Pay days[/b] are based on periods of employment. Daily workers get paid daily; weekly workers get paid within a week and others within a month but usually before two  weeks.

What about situations when there is no signed contract? Not paying foreigners for time worked, is this something a small business may get away with? Just wondering. Am more benused than bitter and try to learn something from these issues.

hs0zfe wrote:

What about situations when there is no signed contract? Not paying foreigners for time worked, is this something a small business may get away with? Just wondering. Am more benused (sic) than bitter and try to learn something from these issues

You are set up to get screwed on separation. The Labour Law prevails whatever contracts say.

You need to read the Labour Act - the one that came into force in 2013 - as it updates many contentious issues including termination.

Again, the best resource for this is the provincial Labour Department - take a VN speaker with you.

OR you could send them written questions, in VNese, and translate their replies (roughly) with Google.