Hi Folks , My first post. We have a small finca, almost two years now. We don't live there full time. We have had a couple of volunteers to watch the property for a few months. That worked for a while then fell apart. We have also hired a local couple for a few months but did not last because the let the new plants dry up and placed a lot of blame on lack of transportation. Mostly complained that we visited too often. and now we are looking for someone to stay /work over the winter. Winter is a few months away but tico time is slow so planning as far ahead as possible. SO my question to you is: what is your best technique for getting a good caretaker and keeping a good caretaker? Also what kind of expectations are just too high for this type of arrangement in CR? If you want to add info about the benefits/pay you offer that would be interesting to compare. We have paid utilities and fuel. Have also paid for transportation. In one case we paid a wage for hourly for a few months but this kind of back fired when we were not in CR for a few months.
Feedback from property owners who hire caretakers for part of the year
You should ask you neighbors for recommendation for good & especially reliable workers.
When hiring any workers you are required to adhere to the Labor Laws of CR which can raise the cost, quite high and if a worker gets terminated and out of spite, reports that you failed to do this, you could find yourself in a heap of trouble. This is not uncommon.
Depending on location, it is very difficult to keep young plants growing, during the dry season. We have to water, certain plants every day and will have to do so until plants are 'established'. You could plan on adding a watering system.
You could advertise for a house sitter.
Aside from this website , a terrific resource here!, what other sites does anyone use for hiring a house sitter or a welder or log splitter etc?
Word of mouth is your best option.
There are sites, specifically for house sitters, but you will have to search for them.
A lot will depend on your location as many house sitter want easy access to the beach and hopefully a pool. 
Hello littlevt1,
You can drop an ad in the Personal and household services jobs in Costa Rica section as well, to widen your chances.
Thank you,
Marjorie
Workers in Costa Rica have more rights than workers anywhere else in the world, and the government protects them from being exploited, unlike in North America where governments like the US even allows illegal immigrants to work.
I suggest you watch this video. This American man can tell you about his experience with hiring Tico employees. Also make note that this man is now out of business and had gone back to the states. Have a nice day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnYyvb482k0
The problem the new employer experienced in the video, with the workers was the fault of the former owner plus his own lack of knowledge of the Costa Rica 'Labor Law' as is mentioned above. The former employer should and is actually required to terminate every employee and pay out for all vacations time, etc for which the employees must sign...then a new employer is NOT responsible. He could have started from scratch with a clean slate, but probably would have still have had too much red tape of his own, to deal with.
Post on Gringo Central, excellent coverage. Site by same name.
Wow! Lots of great suggestions. TY all very much.
I'm looking for a welder if you can recommend one , I appreciate all your comments
It would help if you named your location...
About 40 mins east of Domincal . Thx
Suggest you look locally.
Put up some posters.
Ask around the neighborhood making sure to get references.
My only advice is to use word of mouth from gringos who've used a worker for enough time to establish that they really know he is good.
If and when you find someone reliable and a good worker treat him/her like a king! Bring gifts, give bonuses, give thanks and show your appreciation. I don't mean anything lavish, it's the thought that counts and otherwise just some thoughtful and appropriate little gifts.
I had a worker and had to terminate him because I found out he was lazy and not doing the work I asked him to do. This, even though he did come to me "recommended".
When I laid him off I did so diplomatically and paid him an extra month wages and thanked him for all his previous work. So far he has not sued me and hopefully he won't because I think he knows I treated him well and that he basically cheated me. I basically had proof he was not doing the work I had paid him to do but - this is key - I did NOT reprimand him for it nor even mention it. Ticos hate to be dressed down or scolded so don't do it.
Now I have a worker who is amazing, enjoys his work, works hard, and helps me out a great deal on various other things besides working the land. I appreciate him immensely. I pay him more than the government- required wages and bring him gifts and give him little bonuses when I pay him - an extra $10 or $20 here and there. Above all I show him the utmost respect and treat him as a friend and equal which of course he is. No, when it comes to his work he's far superior to me!
Do NOT make the mistake of paying someone $10/hour! I heard of someone doing that, but you have to realize that professionals who make $100k a year here in the USA don't even make $10/hour in Costa Rica. So be generous but don't be over the top ridiculous.Ask the gringo who recommends him/her what they are paying him/her.
Read the amcostarica May 11. about the woes of paying employees....but it still should be done, legally.
Note: having the employee perform good work when you are absent, is more important that watching him work when you are 'on the premises'. Whole different thing...
Hi Samramon,
You are right, benefits go a long way to keeping a helper happy in Costa Rica. We bought our workers son a new bike, and it went over big with their entire family. You've got to be very careful when having the same worker for a long period of time, there are legal fees to the government that must be paid, and even some sort of pension. It's safer to hire an illegal Nica, they also seem to work harder, which is why the plantations throughout Costa Rica would rather hire a Nica over a Tico. Example: I have a lot full of fruit trees. I told a poor Tico family they could have all the fruits from those trees, and all they had to do is water them "with my water". They refused the offer, stating that it wasn't worth watering the trees, just to get the fruits. I gave the same offer to a Nica family, and they were delighted to have the abundance of fruits from the trees, their family couldn't even consume what the trees produced, and sold some to a local vendor.
cupacoffee wrote:Read the amcostarica May 11. about the woes of paying employees....but it still should be done, legally.
Note: having the employee perform good work when you are absent, is more important that watching him work when you are 'on the premises'. Whole different thing...
I couldn't agree more. The worker I had to let go seemed to be doing a good job in between my yearly or once-every-two-year trips... but then he got lazy and the last trip I made, I realized he hadn't done jack ___ since the last trip even though I had still been paying him for the same amount of hours. He also specifically hadn't done one very important task I'd emphasized needed to be done (not a hard task, either!).
The worker I have now, when I hadn't been back for 2 years, and went back - the place was better than ever! He also sends me photos of his work and communicates regularly with email if there's ever a problem or issue or sometimes just to share photos of flowering plants etc!
I never felt I am a lucky person. But with this worker I feel truly lucky to have found him. And I'll legally pay whatever it takes to have him work for me.
Edward1958 wrote:Hi Samramon,
You are right, benefits go a long way to keeping a helper happy in Costa Rica. We bought our workers son a new bike, and it went over big with their entire family. You've got to be very careful when having the same worker for a long period of time, there are legal fees to the government that must be paid, and even some sort of pension. It's safer to hire an illegal Nica, they also seem to work harder, which is why the plantations throughout Costa Rica would rather hire a Nica over a Tico. Example: I have a lot full of fruit trees. I told a poor Tico family they could have all the fruits from those trees, and all they had to do is water them "with my water". They refused the offer, stating that it wasn't worth watering the trees, just to get the fruits. I gave the same offer to a Nica family, and they were delighted to have the abundance of fruits from the trees, their family couldn't even consume what the trees produced, and sold some to a local vendor.
Nicas are hard workers, yes. And if you have some good honest ones living near you, great.
But - at the risk of sounding prejudiced - I can only tell you what I've seen - some of the Nica farm workers get involved in burglary rings, attacking homes in the neighborhoods of Americans. I have seen this happen near where some friends live (not near my property but in another area), where Nica farm workers were breaking into many of the homes in the area. They had evidence but couldn't get the local police to do anything.
This may not be a thing re "Nicas" per se, but rather a thing of poor farm workers who have nothing and see any American as "rich" and therefore okay to break in and steal from. Ticos do it too (as do Americans in the USA). It's a crime of desperation often times and so because Nica farm workers are often at the bottom of the food chain in Costa Rica, they sometimes commit these crimes.
That said, there are certainly many good Nicas who would not do this. You just have to be careful who you hire, Tico or Nica (Nico?).
Yes Samramon - There are Nica gangs that come down to Costa Rica to simply break into homes.
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