I am a very experienced Housekeeper with 20+ years of references.
I have been offered a position in Weggis, Lucerne with a net wage after all deductions, of Fr 1950.
It is a live-in position, 42 hours per week.
Is this a good wage for the work I would be doing, the area and the experience I have?
Would really welcome your thoughts and advice?
Warmest wishes Margaret
Hi Margaret... I'm going to say no.Not at all. But I'm sure someone with more knowledge than me will come around soon.
Remember mandatory Swiss health insurance is around 350 per month for a start. Everything is very expensive. Would your employers be paying that too? And accident insurance etc?
What salary would you expect in the UK for a similar position? (Don't have to answer) and factor up.
Give the search function a go to see what wages threads come up.
Good luck.
I hope you speak some German....here is a link to the UNIA union website which gives all the details about normal contractual conditions for people working as "house" staff. I hope that helps:
http://www.gav-service.ch/Contract.a...destl%C3%B6hne
It is very detailed and, as you will see, salaries depend on whether you have any qualifications or experience. Hope it helps.
It is based on the following government document, also in German:
https://www.ahv-iv.ch/p/2.06.e
The above link also indicates the value of "payment in kind" for board and accommodation.
Added:
For a 42 hour week for a domestic worker with more than four years of experience, the minimum monthly gross salary would be: CHF 3776.50. Board and accommodation of CHF 990 (maximum) could be subtracted leaving an adjusted monthly gross salary of CHF 2786.50.
See click on "Informationen zum NAV Hauswirtschaft (Stand 1. Januar 2017)" at this link for support (German):
https://www.weka.ch/themen/personal/...s-inbegriffen/
It's very important to clarify the arrangements and costs of the food, and what is and is not included.
Thank you for your replies.
Private health cover is not included unfortunately, but has been quoted at about £200 per month. In London I would expect to receive about £400 per week net. I don't speak German yet but am already learning. The couple would like me to speak English with them and their young child too.
I offer Housekeeping/Cooking and Gardening, so am unsure whether to accept it. It is a beautiful area called Weggis, in front of Lake Lucerne.
Thank you for any advice you can offer.
Weggis is lovely, but...I would do more research.
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Have they shown you what your accommodation will be? Do make sure you are comfortable with what they propose, that you have sufficient private space.
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Weggis is indeed a charming tourist village - but it is a small village. You will likely want to get out and spend some free time in larger towns/cities, and travel/entertainment is not inexpensive. So thinking of your quality of life here, please make sure you are not underpaid.
Please review Mullholander's post above shows detailing the NAV minimum recommendation.
http://www.budgetberatung.ch/Budget-...nen.114.0.html
Although you wouldn't have rental, you can adjust the numbers accordingly.
I'd say that if you're looking for a complete change from your current life, and an opportunity to get away and do something completely different for a phase, this might be a good way to start. The salary seems low, though, such that your basic needs will be covered, but you won't have much extra, so it is unlikely to feel satisfactory in the long run. If you are in good circumstances where you are now, perhaps it'd be a pity to forfeit those.
To learn about the transport there, have a look at https://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html and https://shop.bls.ch/en/railway/ticke..._from_store=de
I won't be caring for their child, but will be cooking.
I made a visit yesterday, flying in early in the morning and home again in the evening. Quite a journey, but was able to meet them, see the house and area and get a real feel for it all. I have a bedroom, bathroom, small lounge and balcony area, so plenty for one. Thank you for asking, it is really important.
Hi Doropfiz
Thank you for this really helpful site. Sadly it starts above my pay level.
I have been caring for my daughter for over 20 years, but she is finally fit and well and preparing to fly the nest. I am newly back in the world of work and ready for an adventure. It is a huge move and I didn't think that the wages were very good, but my cv is very old and here in London the families expect your cv to have no breaks, especially 20 year ones
Thank you so much for the helpful advice. I will run my figures past it anyway to see how it works.
Warmest wishes
Margaret
Is the figure net of Social deduction, that is also important as in Switzerland the way net salary are quoted is sometimes different.
Maybe you can show us the full calculation and we can better help decipher it?
The family flew you out and is giving you good living space, I am thinking they want to do right by you soight just be a misunderstanding of how the figure is looked at.
K
Here is the information that i have been given
Gross monthly wage Fr. 2621.15
Incidental salary Fr. 990.00
Gross wage Fr. 3611.15
Deductions
AHV/IV/EO 5.125% Fr. 183.00
ALV 1.1% Fr. 39.30
KTV 0.450% Fr. 16.05
NBU 0.899% Fr. 32.10
Withholding tax 5% Fr. 230.70
BVG CHF 170.00
Net wage Fr.2940.00
Incidental salary Fr. 990.00
Net monthly wage Fr. 1950.00
Yes, they paid for my flights and hosted me for the whole day. I am just a little nervous as I don't know Swiss rules and a friend went to work as a live in Nanny a while back and found her contract wasn't very well drafted. I want to be really sure about mine as a consequence.
Thank you so much Margaret
A couple of points. Based on the doc shared by Mullhollander, you should be paid slightly more than what you have been offered as a minimum pay. Factoring in your experience, you can probably ask for more but then again, I am thinking jobs like this don't come too often. The link also talk about having formal qualification but not sure what your situation is, with 20 years of experience & good references, I would say that counts as if you had any qualification so you should aim for the higher bracket at 22.85 CHF/hour.
I would try to negotiate based on your experience and quoting the fact it seems to you that the wages are for people with less experience than yours.
In case this is not negotiable, then try to see if you can get other benefits, like phone, phone contract, internet connection, flights home x times a year etc.
And like others have said, try to figure out what is included and not in the fixed amount. For example, will they also feed you on Sundays when you are not working or will you be expected to buy your own food then?
Good luck!
K
I really can't see it will make much difference to them, if any at all, and it would be fair to both parties leading to a conducive working atmosphere for a delicate situation. You are basically living with the family and caring for their children, it's a bit different to working in an anonymous supermarket as a check out girl !
If you are negotiating benefits, ask for a GA, (Generalabonnement), a Switzerland-wide SBB ticket that covers trains, many boats, and some mountain transportation. (I believe the Rigi cable cars - at your doorstep - are included.) The GA also often means a discount on routes not fully covered.
The cost to your employers isn't all that much in the grander scheme of things, and a GA would open up possibilities for your non-work time. You'd be able to travel as you wish without thinking too much about ticket costs.
(A nice way to unwind in Weggis would be to hop on one of the boats cruising the Vierwaldstättersee, by the way.)
All the best with your decision...