Hi there,

My husband and I just moved to Pudong from Los Angeles 3 days ago with our two daughters (2yr and 4 mos). We're looking for an aiyi for Mon-Fri (8am to 6pm or 7am to 5pm). What is the going rate for an aiyi? Is it 12-15 RMB?

Any suggestions? I read online that we should also be very 'specific' in what the Aiyi needs to do around the house (i.e. Wipe floor on Mon, Wed).

Thanks!

dofoogan wrote:Hi there,

My husband and I just moved to Pudong from Los Angeles 3 days ago with our two daughters (2yr and 4 mos). We're looking for an aiyi for Mon-Fri (8am to 6pm or 7am to 5pm). What is the going rate for an aiyi? Is it 12-15 RMB?

Any suggestions? I read online that we should also be very 'specific' in what the Aiyi needs to do around the house (i.e. Wipe floor on Mon, Wed).

Thanks!

Yes, for expats that sounds right, although Chinese pay only 10 rmb.

i don't think you can find an ayi in Pudong for that price. Spoke to several of them, and other expats and many ayis are currently asking 20+ RMB/hour, especially if they claim to have experience with expat families with kids.

a side note: just because the ayis request more money is not reflective of the quality of their work or experience.

As with everything there is always an "asking price". I pay 10/hr and she's not bad. From my experience, the more frequently she comes the lower the rate...so if you want someone to come 5 days a week you can probably get 10/hr. If you think about it, this is a considerably higher wage than what an entry level office worker makes in Shanghai.

i have heard its better to go through an agency, with the agency controlling the hours and pay of the Ayi. That way there are no issues should you wish to fire your ayi - just give the agency a call and they will do it.

In my experience, the agencies that post aggressively on this site don't actually screen the ayis very well (perhaps no screening at all?) and tell lies when problems occur. I used an ayi agency -- the ayi stole a valuable piece of electronic equipment, and the agency later claimed they never heard of that ayi before!

PM me if you want details.

I suggest that you get a recommendation directly from another expat who has actually used an ayi for 3+ months.

the best is to get a recommendation form someone, try to avoid agencies they just rip the gals off and then that translates into poor service (as they get paid 50-70%).

One good Ayi has friends who she can say are solid too. That way you pay them the full amount and no middle man/taxes/ect and they are happy. PM me and I'll ask mine if she has someone looking - I assume you need full time (5 days week) deep in Pudong near the American school?

the best is to get a recommendation form someone, try to avoid agencies they just rip the gals off and then that translates into poor service (as they get paid 50-70%).

One good Ayi has friends who she can say are solid too. That way you pay them the full amount and no middle man/taxes/ect and they are happy. PM me and I'll ask mine if she has someone looking - I assume you need full time (5 days week) deep in Pudong near the American school?

A little unorthodox but I found my ayi through my real estate agent - I asked if she knew and could recommend someone that already worked in the area (I needed about 1.5 hour a day, 5 days a week) - it's been 2 years and I'm still really happy with the ayi & her work and I've recommended her to friends who also hired her. If you live in a compound you could ask the guards. 12-15RMB/hour for full time sounds right - I pay more hourly since it's so little time and she has to come every day.

What hawks said is a good idea too - ask expat families around you if they have a really good ayi and if she can recommend someone (perhaps even help train to bring up to par). Probably not a good idea to poach one outright though the expat population might seem large in absolute numbers but it's pretty tightly knit and the same paths tend to cross over and over again

Also, most people I know that have a regular Ayi will work out a monthly rate. You should pay the same each month even if you are on vacation or away from Shanghai, and most also give a bonus each year at Chinese New Year.

My ayi has worked for me for 6 years, from an initial salary of RMB1000, to RMB1200, to RMB1400 to her current RMB1600 (I hope I'm keeping peg with inflation!). She works from 1100-1900 Mondays to Fridays. Of course, it helps that my family speaks Chinese and so we need not deal with language issues. I hope this would give you an idea of the average amount to pay (the Shanghainese think I pay too much, while my expatriate friends think I pay too little).

ha Michael,

i just wondering how do you get so cheap ayi. I am chinese, my ayi is stay with us, so we provide 3 meals and she has her own room.We pay her 1800/mth,this is since last yr. Do you hear the recent news the Shanghai's loewest salary go up about 200 since april 1st. So i think she is going to ask me for rise her salary up. in the most time we only have my son 5 and me home and my son go to daycare in the day. so her job only to send/pick him to/fr school(very close),clean up and cook the meals for 3 of us(include herself). We need to give hong bao 600-800 for chinese new yr. sometime she asked for leave to back home,if less than 2wks, we still need to pay full,if more than a mth,needto pay 60%. compare with the nabourhood ,i think my ayi is cheaper,normally for a chinese family the ayi's salary is 2000-2500. For foreigners,i have asked someones in the clinics last yr, all more than 2800. you your ayi may be stay with u for too long and don't know the market price. Are u a singaporean? You are very smart. Good luck to keep your ayi.

We had a terrific ayi who spoke a little English, and helped us get started in Shanghai. She left the day after receiving her Chinese New Year bonus because she said she wasn't making enough money (I was paying her 16 rmb/hr). Within my circle of friends, I know of 5 other ayis who all left for more money. Of course, this is in Pudong. So I hunted for a new ayi. Took four weeks. Finally found one who is very good, doesn't speak any English, and wanted 20 rmb per hour. Ok...but only a few hours per day at that rate! So I am so proud and so happy for those of you who can find an ayi for 10 rmb, but it's easier said than done! And with three kids and two jobs...its virtually a necessity!

anyone knows an ayi who can do HuaiHai Xi Rd?
Thanks...

We are moving to Shanghai 1st August and whilst I am from Hong Kong and can speak Putonghua, my husband is a foreigner so I would need to do the communication which is fine as I will be a housewife - no more work... taking care of the children and the household..

We would need an Ayi and would really appreciate anyone who can recommend an Ayi. We will be living in Pudong area, either JinQiao or Thomson Golf Villa - we are still deciding...

Either a live-in or Mon-Fri 0900-1800hr is fine for us..

I heard that Ayi from Sichuan are more trust worthy and more hardworking - is that true?

Of course talking with expat community would help but since we are new in the community, it's difficult to 'talk' to anyone - people might think you are mad trying to dig deep into information...

So, any advice is highly appreciated!

xmchen21 wrote:I am chinese, my ayi is stay with us, so we provide 3 meals and she has her own room.We pay her 1800/mth,this is since last yr.

Maybe I need to clarify that I do not stay in Pudong, but in Qibao town in Minhang, so the rates may differ. My ayi is not Shanghainese but from Anhui. She used to stay in with us, and we give her 3 meals a day, with Sundays off. When her husband came here, she moved out, and worked 1100-1900 Mondays-Saturdays, plus meals. She gets 2 weeks paid holiday every Chinese New Year, and I give her 1 month's pay as a Chinese New Year hongbao.

Are u a singaporean? You are very smart. Good luck to keep your ayi.

Yes, I am a Singaporean. This ayi has been with me for 6 years and she is very happy working with us. We treat her like a member of family, and buy gifts for her whenever I return from Singapore. My boys are also expected to listen to her (an expectation I laid out a long time ago - no little emperors for my children).

witty_mum wrote:I heard that Ayi from Sichuan are more trust worthy and more hardworking - is that true?

Of course that is NOT true!! I am sure you are not that naive to believe that! There are great ayis for sure regardless of where they are from. Best way to find a trustworthy ayi is a referal from another trust worthy ayi. It will take time but check around with your neighbours after you moved in or ask your compound management for ayis who used to work for families who lived there who have repatriated. Check out the many interesting discussions here about ayis.

st. Michael,
You or your Ayi have any Ayi to refer? I will be in Shanghai in June and would like to meet with a couple so she can start 1August.

Can the Ayi start working right away if both parties agree ? If so I can hold out till August to ask around coz otherwise I would prefer to find someone before we are there so I can be sure there is help for cleaning etc..

I heard a weekly ago from a friend who live in Pudong and their live-in Ayi is paid at RMB1200 per month - no English of course and the husband is a driver + cook at RMB1600.. Very far from the Laowai price of RMB3k+..

Hi Hautumncloud,
Any good Ayi to refer?

Normally ayis start straightaway, so it's too early.

Hi Michael, you are lucky to find a good ayi. I'm from S'pore too and believe the same that if we treat ayi nice, she will reciprocate but it was not true at all. I heard ayis here have no loyalty to their employers, they go for $$$. I'm now considering to fire my current ayi after 7mths with us after what she had done. She is my first ayi since we moved to SHG from HK. She comes daily 8am-5pm but always left early between 2-4pm cos she claimed that she had finished her work. She asked for $2500 & we raised her pay to $2700 last mth. I have a live in nanny from Indon whom we took fm HK to look after my toddler. We need her around as I trusted this Indon helper, both me & my hubby worked full time & needs to travel overseas at times. My current ayi got on my nerves when I found out she sampled my perfumes, using my body cream which I displayed in guest room. I bought her body cream & told her not to use my personal stuff but she's still secretly using those I displayed in guest room. Just recently, I found out that she used my guest room bathroom instead of the one in ayi's room (I stayed in a 400sm apartment with 2 ayis' room & a toilet), so there is no reason why she used my guest room & living rm's toilets. She gave me excuse that my Indon helper used the ayi toilet and she finds it unclean, then I told her it's her job to clean it! She must be dreaming thinking she's of upper class? Her job is to clean up my entire house, some ironing, no cooking at all, yet she did a lousy job where me & my Indon helper got to helped her, reminding her what to do all the time. My Indon helper is the hardworking type and silently doing the housework whenever the ayi is not efficient at. Just last week, my Indon helper told me this ayi brought her family's winter clothes to my house to wash & spin dry several times until she asked her to stop it!! This ayi has no sense of what's right or wrong, that's the reason I decided to fire her if I found someone. Do you think I have all the reasons to fire her, I don't want to be taken like a heartless employer as I know this girl needs a job badly...well I am determined this time to let her go. Any good referral please contact me here, I live in Pudong Lujiazui. Thanks!

Just to share, we have a couple of ayis, one live in 6 days per week, one 8 to 8 six days a week. Roughly 2400 per month each. Helped by the fact my wife is Chinese but these amounts are seen as slightly high by our local friends, and on the lower side by our expat friends. Neither were very experienced when they started but one has been with us almost three years and one a year. The one starting a year ago started on around 2000 a month but once we realised she was good we bumped it up.

We live in Pudong, Jinqiao

Hi loft71,
If I were you, I would have fired the ayi the second time she offended houserule - I think Ayis are everywhere in Shanghai and my impression is that they are of abundant so it's a matter of luck when you find a good time, soon or later...

Hi wantaword,
Does your wife work or does she stay home and supervise work of Ayis?? I have been told I must stay home and take care of the children and household and to train the Ayis before feeling 'settled' enough to find work in Shanghai but I'm also afraid something would go wrong when I'm away and I would feel guilty for the rest of my life, especially if it's something to do with the children...

Hi again loft71,
Sorry - forgot to ask, is your Indo helper as 'nanny' in Shanghai staying in Shanghai with a valid work permit as a nanny? Is it easier when they are not philippinos to get them work as domestic helpers?

loft71,

I agree with witty_mum. The ayi should be fired.

Hi Witty_mum, I called up several ayi agencies and found this one is good but the agent cannot speak English, only Chinese. Their website: http://www.yufanlaowu.com/. It's all written in Chinese, caon tact Ms Jiang. They can arrange filippino ayi too, you got to settle their visa yourself. As for my Indon helper, we got her a valid work visa through a friend's company. It might not be true that Indon helper's visa is easier than Filippino, but I heard that as there are very few cases of Indon helper who worked in China, so the Chinese immigration tend to be more lenient to grant a 6mth visa in Jakarta, usually Indon helpers are not as "adventurous" as filippino. My neighbour is also using an Indon helper whom they took from Jakarta as they moved from Indonesia, she got her a Tourist visa in Jakarta for 6 month, cost CNY$9000, usually Shanghai immigration will allow 1 month extension...so she will return for 2-3 weeks to get a new toursit visa for another 6 month again. If you have friends with business in China, you can try getting a valid visa.

loft71 wrote:Hi Witty_mum, I called up several ayi agencies and found this one is good but the agent cannot speak English, only Chinese. Their website: http://www.yufanlaowu.com/. It's all written in Chinese, caon tact Ms Jiang. They can arrange filippino ayi too, you got to settle their visa yourself. As for my Indon helper, we got her a valid work visa through a friend's company. It might not be true that Indon helper's visa is easier than Filippino, but I heard that as there are very few cases of Indon helper who worked in China, so the Chinese immigration tend to be more lenient to grant a 6mth visa in Jakarta, usually Indon helpers are not as "adventurous" as filippino. My neighbour is also using an Indon helper whom they took from Jakarta as they moved from Indonesia, she got her a Tourist visa in Jakarta for 6 month, cost CNY$9000, usually Shanghai immigration will allow 1 month extension...so she will return for 2-3 weeks to get a new toursit visa for another 6 month again. If you have friends with business in China, you can try getting a valid visa.

It is illegal for foreigners to be working in China on tourist visa and there have been cases where expat families were fined and deported along with their illegal maids. Do be careful what you post here in public in regard to such matters which involve illegal immigration process; you never know where it could lead and your careers and sponsoring companies may be jeopardized.

witty_mum wrote:
Hi wantaword,
Does your wife work or does she stay home and supervise work of Ayis?? I have been told I must stay home and take care of the children and household and to train the Ayis before feeling 'settled' enough to find work in Shanghai but I'm also afraid something would go wrong when I'm away and I would feel guilty for the rest of my life, especially if it's something to do with the children...

My wife does "some" work but it does mean she is around most of the time to supervise the Ayis. I would agree that normally you will need to have invested time training the ayis and making sure you are comfortable trusting them before you are fine leaving your kids with them alone. [That training needs to cover what to do in the event of accidents / emergencies as there have been stories of ayis just panicing and not knowing what to do, or worse, running away for fear of being blamed - when it is the running away at a critical time that is a million miles worse.] Getting a personal ayi recommendation is thus worth a huge amount (focus on those expats who tell you they are leaving Shanghai shortly!) If you strike gold you might find it only takes a few days to feel comfortable with the ayis, but with lack of personal recommendations you might find it takes weeks and weeks (we went through one stage of a couple of months where we probably had about 6 different ayis, mostly was due to us not feeling they were right but was also a case of the ayis feeling our expectations were too high and they would have to work too hard.....)

witty_mum, to add to what wantaword has said - a lot of it is 'trusting your gut', and a lot of it is asking lots of questions/setting out your expectations clearly right from the start. And then yes, luck plays a big part as well. If you don't speak Chinese, the enlist the aid of someone from you/your partner's company to come sit in with you to facilitate interviewing the ayi. (If you hire through an agency, they will assist with translation as well, but because their interest is in 'selling' you their ayis, I personally would prefer to have a translator who is more impartial.) Prepare a few 'scenarios' to see what they say their response would be - thing like, "You are at the playground with our 5 year old and he trips and cuts his knee which starts bleeding - what do you do?" Also again, if you have communication issues, try to have someone you can designate in the event of an emergency whom your ayi can phone, who can then phone you if you are not around. Once you have an ayi that you like and you feel is maybe worth 'investing in', there are first aid courses around too in which you can enroll her, which might give you more confidence in feeling she is capable of handling various situations.

hi everyone,
Thank you SO much for the kind advise... I normally would ask the helper to do a small task for me, like make some fried rice or with a pile of laundry what they would do with them [without actually washing of course, just separate laundry and tell me what she would do with them..].

Also I would let them spend a little time with the children and see how they are with them. If they have any referral telephone number then I would call them while the helper spend sometime in the house, talking with the kids perhaps. I would then quickly find out if I should sign a contract. This is my practise in Hong Kong. Interview performance + referral + gut feeling.

Is there contract to sign with the Ayis if I don't go through an Agent? I always try to avoid agent coz they are only providing a database and take extortionate amount of money from the poor helpers!! If there are no contracts to sign with the Ayis in Shanghai, how do I know they won't just run away all of a sudden??

I do expect the unexpected but just want to know how low the bottom line needs to go..

Generally you don't sign a contract. Anyway, why would you want to? You expect to be able to enforce the contract? Most likely, actually the contract will be used against you, not the other way around.