How to Hire a Maid in Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the most Southern state in Brazil, is the land of proud and friendly "gauchos". Our state has received a large variety of immigrants and the early settlers were mostly Germans, Portuguese, Italians, Polish, Russians and much later people from Arabian and Asian countries.
Hiring a maid is something very common in our culture and from December 11, 1972 there are specific rules (law number 5.859) stating their legal rights. Their obligations vary according to the employers needs -- they may do all the work at home (clean the house, cook, wash and iron) or be hired specifically as a cook, babysitter, etc...
Their contract is done in their "worker's card"/carteira de trabalho after a trial period. In general, they work for 8 hours a day, five days a week. But, the law requires only one free day called "repouso semanal". The monthly payment is around U$200,00 plus transportation, social security (20% of their monthly fee paid to the government), Christmas bonus or 13th salary and a month's vacation after working for 12 months.
Live-in maids are very rare, but cleaning ladies are common because it is much cheaper than hiring a full-time maid. When hiring a cleaning lady (once or twice a week), you are only responsible for the daily fee -- usually around U$20,00 for 8 hour labor.
For security reasons, you have to be very strict when interviewing or hiring any servants who are going to have access to your house and family -- so check references carefully first!!
VisitorsAssistants (www.visitors.com.br) usually has some suggestions. When our clients leave the country and are pleased with their servants, they usually leave a letter of reference so that we may refer them to other families.
About the Author
VisitorsAssistants is a relocation company concerned with cost effective, innovative and caring solutions to support newcomers in Brazil.
Additional Information:
- Brazil Guide
- Healthcare & Health Insurance in Brazil
- Members Talk about Healthcare & Health Insurance in Brazil
- Best Places to Live in Brazil
- Real Estate in Brazil
- Guide to Real Estate in Brazil
- Pros & Cons of Living in Brazil
- Cost of Living in Brazil
- Getting a Driver's License in Brazil
- 15 Best Places to Live in Brazil
- Understanding the Health System in Brazil
- Guide to Obtaining Residency in Brazil
- 2024 Guide to Living in Brazil
- Pros and Cons of Living in Brazil 2024
Comments
MarlingtonAlthough the info provided on this post is correct, it would be a good idea to update the figures regarding fees/wages. In Porto Alegre or anywhere in Brazil's southern states, no cleaning lady works for US$ 40 per day anymore and no maid works for US$ 200 especially because this is well below the current local minimum wage. Thank you.