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Night Guard

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Mtvsolis
  1/12/2018 22:18 EST

Hello all! Happy New Year!
My question is the following: What is a fair wage for a night watchman? We have an unfinished house and need someone to "guard" what is done from 6 pm to 6 am. Thanks in advance for your responses.

novato1953
  1/12/2018 22:29 EST

Choose carefully. Many thefts are arranged and or supervised by the veleros themselves.

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johnchip
  1/12/2018 22:52 EST

The new minimum wages beginning in February have been published. For an employee in 'servicios comunitarios, sociales, y peronales" is 5,290.48 cordobas per month. As to if you consider your guard that, is up to you.

attykarlacorea
  1/12/2018 23:03 EST

Consider hiring an insured and licensed guard company, Some charge as little as US $350-400 for a 12 hour guard and you will save yourself the employment headache. Sure, a guard will only cost $220 a month, but what about his day off? His vacations, his holidays? His insurance?

1. Should have a time contract or you will pay indemnification when you no longer need the guard.
2. 12 hour shifts are allowed for guards that are unsupervised, however they must receive 4 hours of "break." Break doesn't mean they leave, but playing with their phone, resting, etc., can all be classified as a break.
3. 7000 cordobas, for 6 days per week, is normal, double days on holidays, 13th month bonus at the rate of 2.5 days per month, vacation at the rate of 2.5 days per month, double days on fair days or holidays. If no contract, indemnification accrues at the rate of 2.5 days per month. INSS health insurance is mandatory and you will be sorry if you do not register and the guard is hurt on the job.
4. From the beginning, make it clear you do not pay for sick days. Nothing, no exceptions. The interpretation of the law is that if you pay one time, you must always pay. So you can't say, "You were really sick, I'll help you out and pay you for the week," because then you must pay even when they start feigning illnesses. You place them on INSS and the insurance will pay when they are excused for more than 3 days. 3 days or less they get nothing. Make it clear to them and they'll only get sick when they are sick.
5. The law does not allow for waiver of the benefits such as vacation, 13th month, etc. So you can't say, "I'll pay you 9000 but forget the vacation." It won't work. You can buy off one vacation for 2 weeks, but the other you must give rest. Document the pay of vacation and 13th month.
6. There's no informal hiring and an agreement to waive insurance. You can be sued up to two years later for not paying benefits, etc., through the pro-employee workers court system.
7. Obtain receipts for all cash payments made to the employee.

Mtvsolis
  1/12/2018 23:20 EST

It's tough living in a country with such little trust among people, expats as well as locals.

johnchip
  1/12/2018 23:29 EST

Mtvsolis how did you get a residency visa to move to OZ? There is no 'merry old land' safe from the human nature of people who have less to envy and desire the things of others who have more.

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Mtvsolis
  1/13/2018 01:15 EST

That's an odd response to my statement about trust. Hmmm.

johnchip
  1/13/2018 10:23 EST

Actually, your best bet for a guard would be to have your contractor bring on one of his people so as to keep the inventory, chain of command, trust, and character, as his responsibility, not yours with outside unknowns.

elduendegrande
  1/13/2018 12:09 EST

Karla Corea
Thanks for the detailed responses. I live with my Nica family in the countryside and constantly get the "getting-by" answers. It's nice to see the real rules.

feliceb
  1/13/2018 14:08 EST

Elduendegrande,
I totally agree with you.Many comments are helpful but these have been most informative. we do not want to err on the wrong side:)
So I thank Karla Corea also and did so.
Felice B

Mtvsolis
  1/13/2018 16:31 EST

Yes! That's exactly what we're doing. The new guard us part of our construction crew. We're paying him about $8 per night.
When he's "sick" we will get a neighbor to cover.
All good!

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