Thai Wife Underpaid In Uk

[bigdave1960]

Not sure if anyone else has had this problem or what they did about it , but here goes . my wife came to live in the uk on a settlement visa 16 months ago , after 2 weeks she got a part time job at the local Thai restaurant not paid very much but she was so pleased to have got a job so soon I said nothing bit by bit her hours were increased untill after a few months she was working 60 hours per week and paid what works out about 3 GBP per hour (sorry cant find pound sign on this Thai keyboard) less than half UK minimum wage , and only gets 2 weeks holiday a year. clearly being exploited but all she sees that she earns so much more than the 7000 baht per month she earned in Thailandand, is able to send her mom more than double what she used to give her, we have a nice place to live and eat 3 times a day dont have to worry about the bills and she can make a usefull contribution to the house hold budget. She sees her boss as some one who is helping her and other Thai people that go to work there , I have been unable to convince her that he is taking advantage of Thai people who do not either know any better or would not go against the boss. Although we have discussed this a few times she is adament not to report him saying '' I am not a snake I can not bite some one who helps me better we have a job than nothing''

I had hoped once she saw the cost of living here she would begin to realise , maybe get a different job but her English is ok but far from perfect and so new jobs hard to come by for people like her

Any one had any experience of this or any advice greatley received

[cdnvic]

For many it's a confidence thing that will take time to sort out. Right now she's feeling comfortable in an environment where her language skills are less of an issue and that's something she's willing to trade better wages for. Once she settles in and feels more comfortable in the community, and improves her English skills, she will be more motivated to find a better situation for herself. You just need to be patient with her because the issue to her is not money, but reducing the shock to her system as she integrates into UK society.

[SimonD]

Can she cook? Maybe night school (difficult with long hours already) to improve her skill set. Would make her more employable.

Show her the responses to this thread and try to get her to understand that she is being exploited. Employers paying below MW are probably ripping off the exchequer in other ways as well. He sounds like a charmer...

[smokie36]

This employer is breaking the law and robbing his employees as well. Disgraceful.

[bigdave1960]

cdnvic

I think you have hit the nail on the head maybe like you say we just have to wait , in reply to

SimonD yes she can cook very well she works in the kitchen cooking along with the chef but most nights she finishes past midnight Sunday is her only day off and 3 mornings a week goes to collage learning English and I pointed out that when the restaurant is busy and she works longer Her boss makes even more money at her expense

[smokie36]

http://www.findlaw.co.uk/law/employment/pay_and_work_rights/national_minimum_wage/445.html

[SimonD]

This boss is not only skimming her (and others) on MW but also national insurance and PAYE. A whole lot of trouble for him in a country that takes the law seriously and has systems in place to defend the rights of workers open to abuse. Use them.

[meatboy]

i think you should let her carry on and build up her confidence if she's happy with her job,my wife moved to the uk 1990 and got a job in a fitness club at a top hotel wages not good but she was happy meeting diff.people after 2years she got a catering job paying more money and a good pension.she worked her way up to senior supervisor and earned good money but a lot of overtime,she was able to save enough to buy a house in the uk,left 2009 and had a house built in thailand and has a healthy bank balance with no worries and was only 44yrs old.if your wife has the will to make good she will get on fine but beware of other thai's who like to sit on their buts all day and talk about others.one thing you didnt mention,does she have a pay slip each week showing n.i.,tax or if she is getting cash in hand if its the latter she will be exploited,so give her time she will find her own way of handling the change of life in the uk.good luck .

[brit1984]

There are plenty of better opportunities to work in the UK, you just need to give your wife a push (and some support)

Working in the Thai restaurants is often only for those who have just arrived (and have no other opportunities) or for students who just want some extra cash for partying (without having to ask their parents to send extra from Thailand)

Even without speaking English, she has a few obvious better options than earning 3 pounds/hour in the restaurant:

Thai massage: the normal pay is 15 pounds/hour in London (must be slightly less outside London), and although she will not have a massage to do every hour of the day, she will earn much more than in the restaurant. If she works in a spa, they will normally provide a staff room where she can relax with the other Thai staff (and maybe use that time to study online either to improve English or attain other qualifications).

Cleaning: in London at least this has become a foreigners-only job as the Brits feel it is below them; we know Thai girls who have cleaning jobs paying 10 pounds/hour (and found these jobs very easily). The best wages are available if she deals directly with the customer so you might need to help her get a little website and some flyers; if she is shy you could also knock a few doors or make a few calls for her.

Nanny: if she is good with children (as most Thai girls are from my experience) she could find work as a nanny. The work is more difficult to find that cleaning but the wages can be even better, especially if she pop backs to Thailand and gets some childcare and first-aid certificates. Again, helping her with marketing is advised.

Restaurant owner/manager: while she probably will not want to compete directly with her current employee, there is no reason why she couldn't open up in a new area (especially as she now has the experience to understand the business). Although there are of course many Thai restaurants in the UK, there are some sections of the market that seems less well covered, especially Thai barbecue (which I am sure would be popular as all the Korean barbecue places are very busy). Depending on your financial situation (and again her confidence) you might want to start small; in London for example they have certain streets that are allocated to "street vendors" (basicly caravan trailers selling takeaway food).

I tend to agree with your wife that reporting her employer is bad form. A better tactic would be to go to speak to them and ask for a better deal. If my wife (or I) worked in a restaurant for such a long time I would be expecting a higher salary and probably some equity or bonus arrangement. If the owner doesn't want to, or is not in a position to, offer a better deal then it is time for your wife to explore other opportunities (including those listed above).

Edited May 22, 2012 by brit1984

[farang000999]

What is the restaurant name and address?

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I agree with much of the (for this site unusually sensible) advice.

She may be able to give added value over time to her current employer and ask for more fair treatment in the future, but agree with her that dobbing him in should be left to others.

Encourage your wife to develop her language and other skills and help her to realize she can do much better financially, perhaps doubling her total compensation within a few months if she sets her mind to it.

However you should understand that making more money may not be as important to her as the joys of being among other Thais, availability of familiar food and language etc and that's fair enough. It's possible that she'll be able to find something with similar fringe benefits but also paying better, might just take a bit more time and research.

[farang000999]

If you do not have kids I would consider divorcing her. She obviously cares more about her culture and what her slave master boss thinks about her than what you, her husband thinks or says. If you were a Thai man and told her to do something she would probably hop step and do it in a second. Yet, I assume since she is making half of minimum wage that you are having to pick up the slack and support her. This is not fair for you. Frankly, her attitude and willingness to allow herself to be exploited and putting her boss before you is disappointing and I am guessing overall she is not a very intelligent being. If no children, I would consider moving on. If you decide to stay with her and reproduce, who knows what other problems will arise from her being dumb and not caring about what you think or say.

[GuestHouse]

My advice to the OP (and his wife) is very first thing, ask your wife if she has applied for a National Insurance Number - it is very likely that her employer has not done this.

The NI number is very important for longterm welfare, healthcare and pension access - So apply for an NI number.

Get that under her belt and then go along to the citizen's advice and ask for help and advice on what to do with the low wages.

The employer is breaking the law regarding wages. I would suspect that s/he's also pocketing tips and gratuities (not breaking the law IF written in the contract of employment) and it is very likely that s/he is breaking laws regarding other aspects of your wife's employment.

These are RIGHTS that are being abused and for which your wife has an entitlement - she's being robbed.

The good news is that if confronted she will almost certainly have HER missing wages paid to her + compensation.

Reporting an employer who is breaking the law is not 'bad form' - its about asserting your wife's rights and getting her rightful payment for her work.

Tell her she's in the UK now, she doesn't have to lick ass.

Edited May 22, 2012 by GuestHouse

[simple1]

I had the same experience when my Thai wife moved to Australia. The Thai restaurant was paying a third of the minimum hourly rate. As soon as I became aware of the situation I let her know she was being ripped off, as well as the other Thais at the restaurant. She was shocked and agreed to cease work immediately. I promised her to help find an alternate job & this was achieved in a few weeks for the legal minimum wage. The job was working as a live out nanny and cook. It may come across as presumptuous so apologies in advance. I had agreed that I would meet any gap for the money that she needed to send to her family in Thailand whilst she was looking for a job. Yes I had met her family and knew full well their financial circumstances. Mother & father had died and siblings, at that time, were very poor.

By the way we have been living together for 17 years and now live in Thailand.

I agree the employer should be reported. Don't know UK law but in Australia back wages, superannuation etc paid to the staff and employer fined. This is assuming the staff have suitable visas for work.

Edited May 23, 2012 by simple1

[wana]

charging uk prices for the food and paying thai salaries to the staff who make it

its a hell of a business plan ,but only in the short term ,possibly the managment is thai .....

[ravip]

I am not surprised. This is happening Globally. Salaries and benefits are 'tagged' on to the nationality. I could quote numerous instances where this is happening Internationally among so called 'reputed' organisations.

I guess nothing can be done about it - it is just 'another one of those things' that is incorrect - but correct! Would be very interesting to know if there is ANY law agency that could address this issue globally.

I really would not blame the restaurant owner, in that sense.

That does not mean that I condone this type of act in anyway.

[wana]

I really would not blame the restaurant owner, in that sense.

its generally known as EXPLOITATION and if hes operating a uk restaurant ,i dont know how anyone couldnt blame him for

not paying the uk minimum wage at the least

[Soutpeel]

My advice to the OP (and his wife) is very first thing, ask your wife if she has applied for a National Insurance Number - it is very likely that her employer has not done this.

The NI number is very important for longterm welfare, healthcare and pension access - So apply for an NI number.

Get that under her belt and then go along to the citizen's advice and ask for help and advice on what to do with the low wages.

The employer is breaking the law regarding wages. I would suspect that s/he's also pocketing tips and gratuities (not breaking the law IF written in the contract of employment) and it is very likely that s/he is breaking laws regarding other aspects of your wife's employment.

These are RIGHTS that are being abused and for which your wife has an entitlement - she's being robbed.

The good news is that if confronted she will almost certainly have HER missing wages paid to her + compensation.

Reporting an employer who is breaking the law is not 'bad form' - its about asserting your wife's rights and getting her rightful payment for her work.

Tell her she's in the UK now, she doesn't have to lick ass.

Well said GH....OP why does your wife need to do anything as regards reporting the employer....your are British and in your own country...grow a pair and you report the f8kcers....they are not in Thailand now...you are not going to fall off a balcony or get a visit from the BIB to exact revenge..

Edited May 23, 2012 by Soutpeel

[DP25]

Unless she's illegal she should never agree to work for below minimum wage. This guy isn't doing her a favor he's exploiting her. No wonder he likes to 'help' Thais fresh off the boat, they don't know how things work and are easily exploited. This Thai owner must be having a good laugh at all these kwai he has working for him that think he's doing them a favor.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

its generally known as EXPLOITATION and if hes operating a uk restaurant ,i dont know how anyone couldnt blame him for

not paying the uk minimum wage at the least

That term is so subject to interpretation as to be meaningless, assumes human beings have some inherent rights to comfort and dignity on this planet just because they're human.

Nice idea, but to me as long as someone is willing to work for what I'm willing to pay, no one is forcing them but the usual cruel conditions of nature and society.

All the world's wages and conditions will equalize before to long anyway, and why not that's the way it should be, the idea of national borders is pretty much obsolete.

[ravip]

I really would not blame the restaurant owner, in that sense.

its generally known as EXPLOITATION and if hes operating a uk restaurant ,i dont know how anyone couldnt blame him for

not paying the uk minimum wage at the least

I do not want to get into an argument with you on this.

Thank you to read my post in full.

Why smack the small fish and enjoy the hand-outs from the big ones?

"hes operating a uk restaurant" is NOT the important factor.

I repeat, I dont condone exploitation of anyone by ANYONE.

Have a nice day!

EXPLOITATION it is!

[phuturatica]

If the owner of the restaurant is reported, he will be in a lot of trouble with the authorities. What he is doing is illegal. As for your wife, if she feels comfortable then leave her be for now until she gains confidence to move onto bigger and better things. You must realise how daunting it must be for her and she's still earning more than she was in Thailand so she doesn't see it as much of an issue.

Try to softly encourage her to do a different job which pays better but don't force her!

[smokie36]

My advice to the OP (and his wife) is very first thing, ask your wife if she has applied for a National Insurance Number - it is very likely that her employer has not done this.

The NI number is very important for longterm welfare, healthcare and pension access - So apply for an NI number.

Get that under her belt and then go along to the citizen's advice and ask for help and advice on what to do with the low wages.

The employer is breaking the law regarding wages. I would suspect that s/he's also pocketing tips and gratuities (not breaking the law IF written in the contract of employment) and it is very likely that s/he is breaking laws regarding other aspects of your wife's employment.

These are RIGHTS that are being abused and for which your wife has an entitlement - she's being robbed.

The good news is that if confronted she will almost certainly have HER missing wages paid to her + compensation.

Reporting an employer who is breaking the law is not 'bad form' - its about asserting your wife's rights and getting her rightful payment for her work.

Tell her she's in the UK now, she doesn't have to lick ass.

An excellent post Guesthouse..

Your last sentence says it all. Those who are talking about it being part of her integration into the UK have it all wrong.

In fact this sort of thing will do her no favours at all. Report the employer, get compensated for this deception and she will walk away stronger for the experience.

Edit:sp.

Edited May 23, 2012 by smokie36

[arthurwait]

For many it's a confidence thing that will take time to sort out. Right now she's feeling comfortable in an environment where her language skills are less of an issue and that's something she's willing to trade better wages for. Once she settles in and feels more comfortable in the community, and improves her English skills, she will be more motivated to find a better situation for herself. You just need to be patient with her because the issue to her is not money, but reducing the shock to her system as she integrates into UK society.

Excellent post.

Just to say to the OP though, the underpaying happened all the time with Thai friends at University in the UK. I don't think anyone did anything about it.

If your wife does change her mind report the restaurant.

[edwinclapham]

It is a dilemma but one that cost more in the long run.

Yes the restaurant is acting illegally ..

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/WorkingAndPayingTax/DG_10010537

What about cash in hand?

It's illegal for your employer to pay you cash in hand without deducting tax and National Insurance contributions from your wages.

If you accept money in this way, you risk losing your employment rights and the right to some benefits, such as:

• maternity or paternity leave
  
• sick pay
  
• Jobseeker's Allowance
  

In addition you could end up having to pay the tax and National Insurance contributions yourself.

Personally I would be very careful because you guys could stand to loose more than your pittance hourly rate.

[somtampet]

i think you should let her carry on and build up her confidence if she's happy with her job,my wife moved to the uk 1990 and got a job in a fitness club at a top hotel wages not good but she was happy meeting diff.people after 2years she got a catering job paying more money and a good pension.she worked her way up to senior supervisor and earned good money but a lot of overtime,she was able to save enough to buy a house in the uk,left 2009 and had a house built in thailand and has a healthy bank balance with no worries and was only 44yrs old.if your wife has the will to make good she will get on fine but beware of other thai's who like to sit on their buts all day and talk about others.one thing you didnt mention,does she have a pay slip each week showing n.i.,tax or if she is getting cash in hand if its the latter she will be exploited,so give her time she will find her own way of handling the change of life in the uk.good luck .

Cash in hand = deportation

[Bangkokhatter]

I had exactly the same situation some years ago when my ex-wife first arrived in the UK. Although well educated and good English skills the first attainable job was in our local Thai restaurant. She had the N.I number which is important.

After her first few weeks it became clear that the owner was doing exactly the same thing as in the OP's post. One difference was my wife was happy to leave as she was confident enough by then to look for work herself, but she would not report him and said as she was leaving it was up to the other staff.

I took a different view and reported him myself , as others have said it's exploitation and illegal !

[somtampet]

I had exactly the same situation some years ago when my ex-wife first arrived in the UK. Although well educated and good English skills the first attainable job was in our local Thai restaurant. She had the N.I number which is important.

After her first few weeks it became clear that the owner was doing exactly the same thing as in the OP's post. One difference was my wife was happy to leave as she was confident enough by then to look for work herself, but she would not report him and said as she was leaving it was up to the other staff.

I took a different view and reported him myself , as others have said it's exploitation and illegal !

good man,and a smack too i hope.My brothers,step daughter doesnt even get paid if the restaraunt is quiet,totaly out of order

[Kilgore Trout]

Tell her a fictional story; same as yours but takes place in Thailand. An Englishman comes to Thailand and breaks Thai laws by hiring thais and paying them less than the law allows while increasing their hours.

See what her response is then.

Regardless of her answer; this alien is breaking the laws of UK and screwing the taxpayers and honest working UK citizens. He should be nailed to the wall.

[arthurwait]

Tell her a fictional story; same as yours but takes place in Thailand. An Englishman comes to Thailand and breaks Thai laws by hiring thais and paying them less than the law allows while increasing their hours.

See what her response is then.

Regardless of her answer; this alien is breaking the laws of UK and screwing the taxpayers and honest working UK citizens. He should be nailed to the wall.

Has the bosses nationality been mentioned ?