Why American employers refuse to pay at least $10/hour for offshore skilled labors?
Please help me understand why US employers can pay an average of $16/hour for babysitting, but refuse to pay at least $10/hour for offshore skilled labor.
41 Replies
Because...cost of living? Hehe.
Marami po kasing ibang freelancers na payag tumanggap ng ganung rate. Di naman natin sila masisi kasi baka gusto lang nila talaga kumita. Mababa din po ang cost of living dito sa pinas kumpara dun sa kanila.
Cost of living, ganyan yung client ko pakiramdam ko nalalakihan sya sa sahod ko. Eh baka nga ung sahod ko tax pa lang ng ahente nya dun sa kanila 🙄
Guro kasi sa phones, if you fail to answer a call you possibly lose a customer, pag baby sitter ka pag tinawag ka tas di mo nasagot possible nalunod na pla sa bathtub alaga mo
I would also spend that much if we're talking about my child's need/safety, but as for paying offshore, one of the main reasons why BPO started is because of the cheaper labor compared to onshore. We all know that most Americans prefer speaking or getting assisted by another American. Let's just be thankful that we're earning above the minimum. Just my 2 cents 🙂
It's not a right. It's how you negotiate what value you bring and how much money you're going to make for them.
Because some bloke thinks that the cost of living here is cheaper compared to the US so we (Filipinos) don't deserve to be paid that high....some, not all.
there's someone elsewhere in the world that will accept the $10.00/hr job for cheaper.
im 99% sure, may kinuha silang course or narinig nila sa friends nila, ui kuha kayo ng VA from the Philippines, magagaling, tapos mura pa sa burger ang per hour. Also, may laws sa ibang bansa, magkakaproblema sila pag binabaan nila rate nila, while dito, wala naman kayo talaga habol. instant "fired" kayo pag may di kayo pinagkaintindihan. e dun, makaklaban nyo parents ng nagbabysit para sa inyo
Also take into consideration, say ang project ay $50-100/hr ang singil nila sa main foreign client, malaki leeway for profits. kung maghihire sila ng tig-isang VA per project, gets nyo na? imagine a $45 PROFIT GAIN, tapos wala ka gagawing trabaho talaga. kaya nagsasara na mga callccenter sa ibang bansa, offshore na lahat. who needs to pay a minimum of $15/hr when peenoise get it for a dollar an hour.
Business is business. Same lang sa jolibee at sm d2, billion dollar companies, pero $0.65/hr lang ang bayad. 🤣
know ur worth.
YOU WILL FIND THE RIGHT CLIENTS FOR YOU, CLIENTS YOU CAN RESONATE WITH.
Capslock para intense.
Pero, while looking for one, it’s best practice NOT to accept clients who offer less than what you want. Manghihinayang ka sa una, pero that’s part of the process. Soon mahahanap mo rin clients na hindi ka babaratin. Pramis.
they are getting help offshore because they want to get a discounted rate. if the rate is just the same as onshore then they will might as well get it from there. Its up to you how you will market your services. We dont even have a standard pricing so we really cant force everyone to have the same rate. Also yhe clients does not have the same income. Some can afford to pay higher rates while others can't. Just my thoughts
May leverage sila kasi mas kailangan natin ng client. Mas may leverage babysitter kasi mas kailangan sa US ang babysitter.
Market forces. Suppliers of services are willing to lowball fees to gain patrons. The consumer is looking for offshore services to not pay onshore costs. Naturally, since there is a surplus of supplies/suppliers, costs will go down due to competition.
Kaya nga nagooffshore ang mga clients para makatipid. And since may cheap na labor, they will naturally exploit that.
The real answer is because there are workers who accept it!
Market rates. If you want to get a good baby sitter you should offer a competitive rate. These babysitters handle the lives of their loved ones. VAs on the other can handle tasks at a lower cost. Kahit naman sa Pilipinas di ba? Bakit ang mga welder mahal bayad sa ibang bansa tapos dto halos minimum lang sila?
That's why they choose offshore to their advantage for cost efficiency. Minimize cost and maximize profit. You also have to consider that the cost of living in US is way more expensive compare to other countries.
Cost of living in US is costlier than cost of living in PH.
Just market your skills if you know your worth. Stop pointing fingers if you're not able to market your skills with that amount. Clients know the conversion rate. They're not that dumb. Kung tutuusin win win situation pa yan.
Wag kasi tayo mag compare ng rate nila sa rate naten, yung cost of living kasi nila mataas kumpara sa cost of living sa pinas, however medyo masakit padin saten in a way na kaya naman nilang mag pa sweldo ng ganung rate but then nag ooffer padin sila ng $3 dito, syempre business man sila they opted to hire Filipino freelancers na natanggap ng mababang rate para makatipid sa over all company expenses nila.
Guys, i’m not trying to start a revolt. I just want to get you all thinking. I also want you to have pride in what you do, and realize the value you add to your employer’s business. You are not accepting charity - it’s a two way street: employers benefit from you and you from them. Just know your worth.
They won't offer that rate from an American living in the Philippines for sure 😏
Medyo sanay kasi tayo na kino convert lagi yung dollar to peso hindi iniisip yung value nung amount. Convert lang ng convert. Sa US, ang $16 per hr dun parang dito lang satin na 200 pesos per day na sahod ng kasambahay. Kasi USA yun, first world country yung expenses, bills nila umaabot ng hundred thousand dollars a month. Eh pag kinonvert mo nga talaga dito sa Pilipinas mukhang malaki. $16 vs $10 LOOK AT THE VALUE,NEVER SA CONVERSION RATE
karamihan kasi ng Pinoy na nag aapply for them or nakikipag agawan for jobs from them ay binababa rates nila just to get employed. It doesn't mean you should follow their lead some people just gotta put food on the table.
Tulad ng ibang pinoy sa ibang bansa gor example, $.50 na lemon, tapos icoconvert nila sa peso sasabihin ang mahal! Pero yun talaga ang price nya sa ibang bansa. Namahalan sya kasi kinonvert sa peso! Malamang. Kasi laging sa exchange rate nkatingin jusmiyo. Eh wala kang mabibili pag ganun kasi lahat ng bagay mahal kasi convert ka ng convert 🤦🏻♀️
Simple as babysitters take care of the lives of their children if they don't pay sa rate sa market, wala silang makukuhang magbabantay.. gaya rin dito sa atin, namimili na rin ang mga yaya, kung mura sa usual rate ang sahod mo, walang papayag. Kung VA naman they know na they can find cheaper rates kasi marami na rin.. and i think hindi naman kalakihan ang $16 per hour rate doon.
And to think, we're not Americans, we dont have the same thinking as them, napakalayo, level of education, and culture is sooo different. Not to degrade Filipinos, VA din ako at alam ko ang kapasidad ni Juan, at ang kaya ni Juan, ang mga resources na available kay Juan, at kung minsan pag tamad si JUan. Let's face the reality, internet connection pa lang jusko hindi na pang $10/hr eh. English speaking skills? Sorry to say, madami pa ding lapses. At marami pang iba. Sinusugalan tayo ng clients, sa appointment setting, di maka kota. Let's face the reality and tama sila KNOW YOUR VALUE bago mag demand ng abot ng langit. 🙂 peace out!
Learn how to sell yourself to them what you think you are worth.
If you are someone who is new to freelancing and you have tons of bills to pay, you will settle for what was offered. Everyone has a choice. If you have sufficient funds that can cover your expenses then you have the time to wait for a client who offers a higher rate. On the other hand, if you are someone who badly needs money, you will accept whatever is offered for as long as you can secure the job.
Of course the baby sitter probably stays with them right? Therefore, the baby sitter is a US BASED. minimum pay dito sa USA is $9-$15/hour depende kung saang state ka. Kung lower than the minimum, di ka makakakuha ng yaya dito wala papatol sayo hahaha.
So location matters.
Ako, $30-$40/ hour ako as an eCommerce consultant but that’s just an average rate for me. Mas mahal pa ang bayad iba depende sa expertise at sa tagal ng experience. I own an agency on upwork and sometimes pag magrecommend ako ng members ko from ph, sasabihin nila low cost of living, so probably they can ask for a lower rate daw or minsan nakikita nila rate ni freelancer na lower si ayon minsan susundin nila ang rate ni pinoy. So kahit $30/hour ang original na offer sakin, pag pinasa ko sa pinoy member ko binababaan ang offer.
Though hindi naman Lahat. Minsan, May mga members ako makakakuha ng US rates kahit nandiyan sila sa pinas!
Don’t know why but this sounds like discrimination for me sa mga baby sitter, parang minaliit sila. I hope not though at mali lang ang iniisip ko.
Mahirap ang trabahong baby sitter kumpara sa work natin kaya let’s respect and salute baby sitters. They deserve a higher rate too!
Law of supply and demand. Very few people wanted to be a babysitter. These homeowners have extra cash to give to nannies and wanted the best for their kids.
Meanwhile, A LOT are applying for offshore works and A LOT are qualified. So tendency is, employers will offer less as there are many fishes in the sea.
Very true. Stop settling with such low rates guys. $4 is nothing to them.. even with double that amount, they are still saving money by using you.
It shouldnt matter where youre from, the skill is the same. Example, a virtual assistant in PH should be paid the same as in US. Its the same labor.
I started with my client of 8 years with a very low rate but I was newbie that time. I only knew admin works back then and almost 90% of what I know now in that industry is because of him.
He would increase my rate 50 cents every year until I accepted another client that paid twice as much. That's when I had the gut to negotiate my rate and serve him in a silver plate the value I add in his business.
He gave me an increase in rate, gave me a profit sharing and cut my hours in half. Both a win win situation for us.
The whole point of online work is that youre doing certain work no matter where youre based. So why is the rate suddenly lower when they find out youre outside of USA? Its the same. So cost of living isnt a factor in this tbh. Just say youre from US then?
You want the truth? Because someone before decided to charge only a portion of how American counterparts would, because he wants to be "competitive".
Because they want to SAVE.. sabi nga ng manager namin sa BPO na ang isang agent doon sa US is equivalent na nang 3 agents dito sa pinas... kaya sila pumili ng offshore kasi mas mura and walang insurance.. If you'll be demanding for a salary na halos same2 lang din sa kanila then you'll be defeating their purpose na maka SAVE... If the clients is giving you more than OUR minimum wage or kahit mas malaki ng konti ng sinusweldo ng same skill mo dito sa Pinas then I guess okay na yun..
Please please take some classes on economics, trades, taxes and business. You will then know why pay is different. It is the same for mega businesses. Think of all the large companies that outsource their work or manufacturing.
Maybe she didn't mean formal classes. Maybe do some research--there's google, there's youtube. There are many factors in an economic transaction. For this example kunwari, you have to take into account that US employers hiring local employees are subject to THEIR minimum wages. If they are outsource, the rates are only subject to agreement. There are also other labor laws in place. In Sydney for example, malls would be closed as early as 3 or 4pm. In the PH, we can go up to 10pm. Because their local laws mandate a higher premium for overtime. Now if they outsource outside, local labor laws won't be applicable to them as far as the outsourced workers are concerned. It's all contractual. I've been making a point that baby sitters cannot babysit remotely--so babysitting calls for different economic factors compared to remote work.
Dahil dun sila nakakatipid. The sad part is even though some offers are extremely low, there will always be 4 out of 10 individuals who will take those offers, better than nothing.
The best way to stop those companies who lowball people is to strictly impose minimum hourly rates in online job-hunting websites, ONLINEJOBS.PH to name one.
In my opinion, regardless if the work is too light or not that complicated, the minimum hourly compensation that should be implemented is around $3.50-$4.00.
Just my $0.02
Not to bash, but cost of living in the US is higher. And taking care of a child is no joke. I understand your woes on having babysitters getting paid more, remember we are lucky enough to work from home and yet we bash the the hands that feed us. Especially if you're new to freelancing. Upgrade your skills to demand a higher rate. Don't just rant.
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