A Caregiver’s Confusion; to live- in or to live- out?

“I am living with my employer, they usually ask me to work for hours more than we agreed in my contract, my overtime is uncompensated and for some cases they put me in vulnerable situations”.

These are some reasons why the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) has been improved. After November 30, 2014, Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications only include a live-in arrangement if both the employer and the caregiver agreed.  If not, then employers will not be permitted to make a room and board deduction from the wages of the caregiver and they are free to live their life after work.

 

With the improved caregiver program, comes the question of living in or staying out with the employer. I don’t currently have a problem in paying electricity and other utilities, my mobile phone is in contract with a network paid by my employer, no need to pay for some of my groceries because I can eat for free, I don’t even pay a cab or ride a bus to go to work.  But, my employer is not such an ideal one for me, should I prefer to ask for a new LMIA and opt to just rent a place with my friends or relatives?, are the questions that a lot of caregiver need to taking into consideration.

So before you decide, let us walk you through the advantages and disadvantages of your decision to live-out. This information is also from a Filipino who has stayed in Canada as a caregiver and now gained her permanent residency after years of waiting.

Advantages

• Freedom, yes you are free to do what you want after work and go wherever you want that you hesitate to do if you are living in with your employer
• You can live with friends or relatives
• Employer cannot see your way of life before or after work so they cannot step into some of your life’s decision which usually they don’t do
• Higher net salary because there will be no room and board deduction

 

Disadvantages

• You need to pay room or house rental which is usually higher than what your employer will deduct from your salary
• Utilities like water, electricity, cable, internet etc should be your responsibility
• You buy and provide you own food
• A need to commute from your place to your employers, not unless you have a car. But then it will still incur travelling time
• In case your employer’s house is just a walking distance, you still have to dress up like an astronaut during winter to be able to go to work
• You may sometimes come to work late due to uncontrollable situations in your way to work

 

I maybe bias because I would prefer to live-in with my employer if I am in that situation, but of course each one of us has a reason that we cannot judge not unless we have been to that same shoe, same page of life and same procedure to handle different situations. Each life’s journey is different from one person to another. At the end of the day, whether a caregiver preferred to live-in or live-out, it is her own personal decision and this decision would be based on what goals she has in the future.

How about you, which do you prefer, what would you suggest, to live-in or live-out? Leave your comments here and please don’t forget to like our pinoycanada.com Facebook page.

Photo credits to Ms. Anna Douijts

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