Ayi Update

(For those of you who have been stressed about this on my behalf, there is a happy ending to this story) When I first interviewed the ayi, I told her that I needed someone to work for me from 8:30-6:30 Monday through Friday. She said she couldn't right now because she is committed to work for someone else at night until July 15th. She also wanted 2,600 RMB per month, which is about $340. Of course that's not much at all. But the average ayi makes 1,800-2,200 RMB per month, so my ayi is asking for a premium because she speaks English. I absolutely think it is worth the extra money for an English speaking ayi, even if she isn't fluent. So we agreed that I would pay her 2,600RMB and she would work for me until 4:30pm now and then 6:30 on July 15th. When I tried to confirm this with her a couple of days ago, she said she couldn't work until 6:30pm until August 22nd because the other family needs her until then. Coincidentally, August 22nd is when Sydney starts at her school. So the deal that I had with the ayi originally was that starting August 22nd, she would come over at 12:30 to clean the apartment and then pick Sydney up from school at 3:30 and stay with her until 6:30. We didn't talk about pay but if she was doing a great job, I wouldn't mind continuing to pay her the same salary for her reduced hours. Of course, I didn't tell her this. But I don't know if that's what she assumed. I couldn't tell if she just doesn't want to work longer hours, even though she accepted the job under those conditions, or if the other family really does need her. My concern is actually that come August 22nd, she'll want to push back the date again. So I told her yesterday that if she can't stay longer starting July 15th then I will need to find a 2nd ayi to come over and stay with Sydney from 4:30 to 6:30 but I will deduct the cost of the 2nd ayi from the 2,600RMB that I'm paying her. I could tell that she didn't like it at all. She came over today and said that she talked to the other family last night and she told them that she will need to work for me until 6:30 starting July 15th. The other family is not happy with her, but she would rather work for me. I am relieved, but having a 2nd ayi wouldn't have been that bad. It would mean that Sydney will have more people to cater to her every whim.