Crooked employers cheating me

Dear Pastor,

I am working at a business place for 12 years and they told me that they are paying tax for me. They take out the tax money every week. I went to the tax office and the people there came to where I am working. They asked all of us how much we are earning and we told them. They said we are underpaid, but they did not do anything about it because the people from the tax office and the owners of the business are friends.

I went to the tax office again and they assured me that the tax is paid. I heard that the tax paid is only two years of the 12 years that I have been working. I am still not getting enough from my employers. I do not get any holidays and no days off. They don’t pay me for any public holiday. I was told by a friend that I’ll have to reach 65 before I get pension. I can’t get any information from these people I am working with. I asked these folks if they would like anybody to rob their relatives from their NIS and National Housing Trust benefits.

Jamaica would do much better if we didn’t have so many liars. That is why this country is not being run properly. Right now, I am building a room and I can’t get any help from the Housing Trust. I am 59 years old. I am still strong. I can’t write everything because they will know that it is I who wrote the letter.

I would like you to tell me what to do. They should have laws to protect domestic helpers because these people are taking advantage of us.

I.C.

Dear I.C.,

There are laws to protect domestic workers. You seem to be a very unhappy woman and you have a right to be concerned about your future. You are not an old woman and you have not yet reach the age of retirement, but you have a right to be concerned about what you would receive when you stop working as an employee.

At present, you should be paid at least $7,000 per week and you are entitled to have holidays with pay, etc. I am sure that the people at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security have explained that to you. Maybe they did not do a good job at explaining everything to you.

If you have a doubt about anything, ask someone to accompany you to the ministry and let them put in writing the benefits of paying social security and the exact age you would be entitled to receive a pension. Sometimes it helps if it is a relative who would accompany you to the ministry.

Give God thanks for keeping you in good health so that you can work. I pray that God will not allow your employers to take advantage of you, but that they would respect you and appreciate the work that you are doing for them. May God bless you.

Pastor