Do you conduct background checks on candidates?
Yes. We have a team who checks with previous employers to verify the accuracy of the information on their profile sheets.
How does the recruitment process go?
After the discovery call, one of our recruitment consultants – who are experts in filling the types of roles we offer – will start the process. They will conduct screening interviews, personality and skills tests (if needed), and background checks before sending candidate endorsements to the requesting client. The client then conducts the final interview with the recruitment consultant, but makes the final decision themselves.
Do your fees include any phone charges?
The client is responsible for their telephone charges and fees. We encourage clients to use Skype business telephone plans and can help set up Skype accounts properly upon request.
How much do I pay for overtime?
Overtime work is defined as any hours worked in addition to the Workmate’s regular 8 hours, but not counting the 1-hour lunch break during a 9-hour, full-time shift. For part-time Workmates, overtime work is defined as any hours worked in addition to their 4-hour shift.
Overtime work is charged using the same regular hourly rate. There is no extra fee above the regular hourly rate when staff works in addition to the agreed-upon hours or during holidays.
Do I have to pay a set-up fee?
There is no set-up fee for regular clients unless particular equipment is required and needs to be installed before a project can start.
Do the prices listed on your Pricing page reflect the total cost?
Do I pay for holidays?
If working full-time, Workmates usually get paid days off following either Philippine public holidays or the client’s own public holidays. This will be agreed upon before the start of the Workmate’s service provision, subject to the client’s discretion.
Will I be paying sales tax?
Australia-registered businesses will have an additional 10% GST on their billing invoice as required by law.
How much is it going to cost me and what’s included in the rate?
The pay rate varies on the types of tasks that will be delegated and the skills required for each role. If you want to have an idea how much the average cost is depending on the type of role, you can visit our Pricing page.
The monthly total cost of a Workmate represents the labour costs, plus HR and payroll management. The monthly invoice our clients receive covers all of these costs.
Please note that we are working with live exchange rates so the billing per month may vary a bit.
What happens to any unworked hours?
Because clients pay in advance, all hours unconsumed by the Workmate are carried over to the following month’s invoice as a credit note.
How do you handle absences? Do I get refunds when my Workmate is away?
We have a no-work no-pay arrangement, where clients pay only for hours of proven work. If a Workmate is absent or not logged in the system for 1 hour (60 minutes) or more, a credit memo equal to that Workmate’s hourly rate will be given to the client for those corresponding hours, unless the Workmate was given explicit permission to make up for the lost hours.
The credit memo will be reflected on the client’s invoice the following month.
However, there is an exception: if a client asks their full-time Workmate not to work during one of the client’s local holidays (not the Workmate’s), the client will need to pay the Workmate for the time off.
Can I pay my Workmate in advance?
Our Terms and Conditions stipulate that you will prepay your Workmate’s work hours a month in advance. Securing a month’s pay for your Workmate:
- Ensures that Workmates are promptly paid for all the hours they worked for that month.
- Helps strengthen your long-term business relationship, which is based on trust.
Do you offer refunds?
Refunds are issued by way of a credit note for unused hours that are prepaid by the client. This will be deducted from the amount due in your next invoice. However, for end of service, it will be credited back to your nominated bank account within 3-5 business days after the last working day of the Workmate.
How am I billed?
You will receive an invoice on the first 2 days of each month indicating the amount to be prepaid for that month. Settlement of the invoice should be within 3 days after receipt. All prepaid hours from the previous month that were unused will be reflected and credited to your next month’s bill.
What type of payment do you accept?
Clients from various countries can use their own currency to pay Remote Workmate through various channels. Regardless of the payment method used, clients will receive an invoice from RWM to display due amounts for the month and credit notes of unused hours, if there are any.
You may refer to the information below for payment channels available to clients per location.
Australia and New Zealand (AUD, NZD)
- Bank transfer directly into an Australian bank account
- Transferwise
- Paypal with a transaction fee averaging to about 3.5% billable to clients on succeeding invoice
US/Canada (USD, CAD)
- Bank or wire transfer (Transferwise)
- Paypal with a transaction fee averaging to about 3.5% billable to clients on succeeding invoice
Europe (USD, EUR, GBP)
- Bank or wire transfer (Transferwise)
- Paypal with a transaction fee averaging to about 3.5% billable to clients on succeeding invoice
Do you provide training for Workmates?
We conduct onboarding/orientation for new Workmates, but the actual work and process training will come directly from the client.
Do you do performance and salary evaluations?
Yes. Evaluations are made during the 6th month after a Workmate started working for a client. This is carried out to see if the dedicated staff member is still handling the original role they were hired to do, and to see if there is a case to discuss appraisal-related pay for outstanding performance.
Can I give my Workmate a raise?
You have the option to increase your Workmate’s rate at any point during the engagement. This is usually done after the first six months or annually based on merit or performance.
How are my Philippine-based employees getting their money?
Workmates are paid directly to their nominated Philippine bank accounts. They do not have to take care of transfer costs or worry that their funds might not be credited as we make sure that they are paid on time every time.
What if I’m not happy with the Workmate I hired?
You can ask us to find you a replacement Workmate for the same role free of charge.
Will my Workmate get reasonable compensation?
Yes, more than enough. The compensation our Workmates receive are above the industry average in the Philippines.
I’ve heard the internet connection can be bad in the Philippines. What happens if my Workmate can’t connect to the internet?
We always recommend to our Workmates to have a back-up internet connection they can rely on, or at least have a second possible work location for business continuity purposes. Your Workmate will be instructed to notify your Account Manager as soon as an internet connection failure occurs so you can be notified.
On what time can my Workmate work?
Your Workmate can work on any pre-agreed schedule. That means they can adjust to their clients’ time zone, if needed.
Can my Workmate take calls?
Definitely. Our clients use a variety of softphone services depending on the types of calls that will be conducted. If you need a simple and easy-to-use service, there is always Skype. All VoiP or softphone services will be handled and maintained directly by clients, and are not included in the rate per hour.
What types of tasks can I delegate to my Workmate?
It depends on YOUR needs. It can go from general administrative tasks, to highly technical digital marketing or programming responsibilities. This is where the importance of the discovery call comes in: it helps us assess the type of support you really need and the skills that your ideal Workmate should possess.
Do I sign a contract with the people that will work for my company?
You will have to confirm your agreement to our Terms and Conditions, but you will NOT be asked to sign a contract that will lock you in our service. Workmates, in return, sign a contract with us so that they can perform the role they are hired for.
Is the Workmate your employee or mine?
We will handle only HR and payroll management for you. You will have complete control over all other aspects like task delegation and work output assessment, provided that they are consistent with the initial agreements (e.g. the job description, work details and work hours).
The Workmate I’ll hire will be privy to very confidential information. Do you have an NDA to protect my business?
Every Workmate who goes on-board signs a contract, which includes a confidentiality clause. If you feel that you need a separate NDA from the regular contract the Workmate signs, you can always send us a copy of your NDA for our legal team’s review and approval, and later on be signed by your Workmate.
Is there a trial period?
The first 3 months is like a PAID trial period, as you are allowed to end the service with a 24-hour notice.
Can I change my plan and go from hiring full-time to hiring part-time or vice-versa?
It is possible to increase or decrease the hours of your current contract with due notice. As per our Terms and Conditions:
- If your contract has been effective within 1 to 3 months from its effective date, you can cancel your contract with a 24-hour notice.
- If your contract has been effective for over 3 months from its effective date, you can cancel your contract with 14-business-day notice.
Having a 14-business-day notice is important for contracts longer than 3 months because:
- It gives us time to inform your Workmate.
- We need to process the cancellation of the contract before it can be effective.
Can I purchase just a certain number of hours?
We currently offer Workmates on a part-time (20hrs/week) or full-time (40hrs/week) long-term basis only. We aim to provide a long-lasting relationship between you and your Workmate, and an effective way for us to do that is by getting loyalty and dedication through the provision of job security.
Do I have to pay for health insurance or benefits?
Health insurance and other forms of benefits are additional incentives that you can give your Workmates after a year of working with you and your business. This is not mandatory but can be an excellent incentive option to acknowledge your Workmate’s loyalty, hard work and excellent performance at work.
Does my Workmate get paid leave (sick/vacation/emergency) credits?
It is the client’s prerogative if they want to give their Workmate leave credits. Providing this benefit could be done after a performance appraisal, as an acknowledgement of the Workmate’s outstanding performance.
Do I have to pay the 13th month salary?
No, it is not mandatory for clients to pay the 13th month to their Workmates. However, you are free to award bonus/es to your Workmates any time you please as a sign of appreciation for their excellent work done throughout the year, or for any other reason you deem fitting.
