I WAS confused by your headlined, 'The hidden costs of domestic help' in the 'Family Money' section (Sunday Morning Post, October 22). The article gives the impression that the cost of employing a domestic helper is around $10,000 to $12,000 per month, this clearly is not true. Based on figures provided, the average cost over a two-year contract would be around $4,400 per month (peak of $9,900 in the first month), or less without clothes and other allowances. The article makes no mention of travel, clothing or accommodation costs for the working person, which by your own figures must account for around $6,000 per month. The conclusion of the article may be correct regarding the minimum wage required to return to work, but the headline and the tone of the piece confuse rather than clarify the situation. FE MELLOR Happy Valley
