We have started to rely more on virtual assistants at business, work, and even for some, at home. Business owners and other organizations turn to virtual assistants for support in customer service, e-commerce, lead generation, webinar assistance, financial services, medical services, marketing, website development, social outreach, and personal chores. Virtual assistants or as many refer to as VAs, provide services that meet the need for immediate response among demanding customers and urgent tasks. Virtual assistants help businesses cut operation expenses, boost branding, and provide better customer service.
Clearly, virtual assistants are essential to business owners, particularly to those who are just starting and whose financial resources are limited. However, there is one question that is raised when it comes to hiring VAs, especially Filipino virtual assistants. Is it ethical?
The main reason to hire a Filipino virtual assistant
One of the top reasons businesses fail is that they do not have enough capital or lack funding. Most small businesses started with the owner’s savings, loans from family and friends, and credit cards. Many business owners hire virtual assistants to meet the challenges of having little money while growing the business. Business owners want to be successful in making every dollar count and smart financial decisions.
Hiring a virtual assistant means a business owner can scale up or down, work with a VA part-time or full-time, and pay only for the productive hours. In addition, there is no compulsory benefit or insurance which can cost a lot to new business owners. It is a practical choice for struggling business owners.
Is it ethical to hire a VA?
It is not always necessary to recruit a VA from the Philippines or from where your business is located. However, hiring a virtual assistant in the Philippines costs significantly less and may often help you develop your business to the point where you can build a team in your area.
A part-time Filipino virtual assistant can earn an average of $500 a month. A business owner can save on pay for sick days, vacation, or pension that are usually required when hiring a traditional employee.
So the question of whether it is ethical or not to hire a Filipino VA is raised. Many believed that hiring a VA for a considerably low wage such as $450 is a form of exploitation.
Living in the Philippines is much cheaper than living here in other parts of the world like the US. For $450 to $500 a month, you can hire a trustworthy and qualified virtual assistant. Most business owners can grow their business this way.
While $450 to $500 is not much even for a VA living in a country with a lower cost of living, it is definitely sufficient to support the basic need of a VA.
The next ethical concern in hiring a VA is hiring a Filipino VA means not supporting a fellow local. Many feel like it is not patriotic to give work to a foreigner after hearing news of laying off workers in their own countries.
Arguments against hiring virtual assistants from countries like the Philippines are said to be taking jobs from people at home. In fact, entrepreneurs and smaller businesses can better manage their businesses as they grow if they use resources that do not cost much. As businesses grow, they will need more technical and high-level team members which means a capacity to hire on the domestic market.
In addition, small and fast-growing businesses are looking to tap the global market – thanks to technology. Hiring a virtual assistant helps businesses to cater to a global consumer base and keep up with the global marketplace. Limiting your team members to the local talent pool is deferring a huge competitive edge in a world of highly skilled and inexpensive individuals. A Filipino virtual assistant is a valuable addition to a diversified workplace.
Hiring a Filipino VA: A win-win decision for all
Having a Filipino virtual assistant is beneficial to both business owners and VAs. Working with one is not unethical in any way. Now going back to the main question of whether hiring a Filipino VA is ethical or not, the answer is not.
There are seldom black-and-white solutions to ethical concerns, and there are likely to be VA agencies that expect too much of their employees while providing too little. Your conscience should be clean as long as you do your homework and avoid supporting such VAs firms that underpay VAs. When the conclusion is a win-win for both sides in the contract, there is no exploitation in business job outsourcing.
Employing an international workforce is not only desirable but literally required for some US companies to compete in today’s global business world. An international virtual assistant firm like VALUE Virtual Assistants is the easiest and most efficient approach to employing such an international workforce. VALUE Virtual Assistants understand business owners and take pride in providing trusted and highly-qualified virtual assistants to support business owners realize their goals while reaching their dreams.
Book a complimentary consultation with us and learn how we can help you with your business.
