Corporate Foreign Diving ousts Dive Palancar

[Mossman]

yes in fact we do and employees on full time payroll are required by law to receive this benefit. This is a big expense for th employers who do things by the book and protect themselves and their employees. While you may THINK that certain employees receive this benefit because thye have been working for a shop for awhile, it is not necessarily the case. Many shops get around this expense by hiring their crew on a contract basis - it is not the same. All of my main staff is in full time payroll and receive IMSS, INFONAVIT (another govt. subsidy benefit for retirement and housing)

Speaking of benefits - full time employees also get Christmas Bonus by law that are equivalent to 2 weeks pay - those have to be paid no later than Dec. 20 - so those of us running legitimately have alot more overhead than some which also accounts for pricing variances.

This is hardly unique to Mexico. Plenty of dive shops in the U.S. treat instructors as independent contractors. The shops save not only on their half of the FICA and Medicare taxes, but on worker's comp insurance as well.

 

[Christi]

This is hardly unique to Mexico. Plenty of dive shops in the U.S. treat instructors as independent contractors. The shops save not only on their half of the FICA and Medicare taxes, but on worker's comp insurance as well.

That is because MOST instructors and DM's working at US dive shops have other full time jobs - it's a completely different situation that the guys working and diving everyday

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Dear Mossman and others,

You just have no idea of the issues in dealing with Mexican labor laws. Those of us who go by the law pay much more in taxes and other items than do many of the small shops in Cozumel. For example: You find a long term book keeper who has been stealing and you fire him/her. You have the proof, but the semi communist system makes you pay $10,000 (US dollars) severance (just happened to us). Say you have a violent drunk employee who wants to fight the manager…costs $2-3 K.

But those examples are an exception, but are a real cost of doing legitimate business in Mexico. But the part I don't resent is the paying of Social Security and Health Benefits for our loyal employees, and special bonus like sleeping on east side boats during nortes. Yes, there are big differences in prices for diving ops in Cozumel, but I can assure you that most of the differences are based on the real cost of service to the customers.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[Okie Mike]

All of my main staff is in full time payroll and receive IMSS, INFONAVIT (another govt. subsidy benefit for retirement and housing)

Funny how business owners and tax payers pay for these things, but the are still called "government" benefits.

 

[scubadada]

I'm very appreciative of Dave and Christi giving us a realistic picture of ethical business practices on Cozumel, thanks