All About Full-Time Maids

[POA Teacher]

Last night my maid mentioned that the other maids all have big handphones. Not just handphones. Must be Samsung

[piyobaby]

Usually the foreign workers have better and are more up to date in the handphone they used…

[DesertWind]

DesertWind:

TheAnswer:

Any reliable maid agencies to introduce?

I use only Nations (Yishun branch) for all my maids. So far we took 4 already for my family. 3 currently still with us.

My colleague recommends \"Homekeepers\". I may try them next time!

[DesertWind]

POA Teacher:

Last night my maid mentioned that the other maids all have big handphones. Not just handphones. Must be Samsung

Yes, my maid also told me, \"all\" her friends have Samsung and they are buying the bigger Samsung Tab. To surf the web, watch dramas, youtube etc. When I was pissed, I told my maid sarcastically she is better off than me since she has this Tab when I have none and also got time to surf. She more free than me! :rant: :razz:

[Coolkidsrock2]

If my maid tells me that, I will also tell her that they have to and they can do more things than you as well and I will list out the comparisons for her. I have a friend whose maid can play the piano. None of my maids can. Bo pian. Got to keep quiet.

[Notksmum]

hi all,


I am exploring setting a set of guidelines on mobile phone use for my helper. Anyone can share theirs? I listed the following categories in my draft now but still refining.

1. Purchase: To only purchase the make and model decided by us, the employers. [Objective: We do not wish for our helper to carry one with picture/video/smartphone functions to protect our privacy].

2. Maintenance & Upkeep: To take care of the mobile phone at all times. Any repair or replacement cost/expense shall be borne entirely by her. To purchase top up cards at her own expense. [Objective: This is set so that it is clear she is not to come to us or ask us to pay for the repair or replacement phone. To send a clear signal that she also has to be clear that she is not to loan money from us to support her phone calls.]

3. Use: To use only once a week and on off days. To surrender the phone to us for safekeeping after each use. [Objective: This is so she will not be distracted when taking care of our baby and to limt her use to once a week to call home is pretty reasonable; this is so that she will not be phone hogging at night making her suffering from sleep deprivation].

Other Grave rules:
1. She is not to possess another mobile phone without our knowledge.
2. She is not to use the mobile phone to engage in any illegal activities or moonlighting.

If she breaks any of the grave rules, she will be sent home.

Any more rules I should add in? Appreciate the advice.

[straffan23]

I think that is too many rules and too much extra work for everyone? Will she listen/obey? Nowadays, to get a phone without camera is a bit… I would go for a YES or a NO. If too many rules, it makes live very difficult for everyone, right? Is it your instincts telling you something is wrong? If she is new, you can say wait 6 months then ask again?


I personally have lots of problem with my maid of 3yrs now. It is supposed to be easy life for her, both my children in full day CC. But the less she has to do, the lesser she does, and the lesser effort she puts in. E.g. her cooking has deterioted, her stubbornness increased, to me she is asking to be fired (contract up end of the year)…

[Notksmum]

Hi straffan,


Thanks. Actually, we do not want to give her a mobile phone. Our original strategy is we will buy ICC cards (cap at 20 a mth) for her to use our home phone to call home. If she doesnt agree, then we will negotiate on the mobile phone.

Her reason to me was she want to be contactable by her family at home in case of emergency. But we are not willing to let her family have our home number?

Of would giving her family members our home number be a better option? Cos I suspect her family will not call often as well due to high cost.

Then again, my relative’s helpers all have mobile phones, hence sooner or later she will also ask for one.

[Anna Ng]

I allow my maid to have phone since day 1 but no smart phone. After clearing her loan, she bought a smartphone despite i warned her before. So, i keep her smartphone.


Being caught she was using smartphone again and she claimed that loan fr her friend, I asked her to return to her friend.

She went to buy another smartphone after getting her 2nd month salary and being caught always Facebook at Macdonald , so i keep her second smartphone.

Well, last week being caught she was using our IPAD which can connected to internet anytime —

There is no problem giving her a phone but based on her performance, my 2.5 years old son always sick , twice a month, lousy cooking, lousy housework etc… i don think she deserves to have a smartphone…

[straffan23]

My view in this is that a maid is not someone i can control. I only need her to do a job (already that, she cannot do well!). Her social activities should be her own responsibilities. If she wants a phone she would need money to have one. If she needs to call home it would also be her responsibility to pay for the charges. I did offer my maid the use of our housephone, but she never took up the offer. My maid is a mother of 2 teenage daughter… she wants to be contactable by her family, and equally important - she wants to be contactable by all her friends in SG - a purpose my housephone would not support.