All About Full-Time Maids

[janet88]

Hi Duriz,

My agency told me I should keep her money in an envelope and make her sign against her name each time she has taken out or put in any amt. This way, as long as there is money on her, it means she has stolen. I think it’s a great idea.
I put an empty envelope in the file. At the end of each month, she will put her pay inside. If she needs to buy anything, I will pay first and then tell her to deduct the amt she has spent. I do not know how much there is inside the envelope as I don’t check.

[DesertWind]

duriz:

Hi DesertWind, You can open a StandChart e-saver account for her, there is no minimum $ required.

Thanks Duriz!
Today told maid to sign and keep the SGD20 herself! Will open an account for her when she finished the \"loan\" period. My mum said if we keep for her, means she got no money means if she needs anything we got to buy for her. So better to give her the money. For me, I just don't like to keep money for the maid - for what? Sign and be done!

[i3mum]

Oh, I think there are many vicious maids around! I m thinking on the day when I sent her off, not sure if she will use that diary to threaten us? Now onwards I need write down, but not sure if she will turn the other way round to get mad at us.

Angelight:

Reading all these recent posts reminds me of my ex-maid who LIED and accused me of ill-treating her just to get a transfer after one year! :x

Luckily she has no grounds cos its not true, and my agent felt that she was too 'vicious' and sent her back home. Heard she is now working in HK.

I learnt my lesson from this painful episode and now writes down any mistakes that my current maid made (including pinching my DD who playfully tried to pull down the maid's pants during bath time) so that I have proof in case she turned around and accused me of abuse.

Btw, I also found out that this Myanmar maid keeps a diary but dunno what she writes cos its in burmese. Just my sharing.

[noixlml]

Oh dear. After reading all your posts, I feel even more paranoid. Just delivered my 4th kid and hubby and mom insisted on getting a maid to help me cuz hubby works in KL and comes back every weekend only. This is my 1st exp with employing a maid.


We actually employed A agency to get a maid for us in early June but there were so many issues with the filipino embassy that by almost end August, there was still no news of the maid we employed. Cuz we thot if the maid came earlier, we could train her and get her used to our routine etc than when the baby comes, she would know what to do already. We got fed up of waiting and the way the agency handled things so we got another agency. The maid came very fast but she came the day after I delivered so only now than I am orientating her. My mom came over the past 3 weeks to assist but now I am on my own cuz hubby goes back to work tomorrow and my mom now comes twice a week but not for long cuz after the one month, she will not come round anymore.

My 3rd kid is exhibiting jealous tantrums cuz she is 18 months so age gap pretty close and that is also new to me so I have to figure out how to deal with that. I have two older kids with their own issues, a newborn and now a maid to mind. She sleeps with the two older kids but I am paranoid that she will go crazy for whatever reason and harm my kids so when hubby is not around tomorrow onwards, they are all sleeping in my room and I am locking the door. I figured if she wants to steal things or run away, things can be replaced and I have the runaway bond so I don’t really worry but my kids can never be replaced.

So maybe with the post pregnancy hormones, I am feeling very overwhelmed with the 4 kids and minding another person. She is so far ok albeit forgetful which is expected but than again it’s only been 3 weeks and hubby is at home so she wouldn’t dare pull any stunts. Figured only after 8 months than I can assess her character better before trusting her. BTW, do you keep your housekeys with you? Or you leave it out in the open cuz she has to open the door for my son to go out to school in the early morning. Any advise? My hubby thinks I’m over paranoid.

[moonee]

janet_lee88:

I'm so scared of these maids and the impressive LIES they tell.

So I made copies of the amount they receive each month and make them counter-sign against their name. This way, they cannot tell agent or embassy I didn't pay them.

Then before I sent them back, I make them sign again the amount they received. These maids are super good at weaving stories...so I have to protect myself bcos our dear MOM doesn't side us employers.

I have a note book for the maid, I get her to write the date and to state tat she received her salary. She can write it anyway she wants as long as I get it in her own handwriting. It takes less then one line to write \"I rcvd (amount) today for the month of (....)\" and signed.
Any money that she want me to keep would also b stated in this book. Whats important to me is that its written and signed by her.

[janet88]

Hubby & I treated all our maids as part of the family…do not allow kids to say that she is a maid. We ate mostly chicken with her around, get her chicken pau, buy her phone cards as ‘bonus or incentive’, bring her out shopping with us. At the end of the day, she climbed on top of my head.

I’ve had enough of them…which is why I refused to get another one.
It’s been almost 2 years (this Nov) without a maid and we are getting on happily. In fact, without a maid, time seems to pass faster.

[i3mum]

I agree with you.. if I can make do without a maid, I will definitely go without one! But my fillial DH wants to provide for his mum as she comes & help, so we got no choice... I m wondering how long we are going to have a maid & how long we have to go through all these nonsenses... maids are mostly problematic..... I would say 90% of them

janet_lee88:

Hubby & I treated all our maids as part of the family...do not allow kids to say that she is a maid. We ate mostly chicken with her around, get her chicken pau, buy her phone cards as 'bonus or incentive', bring her out shopping with us. At the end of the day, she climbed on top of my head.
I've had enough of them...which is why I refused to get another one.
It's been almost 2 years (this Nov) without a maid and we are getting on happily. In fact, without a maid, time seems to pass faster.

[i3mum]

I agree too! For my 1st maid, we also treated her as part of our family, but she went overboard. Mentioned that we went for overseas holiday & bring her along.. etc.. and when we realised she sow discord between me & my mil, I was disappointed more than angry. We treated her like part of our family, yet she turned around & did nasty things to us, in the hope of being favoured. After that I learnt my lesson, our relationship will be strictly \"Employer\" & \"Employee\".

LKVM:

The same problem with us tooo :stupid: maybe we shouldnt be treating them as family anymore should be treated as maid only then there will not be issues i think... cause even if they dont like u atleast u didnt like them too

[i3mum]

Sigh... I can say these maids are very foolish! I think hey will recieve their retribution! :x

LKVM:

Yes same thing happened to us with the 1st maid :stupid:

[hquek]

i3mum:

Thanks hquek. Should I record down those wrong doings she has done before now too? Then ask her to countersign?

No lah, before a bit too late. Start afresh. I started my notebook about a year after ex-maid was with me. Just couldn't stand that she kept forgetting this and that. But you should be fair and tell her this is not acceptable first and if she does it again, then write down - no fair if you had never told her.

BTW, my ex-maid was pretty ok, but there would be times when she started showing not so good attitude. And for her, becos she didn't have phone card (too thrifty), I would ask her to call back home (on my expense, and I was ok becos she will not make phone porridge on my account). After a round, she'll be ok (probably cos she remember what she is in SG suffering for).