All About Full-Time Maids

[KSmom8]

LKVM:

janet_lee88:

Hi,

Anyone read in ST forum yesterday, something who mentioned that Singaporeans can well afford to pay Filipino maids US$400 ??? :x I strongly disagree. They are not worth the amt.

I totally disagree too...

I think that new Filipino maids are simply not worth US$400 salary! Though they claim to be able to speak english (compared to Indo maids), but in reality, it is often difficult for them to understand us or for us to understand them because of their slang. My family still does not understand my Filipino maid sometimes eventhough she has been in Singapore for almost 6 years. New maids still need to be trained to clean, cook, etc.. In my opinion, they are no better than maids from other countries....so the huge premium for Filipino maids is not justified.

[KSmom8]

janet_lee88:

Sometimes after sending off a lousy maid, the mental torture and pain still lingers. It's worse when you treat her as part of the family. It's a feeling of betrayal.

Agree. We should still treat them well when they are in our employment, after all they are alone in a foreign land earning a living. However, after many \"betrayals\", it is indeed difficult to REALLY treat them as part of the family.

[MrsSeah]

I personally feel, we don't need to treat them as a family but treat them as an employee. We should treat them as what we want to be treated as an employee. :celebrate:

[janet88]

Personally, I think it’s sufficient to treat them as human beings, NOT as part of the family bcos majority of maids never appreciate.


What’s the big deal about Filipino maids anyway ? Though they claim to understand English, it’s not often true and it’s hard to understand what they say too. In comparison, Indonesian maids learn faster (if they want to). All families have different needs…cleaning, cooking, housework, looking after sick/aged or young children. US$400 is way too much to pay them.

The writer in the forum must be nuts to think that Singaporeans are filthy rich. We pay a lump sum for agent fee, medical, insurance, safety course before bringing these maids in and if they cannot/refuse to work, our hard-earned money goes down the drain for NOTHING :x

[limlim]

anyone saw this..?


http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/caught_in_the_act/468076/maid_from_hell_she_posts_sexy_pics_and_employers_details_online.html

[snowman.022851697]

I did…

[hquek]

janet_lee88:

Hi,

Anyone read in ST forum yesterday, something who mentioned that Singaporeans can well afford to pay Filipino maids US$400 ??? :x I strongly disagree. They are not worth the amt.

That writer can go ahead and pay that amount - I recall it's a male. I'm sure he didn't have to train the maid to do housework etc.

I honestly think that employers won't mind paying that price IF they come to SG KNOWING

1. how to understand English instructions and carrying them out;
2. how to clean the floor/house such that it's CLEAN;
3. how to be hygienic without resorting to a mini waterfall each time something needs to be washed;
4. how to use electrical appliances in a house;
5. how to care for a child (still remember the first time my ex-maid cleaned my newborn son's bottom - by pinching his balls and lifting it up; she had no experience caring for baby, and I made sure she didn't have to use my kid as learning object);
6. how to cook (all my maids had no clue how to cook - first one had problems even with maggi mee).

[raynreg]

Just a quick check…with all the news about minimum salary for phili helper. Does it affect those who are aready working in SG till end of contract (ie. 2 yrs) but would like to go back home for a break and coming back to SG again for another term with the same employer?


Or are these helpers subject to their government’s restriction once they are back to phili.

[hquek]

raynreg:

Just a quick check...with all the news about minimum salary for phili helper. Does it affect those who are aready working in SG till end of contract (ie. 2 yrs) but would like to go back home for a break and coming back to SG again for another term with the same employer?


Or are these helpers subject to their government's restriction once they are back to phili.

I think this min wage thing was already in force for some time and maids would have to produce an agreement signed by their employer that they are being paid that amount. But I heard my friend's case is that she signed another agreement in private with maid to state the actual salary paid.

Once they are back in their country, there are many things their govt can do to stop them from exiting the country. So all paperwork must be in order - even if they are extending their present contract.

Better to check with the agency.

[raynreg]

I’ve read about the back to back arrangement part and also the risk should the phili helper turn against the employer for such arrangment. Anyone knows of any alternative arrangement which is technical "legal" to circumvent it.


Or are current practices still applicable since the rules are aready there in the first instance. If so, then seems like everything is staus quo. Only thing is harder for the helper to get out of phili w/o the minimum salary letter?

In such situation, demand would turn to Indo helpers which may in turn drive up salary since there isnt much alternative out there.