All About Full-Time Maids

[KSmom8]

hquek:

KSmom8:

I told her that under the law, I am only obliged to buy an airticket home for her and I need not agree to a transfer. I also highlighted that an airticket to the Philippines is so cheap and not necessary more expensive than the levy that I would have to pay whilst she is looking for a new employer at the agency.

hi ksmom,

My newly-ex maid (upon her request, I sent her back today) started showing a bit of colours after she tendered. I just told her quietly that whilst I'm obligated to buy her airticket, there is nothing to say that I must buy her a direct flight. make me angry enough I can let her transit overnight at Jarkarta airport. :x

Happy to say, she's quite sensible; for the rest of the term, her attitude back to normal.

Haha... I also told my ex-maid off when she wanted time off to attend interviews and more time at the agency for interviews with prospective employers (I told her previously that she would have about 1-2 weeks at the agency from the time my new maid was with me). I told her that if she was difficult and slow with choosing an employer or I heard complaints from the agent that she was fussy, I would not hesitate to cancel her work permit even if she was with the agent. I also told the agent that allowing a transfer was an exception in her case and that if it took too long for the transfer to be done, I would proceed to cancel her work permit and buy her an airticket home. Needless to say, the transfer to her new employer took less than a week and was very smooth.

[KSmom8]

marmum:

Dear Mums with indo maids. Pls advise me if its better to employ married or single? What about the age, should I get young ones or older ones? I have 2 kids 4 & 6 and day time they go to in-laws place. I have a few interested candidates on hand. The 23 & 24 ones are either single or marrried and have 2 yrs exp in Jakarta and one 30 who hv exp looking after elderly in Arab for 2 yrs (she is also married with 2 grown up kids like 8,11 & 12 yrs old). Pls advise me which I should select.


MTIA, marmum

There's really no such thing as the perfect maid. It really depends on your luck.

I had a married maid that was so homesick and missed her kids so much that she had to be sent home to Philippines after 1 week in Singapore... her sister who also works in Singapore had to reimburse the agent for his expenses. However, I noticed that the Indo maids that are 23 years old as stated in biodatas, look really young and I suspect that most are just in their teens.

Perhaps to hedge the risk, you can ask the agent in Singapore to speak to the Indon agent or the maids directly to gauge the best fit for your requirements. I did this with my agent and declined to interview the maids directly through webcam (I told her that I trust her professional judgement ) and I also told her that I was very worried about the language issue as my malay is very basic. To date, my new maid has been with me about 1month + and am quite satisfied with the agent's recommendation.

This advice was given to me by a relative when I decided on an Indo maid after many years with Fili maids: Choose one that is around 25 years to 30 years and with at least high school education so that the English is not so rusty and you can write to them if they don't understand the spoken form. Preferably one with some experience as a housemaid and minding children, but not in Singapore, so that it is easier to train.

Good luck and hope that you find a good maid!

[KSmom8]

hquek:

Strange hor, employers are bound by the contract to do this and that; and maids don't seem to be bothered if they want to go off earlier than the 2 years originally signed, do sidelines despite knowing full well this is against the rules, steal/ill treat their charges (old and young).

Should we ask govt to look into making the maids sign a good character contract - ie cannot steal, cannot tell lies, cannot have affairs, cannot hold a part time job?

My agent did go through the good character list with my maid. However, really nothing to stop them from committing the \"offence\" cos there is no real deterent other than sending them home (which is a risk that most maids that commit these acts are willing to risk anyway). I threatened my new maid that I will report to police if she stole but in reality how many employers are willing to go through the hassle and will pick the easier way of just sending her home.

Just to share: years back I did write to MOM to blacklist my maid who stole from us and allowed strangers into my home. I cited examples. I was quite happy that MOM responded promptly and without any fuss that they would blacklist her. I was really glad with MOM's response cos it possibly spared another Singapore employer from suffering the same pain and betrayal.

[KSmom8]

mummymaid:

chatelaine:

Hi mummymaid


Sad to hear what you have encountered. We can only hope maid agency to be truthful to us.

Hi
Having a good agent is a blessing. Otherwise, we had to fight ourselves with those big giants who are pro-maid. If agents are behind stabbing or leave us to die, we really :stupid:

Hope there's a govt website for employers to provide feedback on agencies service and maids detailed employment history. Govt should advise 1st time employers during their training where they can get help when 'misfortune' befalls. I believe a lot dont know what to do, what rights they have, etc... at the moment, nothing was roll-out to protect maid employers.

Pro-maid giants and over-protective people got to understand having a maid is not a luxury to a number of household. It is not right to make us throw our hard earned $ away when it wasn't employers fault!

When I was looking for a maid agency, I came across a blog - can't remember it now but just goggle seach \"maid agency review\" or similar, and you should find it - people have shared their bad experiences with particular agencies.

Also there is information in MOM website on all maid agencies - details provided include the number of maids placed by them, success rate on maids' passing the exam, retention rate (i.e. statistic on number of employers who kept the maid for at least 1 year) and demerit points incurred by agency. I thought the 3rd and 4th info was particularly useful and used it to sieve the maid agencies that were recommended to me by friends and relatives. I can't remember how to retrieve it exactly but I think if you search for maid agencies or maid agency or maid agencies review or something similar within the MOM website, you will find the PDF file. The file is updated periodically. (Btw, am not advertising for MOM, I fully agree that MOM should do more to protect employers. I think that the legislation is so pro-maid that good employers who suffer at the hands of bad maids have v little assistance.)

Hope that the above is useful for those looking for new maids in finding a reliable and good agency. :lol:

[marmum]

KSmom8:

marmum:

Dear Mums with indo maids. Pls advise me if its better to employ married or single? What about the age, should I get young ones or older ones? I have 2 kids 4 & 6 and day time they go to in-laws place. I have a few interested candidates on hand. The 23 & 24 ones are either single or marrried and have 2 yrs exp in Jakarta and one 30 who hv exp looking after elderly in Arab for 2 yrs (she is also married with 2 grown up kids like 8,11 & 12 yrs old). Pls advise me which I should select.


MTIA, marmum

There's really no such thing as the perfect maid. It really depends on your luck.

I had a married maid that was so homesick and missed her kids so much that she had to be sent home to Philippines after 1 week in Singapore... her sister who also works in Singapore had to reimburse the agent for his expenses. However, I noticed that the Indo maids that are 23 years old as stated in biodatas, look really young and I suspect that most are just in their teens.

Perhaps to hedge the risk, you can ask the agent in Singapore to speak to the Indon agent or the maids directly to gauge the best fit for your requirements. I did this with my agent and declined to interview the maids directly through webcam (I told her that I trust her professional judgement ) and I also told her that I was very worried about the language issue as my malay is very basic. To date, my new maid has been with me about 1month + and am quite satisfied with the agent's recommendation.

This advice was given to me by a relative when I decided on an Indo maid after many years with Fili maids: Choose one that is around 25 years to 30 years and with at least high school education so that the English is not so rusty and you can write to them if they don't understand the spoken form. Preferably one with some experience as a housemaid and minding children, but not in Singapore, so that it is easier to train.

Good luck and hope that you find a good maid!

ksmom8, can you recommend me your agent as I really need to get a replacment quick. My current maid can paint a very nice pic (with words) that she would repent and do a good job but turn around, the problems still exist. She was unhappy when I ask her if she mopped under my bed, she insisted so i ask her to let me check by wrapping a kitchen towel over the mop and check under my bed. She make sounds like \"tsk\" \"tsk\" and went to get a kitchen towel and used her hand to wipe under my bed. She simply ignore my instructions and does she she please. When I ask her why she use did not use the mop which is longer than her arm and can reach to the centre to check,she raised her voice saying that she is checking. And when she unwillingly put the kitchen over the mop and wipe under the bed, what was sighted on the ktichen towel when she pulled out the mop was dust and she immediately said that it was from the mop (the mop was a 3m wet sponge mop that when rinse, no dust would be stuck on it and let along dust that was dry,which is very clear that she did not do a good job). Please help. Thanks.

[mummymaid]

HI

janet_lee88:

I agree with you...maids think they can ask for transfer when they are not happy...Filipinos are damn good at this. If the maid has no outstanding debt, has a bad working attitude, it's best to send her back home. There is no reason to agree to her request for a transfer.
She is sitting comfortably at the agency searching for her 'dream' employer while we employers are paying levy for her NOT doing anything. Send her home.

I might do this but my hubby kept telling me to magnify her ++ so her plus is fast, clean and looks nice to my girl so I probably will give agt a wk to find her an employer. I was told Flippino selling like hot cakes (if they not choosey) cos their govt jerk up their salary causing agt/ppl to think twice before importing in. Those already in Spore actually got a good mkt now. Mine had no off day, salary $350. Agt told me now, no off day, it's $380 onwards! :!:

KSmom88:

I told her that under the law, I am only obliged to buy an airticket home for her and I need not agree to a transfer.

An airticket is so cheap nowadays... as for excess luggage I don't think it is the employer's oblligation to pay... afterall she came to Singapore with a small bag didn't she?

OK, noted :lol:
She came with extra big, heavy and broken luggage. Hubby kind kind gave her our luggage. I'm her 4th employer, understand the previous ppl passed her old clothes.

[mummymaid]

don’t know y duplicated posting

[mummymaid]

hquek:

Should we ask govt to look into making the maids sign a good character contract - ie cannot steal, cannot tell lies, cannot have affairs, cannot hold a part time job?

Want a petition, count me in ley!
I drew up a detailed jobscope kind of agreement and going to make my new maid and agent sign and 'kiss' on it Had been amending regularly for 'perfection'.

KSmom8:

I also told the agent that allowing a transfer was an exception in her case and that if it took too long for the transfer to be done, I would proceed to cancel her work permit and buy her an airticket home. Needless to say, the transfer to her new employer took less than a week and was very smooth.

Do we have an option for not signing the transfer form? My agt said if maid goes back agt, I need not pay lodging or food. Does that mean once she leaves my house, I dont need to pay any more salary from that day onwards? FYI, I'm liable to pay 21 days levy even if she has just worked 2wk so no diff lor... according to that crazy MOM pro-maid regulation, employer got to cough out these$$!

KSmom8:

[Also there is information in MOM website on all maid agencies - details provided include the number of maids placed by them, success rate on maids' passing the exam, retention rate (i.e. statistic on number of employers who kept the maid for at least 1 year) and demerit points incurred by agency. I thought the 3rd and 4th info was particularly useful and used it to sieve the maid agencies that were recommended to me by friends and relatives. I can't remember how to retrieve it exactly but I think if you search for maid agencies or maid agency or maid agencies review or something similar within the MOM website, you will find the PDF file. The file is updated periodically. (Btw, am not advertising for MOM, I fully agree that MOM should do more to protect employers. I think that the legislation is so pro-maid that good employers who suffer at the hands of bad maids have v little assistance.)

Hope that the above is useful for those looking for new maids in finding a reliable and good agency. :lol:

:idea: This info I didn't know ley ... I must work harder to find that web. If found, I'll share here .

marmum:

She was unhappy when I ask her if she mopped under my bed, she insisted so i ask her to let me check by wrapping a kitchen towel over the mop and check under my bed. She make sounds like \"tsk\" \"tsk\" and went to get a kitchen towel and used her hand to wipe under my bed. She simply ignore my instructions and does she she please. When I ask her why she use did not use the mop which is longer than her arm and can reach to the centre to check,she raised her voice saying that she is checking.

This scenario very familiar. It happened in my house. Mine also insisted using cloth instead of mop. Another incident, instructed my maid to wipe the wall (I got a family portrait on full wall-1 side). She said 'wipe already.' I asked \"did u clean the top and bottom.\" \"yes, mam\". Pointed my finger 'top' =\"no, cant reach\". I asked what's the purpose of having a chair? Then I pointed my finger to the 'bottom' =\"no\". Lazy and using her brains to play cheat. Like that sure get scolding. Thus, unhappy with me, stared at me or don't look at me when I talk to her. Told her look at me, I'm talking to u, simply refused! The worse was she just turned her back before I could finish my sentence. Rude and mis-used the word 'Respect'. Kept thinking respect is meant for her not me!
:x

[janet88]

Hi mummymaid,

Hubby & I had an agreement that he doesn’t get involved with domestic issues…so maid cannot act angel in front of sir.
I sat her down to tell her my terms…after 2 warnings, off she goes…either back to agent if she owes debt or home without any notice.
My agent gives free replacement within 8 months…when these maids repay their loans, their wings will harden.

My kids preferred the Indon 姐姐 as they tend to be more patient and caring.

[mrswongtuition]

My experience with Indon maids so far:

1. Choose older ones, at least 28yo. They are more mature, know how to think for their future (work hard and save up to go back to open small biz for long term sustainability)
2. I prefer ex-Msia or worked in Indon as housemaid or food outlet (hygiene level is abit higher and know how to operate simple kitchen appliances and can cook)
3. Single or married is secondary, no ailing parents at home. Preferred has some form of responsiblity at home (kids need to go school or young siblings need to go school)
4. At least high school education (their English is really better)

My current maid is superb
My mum got a new maid and she's great too!