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    All About Full-Time Maids

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Domestic Help
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    • AdmummyA Offline
      Admummy
      last edited by

      Hi, appreciate if someone cld help me to clarify the following please:


      My Indonesia maid’s work permit is gg to expire come Jul this year, passport is still valid until year 2014… If I wanna extend her service, i need to renew her work permit with MOM, do I need to go to Indonesian Embassy? I remember the last time I renew her contract, I’ve to go embassy with her (but that cld be due making of passport)… this time round, her passport is still valid, can I skip the embassy part, I.e. Just renew work permit online and draft work contract with her privately (without embassy’s presence)? I called MOM helpline to ask if renewal of work permit need to go through embassy, they ask me to call embassy… The embassy line is always engaged if not the person dun understand English…

      I am gg to increase her pay by 20% with the renewal, but it’s still below the revise starting salary of new Indonesia maid (ie below $450)… Is it ok? I’m worried that the embassy may force me to revise her pay to $450 (ie if I need to go embassy to renew her work permit)…

      My maid is gg back to java for home leave (if she intends to renew her contract with me), do u think she will back out if she discover from her relatives in java about the revise starting salary and break contract with me by not returning from home leave? Is it more worth it for her to break contract with me and rejoin a maid agency and have a starting pay of $450 or more (since she got work experience here)? Or this is not feasible as there are underlying costs involved If she goes thru agencies again?

      Thanks in advance!

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      • S Offline
        sgkliew
        last edited by

        Hi jtoh/DesertWind/Janet_lee88/hquek,


        Thank you for sharing your thoughts and suggestions. I forgot to add that I am a full time working mother with 2 kids. I will send her back after I managed to get a new maid in. I am just worried for my kids since she appears to be so bold and makes me lose my trust in her.

        Do you all allow your maids to hold handphones? Do you install cameras to monitor your maids? Can you share with me what type to look for and any shop/brand to recommend? Thanks again.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • H Offline
          hquek
          last edited by

          Admummy:
          Hi, appreciate if someone cld help me to clarify the following please:


          My Indonesia maid's work permit is gg to expire come Jul this year, passport is still valid until year 2014... If I wanna extend her service, i need to renew her work permit with MOM, do I need to go to Indonesian Embassy? I remember the last time I renew her contract, I've to go embassy with her (but that cld be due making of passport)... this time round, her passport is still valid, can I skip the embassy part, I.e. Just renew work permit online and draft work contract with her privately (without embassy's presence)? I called MOM helpline to ask if renewal of work permit need to go through embassy, they ask me to call embassy.. The embassy line is always engaged if not the person dun understand English...

          I am gg to increase her pay by 20% with the renewal, but it's still below the revise starting salary of new Indonesia maid (ie below $450).. Is it ok? I'm worried that the embassy may force me to revise her pay to $450 (ie if I need to go embassy to renew her work permit)..

          My maid is gg back to java for home leave (if she intends to renew her contract with me), do u think she will back out if she discover from her relatives in java about the revise starting salary and break contract with me by not returning from home leave? Is it more worth it for her to break contract with me and rejoin a maid agency and have a starting pay of $450 or more (since she got work experience here)? Or this is not feasible as there are underlying costs involved If she goes thru agencies again?

          Thanks in advance!
          hi admummy, if you don't have to renew her passport, I think you can just do online the renewal of WP. Once approved, you will have to go to the WP centre (it used to be near the Tanjong Pagar port, where Outram bak kut teh is - not sure if moved). Very easy and cheap to renew. The Indo embassy bit I think is to stamp on her passport that she is working here - since not changing, I don't think need. Don't worry, Indo is easier to process.

          As for salary. Consider her working attitude and experience. You may want to rethink if to raise her salary to 450. Remind her that she will have to incur agent fees (in the thousands) to come back and dunno what type of employer she will have. In my case, after 1.5 year, the maid should have enough to open bank account. This is my 'insurance policy' that she will come back (min sum to deposit there mah). If you have that leverage, use it.

          Tell her to keep the min sum there when she's away. Then for sure, likelihood she'll come back. if she doesn't, use that money to find a new maid.

          This $450 is dictated by the maid agents in Indo - not govt (even if they privately applaud becos it means more money for them to collect next time).

          And in any case, if she's a good worker. Remind yourself the risk if she don't want to come back - the agent fees you have to incur, the training, the probability that next maid may be a nightmare. All this have to consider lah.

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          • C Offline
            carebear
            last edited by

            Admummy:
            Hi, appreciate if someone cld help me to clarify the following please:


            My Indonesia maid's work permit is gg to expire come Jul this year, passport is still valid until year 2014... If I wanna extend her service, i need to renew her work permit with MOM, do I need to go to Indonesian Embassy? I remember the last time I renew her contract, I've to go embassy with her (but that cld be due making of passport)... this time round, her passport is still valid, can I skip the embassy part, I.e. Just renew work permit online and draft work contract with her privately (without embassy's presence)? I called MOM helpline to ask if renewal of work permit need to go through embassy, they ask me to call embassy.. The embassy line is always engaged if not the person dun understand English...

            I am gg to increase her pay by 20% with the renewal, but it's still below the revise starting salary of new Indonesia maid (ie below $450).. Is it ok? I'm worried that the embassy may force me to revise her pay to $450 (ie if I need to go embassy to renew her work permit)..

            My maid is gg back to java for home leave (if she intends to renew her contract with me), do u think she will back out if she discover from her relatives in java about the revise starting salary and break contract with me by not returning from home leave? Is it more worth it for her to break contract with me and rejoin a maid agency and have a starting pay of $450 or more (since she got work experience here)? Or this is not feasible as there are underlying costs involved If she goes thru agencies again?

            Thanks in advance!
            If her passport is still valid, you don't need to sign a contract regarding work issues at the embassy, but you must get her passport endorsed at the embassy , which you can do so using a courier service.

            If her passport needs to be renewed, then there will be a contract and i am quite sure she will be advised on the revised salary.

            In my humble opinion, you may want to increase her pay to $450 if you think she is worth keeping as things might change when she is back in Indonesia.
            You may want to tell her about the loan she has to take if she wants a new employer, so that she will think twice about not coming back.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • DesertWindD Offline
              DesertWind
              last edited by

              sgkliew:
              Do you all allow your maids to hold handphones? Do you install cameras to monitor your maids?

              Hi sgkliew,

              My maid did not use the handphone for 1st one and half years with me but we bought her phone card to call home using the home phone. After that, I made her carry one so that she is contactable anytime for my convenience and she has been using one since.

              As for cameras, no I do not instal any cameras at home. My own thinking is if I cannot trust maid enough such that I need to instal camera at own home, I will not even consider hiring a maid. Better park kids with reliable local nanny or send to child-care centre.

              :celebrate:

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              • DesertWindD Offline
                DesertWind
                last edited by

                Hi Hi,


                I just found out my 2nd maid (young one working for my mother almost 6 months already) has bought a handphone without asking or telling me. Apparently she has also been listening to music and talking to her friends in the evening. My mother told me it should be her own business since she bought it with her own money. My brother told her off for buying the phone and talking to her friends and she cried.

                I just spoke to her and ask her why she did not ask / tell me she bought the phone? She kept quiet. I told her she should have let me know. Anyway, I am not against her having a phone but I told her to control her usage in terms of spending on phone card and restrict the usage to the evening. Also it must not interrupt her daily work routine. Further emphasize to her no calls/sms from men, otherwise it is straight balek kampung.

                It is not easy to \"control\" a maid. In fact, you can't really \"control\" the maid. The maid is either an \"automatic\" maid or not \"automatic\". If she is an \"automatic\" maid, I will define her as a good maid. It is not easy to come across an automatic maid.

                All the best!
                :celebrate:

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                • janet88J Offline
                  janet88
                  last edited by

                  DesertWind:

                  I just spoke to her and ask her why she did not ask / tell me she bought the phone? She kept quiet. I told her she should have let me know. Anyway, I am not against her having a phone but I told her to control her usage in terms of spending on phone card and restrict the usage to the evening. Also it must not interrupt her daily work routine. Further emphasize to her no calls/sms from men, otherwise it is straight balek kampung.

                  It is not easy to \"control\" a maid. In fact, you can't really \"control\" the maid. The maid is either an \"automatic\" maid or not \"automatic\". If she is an \"automatic\" maid, I will define her as a good maid. It is not easy to come across an automatic maid.

                  :celebrate:
                  Maids cannot be controlled at all. Like you said, either she is automatic not not...more often they are not automatic and will move only one step when you push.
                  I passed my maid a handphone so that I could reach her. Break the rules...off she goes.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • H Offline
                    homeworkmummy
                    last edited by

                    Have anyone engaged west java maids before? I was being recommended a west java maid from kawarang who has worked in Saudi for 2 years and Kuwait for another 2 years. She looks pleasant on the picture and has worked in big house and take care of young children before. Mine is a 3 storey terrace house as well and I have young kids. I was also being recommended by another agency for a maid from Cilacap. A fresh maid. I would prefer the West Java maid as she has some overseas experience and they are both on the same salary $380 however there are people who has told me that west java maids are naughty and vain and some practice black magic. Is that true? Anyone who has hired west java maid appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • A Offline
                      Andaiz
                      last edited by

                      Just came from my agent this pm.


                      It appears that the PH government is finally disallowing their FDW to leave the country if their requests (more like demands ha!) for at least USD 400 and 4 days off are not met.

                      Those who have gone on home leave and is pending re-entry permit by the PH Embassy are in dire straits.

                      All mummy’s on this trail take note. Your FDW may decide to play punk if you are going to renew their contract soon!

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • H Offline
                        hquek
                        last edited by

                        LKVM:
                        Andaiz:

                        Just came from my agent this pm.


                        It appears that the PH government is finally disallowing their FDW to leave the country if their requests (more like demands ha!) for at least USD 400 and 4 days off are not met.

                        Those who have gone on home leave and is pending re-entry permit by the PH Embassy are in dire straits.

                        All mummy's on this trail take note. Your FDW may decide to play punk if you are going to renew their contract soon!

                        Thats ridiculous... why cant we do anything 😞

                        umm, becos their govt dun believe in free market? Joking. But truthfully, our gahmen also cannot do anything. The only thing WE (as employers) can do is do work harder without maid at home, or look to alternative (childcare ctrs, part time help).

                        Gosh, they are now calling the shots becos supply cannot meet demand. Imagine a world where their services are not needed (maybe one day we will have FREE childcare?). Ha ha ha...I'm so going to take medication ( :siao: liao).

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