All About Full-Time Maids

[lizuan76]

Beanstalk,


I am the new employer.

Hopefully, my new maid is telling the truth.

[beanstalk]

Then you should ask the agency to show you her employment history in the MOM site. They definitely can access the portal.

[jtoh]

lizuan76:

Beanstalk,


I am the new employer.

Hopefully, my new maid is telling the truth.

You can ask the agency to show you records or ask MOM for the records.

[worryalot]

hquek:

LKVM:

[quote=\"Tamama\"]
1 day off in every 3mths? do i mean it? or just typo?
if yes, i wonder if there is any helper wants to work for you. hp matter, i told my maid to use it only when it is her rest time at night. so far no problem.

Why do you say so? for Indon its in their contract for fresh maids to work for 2 yrs without off... its own personal choice..

My savvy Indo ex-maid told us she don't want day off becos she will have to spend money outside. Current myan maid also don't want in view of same reason. Not everyone wants that becos it's a financial burden to go out (transport, food, etc). Personal choice.

My cousin's ex-maid uses her hp at night....chat so loudly until the whole house can hear. The 2 school going kids can't sleep becos of the noise (imagine got psle somemore). It all depends on the person in question. Good if maids can control; but if they can't....good luck to the family.[/quote]
haiz.... ya, if they want to go out and spent it all i dont care. Hope mine dont ask for off day when her loan finish. I doubt it since she has 'relatives' here. my only concern is dont want her to get into trouble and I have to send her back.

[nms1]

We have been lucky to have pro-active, switched-on maids so what I do is just give a list of daily, twice-weekly, weekly and monthly chores then let them figure out how to manage their time bearing in mind other things like picking up my daughter to school, children’s nap times etc.


If there is something that I specifically want done on a certain day or at a certain time then I will say. For example, I ask her to mop the kitchen floor at the end of the day after clearing up after dinner rather than in the morning.

As I’m working full-time she does all the cooking unless either my husband or I want to cook something special at the weekend. I generally allow her to decide what to cook and provide me with a shopping list but sometimes I will buy particular things then tell her what/how to cook.

We also have a very basic set of rules including, for example,
- no using handphone when working
- no using home phone apart from in emergency or to call one of us if you are "home alone"
- do not let strangers into the house
- do not leave the children alone in the bath
etc etc

I do not include things like "do not steal" as I believe that is offensive to even suggest that they would. I know other people will disagree but that’s my view.

You also need to define how you want her to handle children. For us, with a 3 year old & 4 year old in the house. she does need to have the ability to scold them otherwise they would make her life hell but she is not allowed to hit them.

If she has to spend time with your parents/in-laws I would also emphasise that she must treat them as her employer. However, I do also say that if one of them asks her to do something differently from the way I told her or do something that I told her not to do, she should either tell them or tell me when I come home. This was a particular issue when the children were younger and my m-i-l would ask her to feed them in front of the TV or lie down with them to go to sleep which I had told her not to do.

We allow her to eat the same food as us unless it’s something she doesn’t like. I also buy her the 3-in-1 coffee that she likes as we don’t drink it. If we eat out she will eat with us and is free to choose from the menu herself.

[lizuan76]

LVKM, thanks.


Currently i still dun’t have the work permit.

[hquek]

worryalot:

haiz.... ya, if they want to go out and spent it all i dont care. Hope mine dont ask for off day when her loan finish. I doubt it since she has 'relatives' here. my only concern is dont want her to get into trouble and I have to send her back.

Agree with you - I don't care if they are spending all their money. I only worry if they are topping whatever deficits with MY money.

Have heard feedback from those around me where maid was so blatant as to steal from her and her DIL (she helped herself to monies they kept in their bags/cupboards - it wasn't as if the money was placed carelessly on table tops) time and again. And I'm talking about $50/$100 each time. Ever heard also of a maid (another person) who stole thousands of dollars (at one go) that was kept in a drawer - this was to a close friend (and not reported in papers - they just sent her back).

[KSmom8]

hquek:

worryalot:

haiz.... ya, if they want to go out and spent it all i dont care. Hope mine dont ask for off day when her loan finish. I doubt it since she has 'relatives' here. my only concern is dont want her to get into trouble and I have to send her back.

Agree with you - I don't care if they are spending all their money. I only worry if they are topping whatever deficits with MY money.

Have heard feedback from those around me where maid was so blatant as to steal from her and her DIL (she helped herself to monies they kept in their bags/cupboards - it wasn't as if the money was placed carelessly on table tops) time and again. And I'm talking about $50/$100 each time. Ever heard also of a maid (another person) who stole thousands of dollars (at one go) that was kept in a drawer - this was to a close friend (and not reported in papers - they just sent her back).

I am convinced that there is no such thing as a honest maid. I had an Indo maid that stole hundreds (perhaps thousands) and then had the audacity to call a year later when she was working in Taiwan. My most \"kwai\" Fili maid left a stack of phonecards and a love letter from a 60+ American man - no wonder she was so slow at her work... she spent most of her time on the phone. Recently discovered that my breadmaker (which I had not used for a long time) was missing, am certain that my previous maid (who worked for me for almost 4 years) must have taken it and sent it back to Philippines. I wonder what else she might have taken. My current Indo maid claims that she does not want a handphone cos she said that she spends most of her salary in Malaysia to foot the phone bills but then uses her \"underdeclared\" hong bao money to buy phone cards! Basically, I don't trust maids anymore... always look after your belongings well when there is a maid at home.

[jtoh]

Sad but true. Even the really innocent ones get influenced by the more experienced ones who ‘teach’ them to tell white lies to get away with things. You want to give them the benefit of the doubt but it gets harder each time you get burnt by dishonest maids. All I can say is, give them due respect, but be super vigilant about your belongings.

[catang]

i sent maid back to agency and was required to pay for her lodging till she is transferred to another employer. Max is a mth but agency wants me to sign on the form, it was stated i agree to pay for the lodging 1 mth (30 days) x $15 = $450.


When i qn agent, she said ya max is a mth and will pro-rate if shorter den a mth which is only verbally mentioned will not be stated in the form.

my qn is do i go ahead sign on it?

2nd thing to ask: she came over declaring of having on $2.80 with her and yet after i ask for her cny red packets, she had alot extras on her. i asked for her red packets as baby’s was missing. she claimed employer gave it to her as her pocket $$ but she only worked for the ex-employer for a mth so how to get the extra $50 excluding the red packets? and the notes are new notes, claiming she forgot to declare. so total she has with her $90 over. she said no more, everything declared to me. 2 wks ago, she told my gal not to let me know she made phone calls. my ma checked her things and found some more coins on her by flipping her clothes one by one.

i have no proof she stole but the fact she had declared only $2.80 end up having even more and still have when we rummage thru her stuff. i have yet to give her the pocket $$ as i deducted it for her sanitary pads and deodorant. she misplaced 3 of my expensive bras and ironed new dress with a hole thou told her not to iron it. she asked me to deduct thru her salary which i din even do it.

if i return the $$ to her means i have wronged her for stealing (which i didnt) but if i dun return it to her, den is it too mean of me? ma was saying dun need to cos we duno how much she had taken from us and spent it while oh her way bringing baby to school.

advice pls and tia