Should maids be given a day off every week?
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3Boys:
Why I say skewed? It's becos my points were taken to prove your point. Of course we have different outlooks.. and issues, and that's what I've been trying to highlight in my many many posts...
Not skewed, we just have different philosophies and outlook on life, that's all.SMH FOREST:
Dunno if I'm the only one, but I just feel that my opinions are being skewed... hit the nail right on the head?!? :roll:
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A few years ago I had the most efficient maid. She was also very smart and responsible. To reward her, I allowed her to keep a mobile phone, so that she can message her younger bro in Indonesia whenever she needed to. Soon, she requested for day-off, saying that she wanted to meet her cousin who is staying at the other side of Singapore. I gave her day-off too. One day, she suspected she was pregnant and pretended that her mother wanted to see her badly and she needed to go back to Indonesia. I saw through her pretence and agreed immediately. Actually, her work attitude changed drastically after she was given day-off. I looked through her belongings trying to find some clues. Guess what, I found a diary she was keeping. In it, she wrote about a boyfriend, jealousy among the maid friends over the man, about where they went (incl Hotel 81), how he didn't answer her calls and messages after the ..., how frustrated when her menses didn't come,.... I couldn't believe how I had made her fall into a man's trap by giving her day-off ...[/quote]
Piccolo, your post above about your ex-maid sounds so familar to me. Almost identical requests and reasons from my ex-maid (she who worked for me for 4 years). However the ending is vastly different. During her term, she too off and on requested for a mobile phone to call/sms her younger bro in Indo, she also requested for day-off, saying that she wanted to meet her cousin who is working in SG. Both requests I did not accede to - I told her that she has chosen and agreed to work in our household based on our mutually agreed terms from day one. Even when she renewed her second term of another 2 years with us, the same terms are reiterated and she has again chosen and agreed to the same terms (of course her salary is revised according to market rate). So why made all these requests which deviates from our mutually agreed terms? I stood firm by our initial agreement - she completed her 4.5 years with me, went home to get married, with 2 plots of land and a brand new house. I must emphasize that I am not claiming any credit here - her 4.5 years here in SG has paid off due to her own hard work and being able to stay focused. -
hi flower power,
I can attest to that. My first maid was super thrifty…didn’t spend a cent of her own money and was also very sparing on my money also. After 5 years (she started when market rate was low), with no offdays, she went back with a 5 figure sum. I heard she bought land and farm machinery - and even afforded a goat sacrifice in her village.
I do know of another maid working for a relative. Been here many years, but her savings are a pittance, if any. reason? she has 3 handphones and use them to full effect. When money ran low, she just helped herself to her employer’s money (that was one reason they finally gave up on her). -
icemochi:
that is exactly what first first maid did, bought land, big piece of land, build big house, sent the sons to university, huge banks deposits, living on bank deposit interest income alone, after working for us for 5 years.....and we are still slaving for our maids herea day off weekly = human rights, is a joke.
there are rich people who work everyday and there are jobless people who can rest everyday.
People who wants to retire on this island has to work 30 yrs to pay back their HDBloan. If DHs are disciplined and save up their money, they need only to fulfill the 2 years' contract to build that land house in their homeland. -
hquek:
that sounds like my second maid except no money stolen but for some months, her phone bill was more than my corporate phone bills, more than $500.....that was possible because we allowed her free use of the house phone, thinking that it was okay for her to call her family and we were generous to let her call free of charge as part of the benefits .... we were wronghi flower power,
I can attest to that. My first maid was super thrifty...didn't spend a cent of her own money and was also very sparing on my money also. After 5 years (she started when market rate was low), with no offdays, she went back with a 5 figure sum. I heard she bought land and farm machinery - and even afforded a goat sacrifice in her village.
I do know of another maid working for a relative. Been here many years, but her savings are a pittance, if any. reason? she has 3 handphones and use them to full effect. When money ran low, she just helped herself to her employer's money (that was one reason they finally gave up on her). -
hquek:
3 handphones!! Hahaha.... what kind of big business she managing?! Perhaps one for calls, one for sms and the last one for internet surfing? LOL
I do know of another maid working for a relative. Been here many years, but her savings are a pittance, if any. reason? she has 3 handphones and use them to full effect. When money ran low, she just helped herself to her employer's money (that was one reason they finally gave up on her). -
Flower Power:
may be one phone for husband to call, one for the Bangla boyfriend to call, and one for the internet
3 handphones!! Hahaha.... what kind of big business she managing?! Perhaps one for calls, one for sms and the last one for internet surfing? LOLhquek:
I do know of another maid working for a relative. Been here many years, but her savings are a pittance, if any. reason? she has 3 handphones and use them to full effect. When money ran low, she just helped herself to her employer's money (that was one reason they finally gave up on her). -
Hahaha… possible. Easier to identify caller by phone, otherwise too eager to answer the calls when phone rings, scarly call out the wrong name then will have a hard time explaining.
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verykiasu2010:
may be one phone for husband to call, one for the Bangla boyfriend to call, and one for the internet
wah..big business yah.. :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: -
verykiasu2010:
That's why it's been a fair deal until some people abused their maids. It doesnt justify their behavior but this law doesnt educate/ punish such people.
that is exactly what first first maid did, bought land, big piece of land, build big house, sent the sons to university, huge banks deposits, living on bank deposit interest income alone, after working for us for 5 years.....and we are still slaving for our maids here
It punish the DHs who want to save $. It punish the conservative bosses. It justify people who overwork their DHs to say since the DHs get a weekly day off, its alrite to slave her the remaining 6 days.
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