Should maids be given a day off every week?

[verykiasu2010]

hquek:

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).

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 wrong

[Flower Power]

hquek:

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).

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

[verykiasu2010]

Flower Power:

hquek:

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).

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

may be one phone for husband to call, one for the Bangla boyfriend to call, and one for the internet

[Flower Power]

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.

[vlim]

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:

[icemochi]

verykiasu2010:

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

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.

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.

[Pen88n]

verykiasu2010:

Flower Power:

[quote=\"hquek\"]
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).

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

may be one phone for husband to call, one for the Bangla boyfriend to call, and one for the internet[/quote]We had a neighbour maid in our estate before who had a business phone - and her business is selling phone cards to other maids. She also takes order from neighbour's maid who has no off-days to buy stuff for them ranging from food to toilettries to Toto and 4D :yikes:

[hquek]

Pen88n:

We had a neighbour maid in our estate before who had a business phone - and her business is selling phone cards to other maids. She also takes order from neighbour's maid who has no off-days to buy stuff for them ranging from food to toilettries to Toto and 4D :yikes:

this will be one fdw praying that there is no legislation for weekly day off...else she has to find new biz.

[3Boys]

verykiasu2010:

I do not think the ILO pressure is on off day per se. Look at what is reported today about 400+ workers squeezed into dormitory meant for only 215. That is the main issue, and things like that.

This is not an argument for imprisoning the maid as some forumers like to claim. It is simply wrong that in a free market an employer cannot be free make a mutually acceptable agreement with the maid. Worse than a communist government or a police state.

As i understand from what is reported in the press, the maid's day off is indeed a big sticking point.

Many free market nations have laws that govern how contracts can be written. If a law is passed that constrains what an employer can ask of a maid, it is a labour law, not communism, and in the case of Singapore, if passed, will merely bring us in line with the majority of free market economies. The rules already apply under the Employment act anyway, for the majority of workmen, and nobody calls that communism, yes?

As I indicated earlier, not everything (or contract) can be on a willing-buyer, willing seller basis, some rules need to be in place, like the employment act, extended to maids, for instance. And I say again, it is not communism, and it is not wrong. I think anyone with responsibility for running an organisation or managing staff will hopefully understand that.

[3Boys]

SMH FOREST:

Why I say skewed? It's becos my points were taken to prove your point.

Indeed I have.....it is the same coin, just 2 sides. But that's not the same as skewing or distorting.