Is $450 min salary now for all maids regardless of experienc

[Pink Ribbon]

hi, Lynn2010


Thank you for the good advice. I totally agree with you.

That is what I told my maid about the bonus Issue. I also told her it will depend on her performance. But for this year bonus, since I already help her on the extra month and on every occassion, birthday, new year and blah blah… , I will not consider giving her the extra bonus this year, but will give her in the following year if she perform well in the 2012.

For my maid request for Garuda airline, I also dun really fell very comfortable and good when she mentioned about it.

I also think that they should compromise and not keep asking for whatever thing that they think it is their right to ask.

When my maid first transfer to my family, she is a very good and responsible helper. but after being with us for almost two years, and mixed with all the maids around my area here, they started comparing bonus, salary and every thing.

[Lynn2010]

Pink Ribbon:

hi, Lynn2010


Thank you for the good advice. I totally agree with you.

That is what I told my maid about the bonus Issue. I also told her it will depend on her performance. But for this year bonus, since I already help her on the extra month and on every occassion, birthday, new year and blah blah...... , I will not consider giving her the extra bonus this year, but will give her in the following year if she perform well in the 2012.

For my maid request for Garuda airline, I also dun really fell very comfortable and good when she mentioned about it.

I also think that they should compromise and not keep asking for whatever thing that they think it is their right to ask.

When my maid first transfer to my family, she is a very good and responsible helper. but after being with us for almost two years, and mixed with all the maids around my area here, they started comparing bonus, salary and every thing.

Dear PinkRibbon,

My thoughts are \"manage them before they manage you\"

We have no choice that they mix with other maids. Whenever i have a chance (be it stories from newspapers about abused maids, or stories from friends, etc), i tell them that some maids may appear getting better pay or perks but they get abuse. I told her that when she chats with other maids during her off days. \"Dont be stupid\" to just compare the pay. [they dont want to feel stupid] Then i go blah blah blah about some maids may just eat instant noodles for 3 meals, my mum's neighbour maid got a tin of Kong Guan biscuit a month for her 3 meals (no joke), some have not enough food to eat or have separate food from employer, some wake up at 5am and go to bed only at 11pm, can you hear the maid next door still scrubbing the floor at 11pm, nag, nag, nag, a bit. :evil:

[Lynn2010]

oh… show her the newspaper articles to prove that you are not lying. hehehe

[michyms]

Lynn2010:

katherineeng:

Is the maid eligible for home leave only if they renew their contract then?

Hi Katherine,
The maid is eligible for home leave when they COMPLETE their 2 year contract.
Hope this helps.

Lynn, my contract is a little different - it says she is eligible for home leave when they complete and will be renewing. If she is not renewing, I am not obliged to provide home leave. I will either a) send her home to country or b) transfer her out. But if a maid is good enough to complete 2 yrs, I would at least give some bonus out of gratitude.

[michyms]

pink ribbon, I think $200 for an air ticket is reasonable to compensate her. Though I agree with Lynn that they should be specifying which airline she wants. And yes its inevitable that maids tend to compare alot. But I always remind my maid that when compared to the maid next door, she is in a good position, as she does not need to wake up in the middle of the night to feed babies, or look after old folks. She only does housework and cooking. My youngest son is taken care of by my MIL and my older 2 kids are in childcare. I thought she had a pretty decent workload and she gets her own room all to herself, 3 off days and her own handphone. Unless she wants to compare herself to those expat homes where she works only from 9am-7pm specifically. Then that’s too bad.

[Lynn2010]

Some maids think that expats are all good. Not that they are not but they are also humans and there are fair share of good and bad ones too.


One maid i interviewed who specifically does not want to work for expat anymore due to her bad experience. She gets all Sundays off, public holidays off but treated badly. Apparently eats different food from the employer, that is, when they go grocery shopping, they will buy her different (cheaper) food and her food will be placed in the fridge where they placed the dog’s food.

[michyms]

Lynn, that is also the feedback from one maid I know who went to work for expat. She also gets her own "housing" outside (employer rented room outside for her to stay), food allowance, and many off days. But she says she hardly feels like part of family. She is treated like a maid.

[Lynn2010]

May be it is the same family [unfortunately].


The helper i mentioned worked for me and now live in Melbourne, she married to an Australian 4 years ago :). We still keep in touch. Unfortunately i can't attend her wedding

[Pink Ribbon]

Lynn2010 & michyms,

Tks for all the advices. yup, think i will pay her the Garuda fair as she requested.

Another thing, I will like to check with you all regarding d maid passport expire. who should pay the fee ? Understand that if you ask the agent to do it for you, you have to pay a sum of s$400.00 (Indonesian passport) plus another s$100 for work permit fee !

It is ok for me to renew for her and pay for her to get her passport renew if she continue to work for me another 2 full years contract period. But how if one month down the road after we get her passport renew, she said she want to change employer and want to go back home blah, blah, blah, ?

Anyone encounter such a problem ?

[Fat Mama]

Pink Ribbon,


Actually you can renew indo maids passport by yourself. Renewal fees abt $50-60. Just collect and fill in the forms at the embassy. There is an interview for the employer as well regardless whether agent or self-renewal.

To avoid maid leaving after passport renewal, put down in writing and both parties signed that she must complete her contract or you will deduct renewal fees accordingly. That’s what I did as advised by my friend who is an agent.