Maid to get weekly rest days

[verykiasu2010]

michyms:

Why is it perceived as negative?

it means compulsory to go off and so will incur expenditure, transport, food & drinks, etc ..... while the whole purpose is to earn income by becoming a maid in a foreign land ..... else shake leg back in kampung lagi untong

[minami]

My pinoy maid told me that her cousin who’s drawing 1k salary (worked here for many years) has weekly off and she always borrow $$ from my maid who earned less then half of her salary as she’s used to spending more and more $$. Worked many years = no money and has a lot of debts now.


Well i guess some maids will be happy to earn the "extra" income for not taking off, some maids will be happy to go out every week and spend their hard earned money.

[verykiasu2010]

minami:

My pinoy maid told me that her cousin who's drawing 1k salary (worked here for many years) has weekly off and she always borrow $$ from my maid who earned less then half of her salary as she's used to spending more and more $$. Worked many years = no money and has a lot of debts now.


Well i guess some maids will be happy to earn the \"extra\" income for not taking off, some maids will be happy to go out every week and spend their hard earned money.

this kind of real life examples a dime a dozen

why don't see Ministry of Maids and ILO looking into such issues ?

[Funx3]

HAPPYH:

MMM:

Just wonder if the economic situation is so bad that the govt wants the 200-300K? maids in Singapore to go out once a week to \"boost the economy\". With that, they will probably need a pay increment soon. Also... what about the transport system? Just imagine, 200k - 300K maids ? will be flooding out transport system on weekends.

Good point. Never think about that....

Ha ha ....
Ladies, U Forgot - Gahment is Pouring in Millions of$$$$ to inject More Buses on the Road

Maybe the Projected Increase in Passenger Number is factored in when the budget is prepared .... :evil: :evil:

[minami]

nms1:

So just out of curiosity I looked up the rules for hiring a maid in Hong Kong. After you read this you may feel better.


All maids must have 1 day per week off (a full 24 hours) plus the 12 statutory holidays each year. You are not permitted to pay the maid in lieu of time off but can negotiate a replacement day if she needs to work on a holiday.

All maids are entitled to 7 days annual leave, rising to 14 days for those who have been employed or 9 or more years.

Long service bonus is payable after 5 years. No. of years x 2/3 monthly salary.

Severance pay is payable if you terminate the contract before the end i.e. not for disciplinary reasons but because you no longer need a maid, don't like her etc. Amount as per long service bonus.

Maternity leave is payable for 10 weeks at 80% of salary. You cannot dismiss her on grounds of pregnancy. Or when she is on sick leave.

All medical costs are to be borne by the employer.

Return flight to be paid by the employer.

Food allowance to be paid if meals are not provided.


So maybe Singapore isn't so bad............?

We need to look at the whole package, i guess we really have to wean of maids if the above happens, that will mean only households who can afford all the above, can employ maids. Strings of other issues like not enough childcare centres and govt even have to come up with 24hours childcare centres to help parents who worked shift! :razz:

[Power Puff]

Yep, if I have a maid who’s worked for me for at least 5 years without breaching her contract, I’ll gladly accept HK’s policies, which don’t mention any bond, maid’s levies, upfront loans to be paid by employers, or maids’ breaching of contracts and repatriation costs. The HK policies reinforces the need for both maids and employers to stay commited to a contractual relationship, hence the long service bonus and other perks. Many of the maids do not find the need to stay committed to any employer because they don’t get penalised for breaching the contract. Why do we even need a contract when it does not protect the employers at all? Which of our own employers will, after terminating our service, provide us with food and lodging allowances, help us find and pay for a transfer to another clueless employer or pay for our transportation home? Shouldn’t the maid’s levies be changed to some kind of deposit which accumulates according to the length of the maid’s employment and be used to offset costs that have to be borne after termination of service?


The main reason for the Govt being only strict with maids regarding pregnancy is that Singapore does not desire that kind of foreign talent to boost its flagging population. Period.

I don’t have a big issue with the weekly day off, even though I know it’ll be hell for my family with young kids. I’m just irked that I am made to be responsible even if my helper does something silly outside. The Govt must take radical steps to make helpers responsible for their own actions and protect employers a lot more. So so frustrating. And what irony that we have so many reports about maids with lovers with fatal endings.

[dokomo]

Just a thot... (you can call me bad) :evil:

I do hope more social problems occur, such tt MOM have to retrack back or tackle this new set of problems started by them.

I can imagine next year town areas will have loads of FDWs, much more than now since FDWs' offs are staggered thru the months.

End of this year probably maid's salary will go up since people will rush to sign new contracts?

[minami]

Power Puff:

Yep, if I have a maid who's worked for me for at least 5 years without breaching her contract, I'll gladly accept HK's policies, which don't mention any bond, maid's levies, upfront loans to be paid by employers, or maids' breaching of contracts and repatriation costs. The HK policies reinforces the need for both maids and employers to stay commited to a contractual relationship, hence the long service bonus and other perks. Many of the maids do not find the need to stay committed to any employer because they don't get penalised for breaching the contract. Why do we even need a contract when it does not protect the employers at all? Which of our own employers will, after terminating our service, provide us with food and lodging allowances, help us find and pay for a transfer to another clueless employer or pay for our transportation home? Shouldn't the maid's levies be changed to some kind of deposit which accumulates according to the length of the maid's employment and be used to offset costs that have to be borne after termination of service?


The main reason for the Govt being only strict with maids regarding pregnancy is that Singapore does not desire that kind of foreign talent to boost its flagging population. Period.

I don't have a big issue with the weekly day off, even though I know it'll be hell for my family with young kids. I'm just irked that I am made to be responsible even if my helper does something silly outside. The Govt must take radical steps to make helpers responsible for their own actions and protect employers a lot more. So so frustrating. And what irony that we have so many reports about maids with lovers with fatal endings.

TOTALLY AGREE!!!

[Power Puff]

Has anyone read the little section about 'Help for families who can't afford weekly rest day'? that caregivers can be hired to stand in for maids on their day off?


1) I trust the Centre for Enabled Living (CEL) will be extremely prepared to receive an avalance of requests for help from families with elderly or disabled members all over Singapore.

2) The cost for private home-care services is $20 per hour for a minimum of 4 hours.
Do your math. Compare with the amount needed to compensate the maid vs getting a stand in caregiver standing in for your maid on her day off :rotflmao:

Also, full-time maids on their off days will become other employers' part-time or stand in maids, at about $10 per hour, minimum of 4 hours (that's the amrket rate, isn't it?) So fun, for all these helpers, playing musical chairs on their off days.

Singapore is getting more and more exciting. P1 registration system revamp, Weekly Day off for Maids and sensational crimes of passion. What next? Let's wait and see.

[HAPPYH]

Funx3:

HAPPYH:

[quote=\"MMM\"]Just wonder if the economic situation is so bad that the govt wants the 200-300K? maids in Singapore to go out once a week to \"boost the economy\". With that, they will probably need a pay increment soon. Also... what about the transport system? Just imagine, 200k - 300K maids ? will be flooding out transport system on weekends.

Good point. Never think about that....

Ha ha ....
Ladies, U Forgot - Gahment is Pouring in Millions of$$$$ to inject More Buses on the Road

Maybe the Projected Increase in Passenger Number is factored in when the budget is prepared .... :evil: :evil:[/quote]