Maid to get weekly rest days
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Hi, I’m sorely disappointed with MOM decision to give maids mandatory ‘‘off days’’. As with many employers of FDWs that I know, I have written in to MOM before the new ruling to give the employers’ point of view on why the mandatory off days will not work. Does MOM or the government hear our voices at all? I am a mother of 2 young children and I was planning to further expand our family unit but will now have to reconsider because I will not be getting adequate help, especially with all these pro-maids policies!
I am against it as there are several factors that needs to be looked into - 1) Social issues: Maids who might get pregnant, have a boyfriend (or many boyfriends!) and getting distracted with their work, or start comparing their household requirements with other maids. In this day and age, most maids are here to choose their employers. As it is, many families are finding it hard to get a reliable maid. Having the mandatory off days will compound these social issues.
2) Families who need maids to be around: ie, maids looking after young children, elderly and disabled. As a full time working mother with young children at home, I need my maid to be around to take care of the domestic chores so I can spend quality time with my kids. It causes alot of inconvience to me if the maid is not around and I need to make logistical arrangements.
As a full time working mother, I don’t get the luxury of ‘off days’ as well. I have to cook for the family including the maid every day and help out with household chores whenever I’m not working. In addition, the new generation of parents these days are heavily reliant on FDWs because unlike our parents generation where they have the luxury of grandparents looking after the children. Many grandparents today are also working full time, thanks to the upward revision of retirement age. IF the government really want to encourage us to have more children, then we need to have the necessary help around. Infant care and babysitters fees are very costly and for families with more than 2 child, the most economical solution is often to hire a FDW.
3) Domestic workers are DIFFERENT from other workers because during the course of their work day, they have plenty of time in between to rest already - when the children are in school etc. And when the family goes on outings, the maid either can spend time resting at home or follow the family in these outings as a form of relaxation. Most employers are aware that it is not wise to have an over-worked maid and will already make allowances to ensure the maid gets proper rest. For example, my maid takes a nap every afternoon after she is done with her chores.
As it is, the maid’s salary has already shot up by quite a fair bit ($450 for new maids and $500-$550 for experienced maids), putting a strain on most household incomes . (Most families’ income have not increased by much over the last few years.) Having to give maids mandatory off days will only cause more distress to families who genuinely need domestic help.
For maids who chose not to have their '‘days off’, we will have to ‘‘compensate’’ them with pro-rated salaries which easily means another $100-150 ON TOP of the current high salary. In addition, we also have to bear the maid levy unlike HK or Taiwan where there isn’t any. It is pointless to keep comparing with other countries because no one country is alike and many maids we know chose to work in Singapore because they feel they can save more money (unlike HK or Taiwan where they have to pay for their own lodging and food).
As employers, can we also demand that the quality of maids are assured so as to justify the incredibly high salary which we have to pay? Many maids are not up to the job nor are they properly trained as claimed by the maid agencies. Their biodatas are always inaccurate as well and many times, for example - after selecting a particular maid who is supposedly trained in childcare, our maid admitted that she has no experience whatsoever but it is too late because the employer would have already paid upfront for 8months maid loan. In the end, the only party who actually profit from all these are the maid agencies. Because they can continue to market maids with inaccurate profiles and pocket the $4000+ of the 8-9months maid loan, leaving employers to deal with incompetent maids.
The recent price-fixing of maid’s salary by a group of maid agencies go to show just how influential and scheming these agents are and it does seem that even MOM can’t do anything about it. No doubt these agents were fined but how much of a deterrent is that really?
We employers are at the mercy of maid agencies and even maids themselves. I once employed a maid who told me that she does not want to look after children or elderly and requested for a transfer on the very day that I went to pick her up. This is despite her promise during our phone interview that she loves children and had experience looking after them. Clearly, she just wants to come to Singapore first and then take her time to choose her employers. On another occasion, we had a maid who lied about her employment history and claimed that in her last 2 years in Singapore, she only had 1 employer but in fact, she had 7! When we requested to change to a maid with no experience instead - the maid agent told us that we need to pay a separate ‘‘service fee’’ because we can only chose a replacement maid from the ‘‘experienced’’ group and not ‘‘fresh’’ ones. It seems to me that maid agencies can impose all kinds of ‘‘rules’’ as they chose and MOM cannot do anything about it.
It is already very frustrating for employers who have to go through all these but yet when we feedback to MOM, it seems like nothing can be done.
I wonder, who can speak up for us then? -
LOLMum:
Really? I thought it was the boys who pay the maids for their services, their handphones etc.yeah they are paid instead.
read in papers that some maids were so in love with these boys that they were willing to pay for new phones, clothes and even gave $$ to the boys to send home.
:siao: -
jtoh:
maybe those without chest hair and bollywood looks?
Really? I thought it was the boys who pay the maids for their services, their handphones etc.LOLMum:
yeah they are paid instead.
read in papers that some maids were so in love with these boys that they were willing to pay for new phones, clothes and even gave $$ to the boys to send home.
:siao:
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MOM should just treat maids as working adults. If they want to come to Singapore to work, they have to get their own loan and settle that with the agency. Do not get the employers involved. Employment in Singapore is per contract only. When the maid doesn’t want to work for that employer anymore, she has to return to her home country. No transfers permitted. Employers are only responsible for their monthly salary, food and lodging while working in the household. Give them every Sunday off. But the maid is responsible for her own actions. If she gets pregnant, runs away, wants to go home etc, she bears the cost of it.
Employers should not be held responsible if a maid gets pregnant or runs away. We should not be responsible for their loans. It’s because the onus is on us that the maids have the upper hand. Treat them like the working adults that they are and hopefully they’ll feel responsible for their own actions instead of scheming on how to take advantage of employers and the system. -
jtoh:
Exactly. There are many families that need much help at home but there are also some employers who prefer not to have live in maids. They can clock in from 8-5 and then go off. We don't want to interfere whether they go up the water tank, to orchard rd or budget hotel. Have all the rest time/day they want with whoever they want. Why must everyone be forced with a cookie cutter maid employment contract? Let the employers and maids choose the type of working agreement. Surely MOM with all our levy money can pay some good lawyers to draft out some equitable contracts to recommend to all families.MOM should just treat maids as working adults. If they want to come to Singapore to work, they have to get their own loan and settle that with the agency. Do not get the employers involved. Employment in Singapore is per contract only. When the maid doesn't want to work for that employer anymore, she has to return to her home country. No transfers permitted. Employers are only responsible for their monthly salary, food and lodging while working in the household. Give them every Sunday off. But the maid is responsible for her own actions. If she gets pregnant, runs away, wants to go home etc, she bears the cost of it.
Employers should not be held responsible if a maid gets pregnant or runs away. We should not be responsible for their loans. It's because the onus is on us that the maids have the upper hand. Treat them like the working adults that they are and hopefully they'll feel responsible for their own actions instead of scheming on how to take advantage of employers and the system. -
1amber:
I agree. What does MOM do with all our levy money anyway?
Exactly. There are many families that need much help at home but there are also some employers who prefer not to have live in maids. They can clock in from 8-5 and then go off. We don't want to interfere whether they go up the water tank, to orchard rd or budget hotel. Have all the rest time/day they want with whoever they want. Why must everyone be forced with a cookie cutter maid employment contract? Let the employers and maids choose the type of working agreement. Surely MOM with all our levy money can pay some good lawyers to draft out some equitable contracts to recommend to all families.jtoh:
MOM should just treat maids as working adults. If they want to come to Singapore to work, they have to get their own loan and settle that with the agency. Do not get the employers involved. Employment in Singapore is per contract only. When the maid doesn't want to work for that employer anymore, she has to return to her home country. No transfers permitted. Employers are only responsible for their monthly salary, food and lodging while working in the household. Give them every Sunday off. But the maid is responsible for her own actions. If she gets pregnant, runs away, wants to go home etc, she bears the cost of it.
Employers should not be held responsible if a maid gets pregnant or runs away. We should not be responsible for their loans. It's because the onus is on us that the maids have the upper hand. Treat them like the working adults that they are and hopefully they'll feel responsible for their own actions instead of scheming on how to take advantage of employers and the system. -
Hmmmmmmmmmm ....
How About -
To Pay the Staff, Buildings, etc, for the FDW Branch Daily Operations ....
And Don't forget .... Also the Enforcement Officers ....
And .... Errrrrrrr .... to Be Operating as a Profit Centre,
Must Show EOY Profits .... :siam: -
1amber:
I agree 100%. If only there is such a system.
Exactly. There are many families that need much help at home but there are also some employers who prefer not to have live in maids. They can clock in from 8-5 and then go off. We don't want to interfere whether they go up the water tank, to orchard rd or budget hotel. Have all the rest time/day they want with whoever they want. Why must everyone be forced with a cookie cutter maid employment contract? Let the employers and maids choose the type of working agreement. Surely MOM with all our levy money can pay some good lawyers to draft out some equitable contracts to recommend to all families.jtoh:
MOM should just treat maids as working adults. If they want to come to Singapore to work, they have to get their own loan and settle that with the agency. Do not get the employers involved. Employment in Singapore is per contract only. When the maid doesn't want to work for that employer anymore, she has to return to her home country. No transfers permitted. Employers are only responsible for their monthly salary, food and lodging while working in the household. Give them every Sunday off. But the maid is responsible for her own actions. If she gets pregnant, runs away, wants to go home etc, she bears the cost of it.
Employers should not be held responsible if a maid gets pregnant or runs away. We should not be responsible for their loans. It's because the onus is on us that the maids have the upper hand. Treat them like the working adults that they are and hopefully they'll feel responsible for their own actions instead of scheming on how to take advantage of employers and the system.
MOM!!!! Do you hear what employers have to say? -
watervapourbaby:
It is already very frustrating for employers who have to go through all these but yet when we feedback to MOM, it seems like nothing can be done.
I wonder, who can speak up for us then?
i am not against giving maids day off. but there are many issues which employers have with their maids and have no one to turn to for help.
mom website said employers can approach these agencies for help.
but frankly these agencies are just giving employers the yo-yo treatment. none of them have spoken up for employers or fight for fairer treatment for employers.
Disputes with your Foreign Domestic Worker
Disputes might arise because of misunderstandings and differing expectations.
When these happen, you should first try to resolve them with your FDW. Even if there is suspicion that she might have committed a misdeed or crime, you should not take matters into your own hands by meting out physical or other forms of punishment.
If you need assistance, please contact your employment agency or MOM which offers help to resolve such employment disputes. The conciliation service is provided free-of-charge. Please contact MOM at 6438 5122.
Disputes with your employment agency
If you have found your agency's service unsatisfactory, or if you have a contractual dispute with your employment agency, you may seek mediation services from one of two accreditation bodies in Singapore, the Association of Employment Agencies, and CaseTrust. Complete and send the following form (mailing address inside) to MOM:
Feedback on employment agency
Issues for which you can seek assistance include:
•Delay in application/ cancellation/ placement of Foreign Workers
•Overcharging
•Refund of loan and fees
•Unsatisfactory level of services provided
To identity which accreditation body your agency is accredited with, please look up our employment agency directory. If your employment agency is not accredited with any accreditation body, you may approach CASE for assistance to resolve your disputes.
Contact details of the accreditation bodies:
1) Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore)
a.Contact Details: +65 6836 2618
b.Email: [email protected]
c.Address: Blk 9 Julan Kukoh #03-77 Singapore 160009
2)CaseTrust
a.Contact Details: +65 6461 1800
b.Email: [email protected]
c.Address : Blk 170 Ghim Moh Road #05-01 Ulu Pandan Community Building Singapore 279621 -
jtoh:
these boys are smart too, such things are not unheard of.
Really? I thought it was the boys who pay the maids for their services, their handphones etc.LOLMum:
yeah they are paid instead.
read in papers that some maids were so in love with these boys that they were willing to pay for new phones, clothes and even gave $$ to the boys to send home.
:siao:
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