All About Full-Time Maids

[winth]

Hi,


I had bad experience with current maid who is only with me for less than 2 months.

1) She went with me to Shichida for a couple of times (not more than 4 times), and I thot it's inevitable that she will have fellow maids to talk to, so I didn't enforce that she cannot talk to people. (But anyway, don't think they will follow such instructions) One maid she talked to told her about all the bad employers (and this maid will be transferred for the third time in 4 months??!!!) and she told my maid to be careful of employers. Even though the maid was good to her employers, the employers will change their attitude after 2 months.

2) Then one other time at Shichida, another maid had her arranged to go to the toilet together, the maid will pass her $$ and my maid is suppose to go 7-11 to buy phonecard for her. I was shocked after she told me.

3) I allowed maid to switch on phone only at night and she has to ask me for permission. One weekend afternoon, while we were out, I saw her SMS-ing and while we were driving, the phone rang suddenly and she talked freely on her phone for like 5 mins. And we seem to be like her chauffeurs, while my boys sat with her. The car braked and stuff but she just held on for her dear life.

4) She will also bring a pen and paper down when we bring her to the park with our children. She will jot down those maid's phone numbers whenever she talk to them.

5) Once, we went grocery shopping. She said she had something to buy (with her own $). I didn't want her to follow me like a shadow too, so I was happy to let her shop by herself and meet at the cashier's. Within seconds, I saw her talking to a fellow Filipino (a hunky guy) and the next minute, they were exchanging phone numbers. She even told me that the guy invited her to his house!!!

6) She also caught a glimpse of my 2 younger brothers (who are in their 20s) and told me that they are handsome. And asked me details about my brothers. The next thing she told me was that her cousins (2 of them) came to work as maids, but then married to a Chinese Singaporean, and another to a Chinese Malaysian. I was like :shock:

7) Last night, she asked me how come I don't give her allowance (on top of salary) and she hinted to me that she has to get her family to even send her shampoo. Err... not that we never buy her anything, but bec she wants only specific brands of shampoo and body wash. Even her sanitary, she will buy branded. So, we said use your own $ to buy, since she didn't want what we had prepared for her.

Actually, our intention for bringing her out with us was more like to give her some space, some fresh air rather than stay at home all days (since she has no off days). It wasn't so much about taking care of the children as we take care of them very well, without her help. But such bringing her out, actually gave her chance to even interact with maids to such an extent that it made us feel uncomfortable.

The maid will be sent away in like another 3 weeks' time, while I make other arrangements for childcare. I intend to let her go immediately after I reveal the news to her. We are still pondering over the options of whether to buy a ticket and send her home or to send back agent as a transfer maid.

No more maids for us! In the first place, maids did not even value-add into our daily lives.

[winth]

Hi there…


Yap. Sending maid plan now in action. Trying to gather info on how to send maid away ‘peacefully’.

Too much trouble liao… Sleepless nights just thinking about how to deal with her.

Hi bluebells & matrix, you’re right, probably I wasn’t thinking straight and thought maid-hiring will solve my problems. In the end, more problems. Now even have to be hush hush about this secret ‘send maid away’ plan.

But I think my quality of life will go up (or at least back to normal levels) after she’s gone. Now like bad quality of life, and the house is actually messier (littered with children’s toys) and she doesn’t pick them up until told.

[winth]

I can't call maid agency up now because this maid agency is owned by fellow Filipino and the maid who recommended my current maid is a friend to this maid agency's boss. Kinda complicated so can only gather their SOPs from fellow forummers here.


Once I break the news to maid agency, 90% the maid agency will inform my maid already.

Hopefully this agency doesn't require me to pay for lodging. We are even prepared to send maid back home if the cost adds up to be the same. Clean cut, no obligations if we send her home. The bad thing is she hasn't earned a single cent and I would feel bad, actually.
[quote]I am not very certain, best to check with your agency. Honestly speaking, if your maid is not all that bad, maybe give her another chance, especially new maid who are inexperience. They may not know what their mistakes are, what your expectations are etc. [/quote]After I read up the stories from the link by thread-starter tamarind, I think my maid behaves like the type whom you should send her back. I think she's here to look for boyfriend.

[lifestylelink]

Take it easy. From no maid to maid there is also a learning curve. You are not alone, I have many problem with my maid from day 1 but I have nothing to compare, because I have maid since I come home with my baby. Lots of problem but it is just part of life. Maids are human too so we need to keep on brain wash them, if you don’t, they go back to their old self.


You already know your action plan so all the best.

[tamarind]

Hi all,

Check out my blog about how to manage maids.

http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-manage-maid.html

[winth]

Hi tamarind,


How do you usually send maid away? As in, what reasons did you give when you break the news to them?
Do you give maids notice period of 14 days (it’s stated in my contract with the agency, not sure if this is SOP)?

[tamarind]

winth,

I have sent back a few maids before. I usually only give one hour notice. The maid had to pack within one hour and leave for the airport. I know this sounds ruthless, but that time I had babies at home, and I was very worried that the maid would become crazy and do stupid things. I told the maid that we are all migrating to USA and cannot bring her along. The maid had no choice but to pack and leave. Another time, we told the maid that I am going to stay at home to look after the kids, so I cannot afford to keep her. I told her that I wrote her a very good letter of recommendation, she was happy to leave.

I made the mistake of informing a maid 2 weeks in advance. That maid went crazy and started banging things. She threatened to run to the embassy. It was a nightmare. I had treated her well enough, I did not deserve this. After this incident, I gave my maids only one hour notice.

However, if you are sending the maid back to the agency for transfer, you should ask her whether she wants to transfer to a new employer or not. Otherwise she might go crazy at the agency, and she is still your responsibility.


Read this page for more information.

http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com/2007/07/sending-maid-away.html

[ChiefKiasu]

matrix0405:

How strict are you with your maid, for items like having handphones, day-off, talking with neighbours' maids etc?

[Moderator's note: Topics merged]

[matrix0405]

winth:

Hi,


I had bad experience with current maid who is only with me for less than 2 months.

1) She went with me to Shichida for a couple of times (not more than 4 times), and I thot it's inevitable that she will have fellow maids to talk to, so I didn't enforce that she cannot talk to people. (But anyway, don't think they wi In the first place, maids did not even value-add into our daily lives.

This is the perfect guide book for 'bad' maid; my previous maid executed the same procedure. And that's when trouble begins.

[tamarind]

I don’t forbid my maids to talk to other maids. I think that maids are also human, they also need to socialize. If the maid turns bad, there is nothing we can do. Just send her away and get a new maid.


Maids are here to work for us for a salary. They are only our employees. The maid is not our relative working for us for free. She should be treated in the same way as how our boss treats us.