Will there be more such cases w.e.f. 2013?
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From 2013, all new and renewed contracts, the FDWs will be entitled to one day off per week. Will there be more such cases?
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1218805/1/.html
If your maid does this during her day off, will \"action be taken\" against you? -
Just to share, my fdw of 6 yrs was given an off day every month at the beginning of this year after long service.
Last than 6 months she got into serious trouble and get picked up by the police. :slapshead:
We had to make arrangements for our kids to stay over at my mum's place. Go to the cantonment police station, hand over her passport. Go back and pick her up again after 3hours.
Worst of all police investigation concluded that she has to be repatriated. :gloomy:
We had to go down to icac, go back to police station to appeal, return to icac on the next day...
Total ordeal about 3 days of mental torture.
All these occurred because some big shot says they needed off days.... But mine definitely didn't know what to do with her off day and got into serious trouble with the law.
Had it not been for the sake of my children, we would not have gone through the trouble of appealing for her.
The authorities are only saying they need off days but did they advise these fdws what to do and what not to do? Simply irresponsible remarks just to score points. Didn't spare a thought for the employers.
No doubt what they do on their off day is none of the employers business. But when they get into trouble with Sg law, we are still at a losing end...
Our schedules get affected. Our children, elderly gets affected. Employing a new FDW takes time...
Don't forget the agency placement fees, insurance etc and the air ticket to repatriate the old FDW... Lots of $$$ and time involved. -
Well, I actually felt that the punishment for the FDWs moonlighting is too harsh. There are a lot of evil in this world, and I personally feel that moonlighting as a part time cleaner is not one of them! They are just trying to make an honest living, supplementing their income. Many people do this when they are in foreign land. I mean, come on, they could have prostituted their body, stole, rob, etc... they choose to clean toilets for $10/hr. :imanangel:
As for the off-days for FDW, I am in principal not against it because I believe that mental and emotional health is very important to a everyone's well being. Imagine having to eat, live, and sleep with your bosses and their family members all day, all week, all year!! We may be very collegial with our co-workers and bosses, but nothing beats having friends...
That said, I feel that the law is biased. Employers are accountable for their FDWs even on their off-days; so of course we would feel it is not fair. We cannot control what they do; but gahmen say must give off day. Anything go wrong, we P.A.P. and suffer all the inconveniences. Someone commented that having a maid is like having a teenage child - old enough to know what they want but not quite mature and responsible for their actions yet.
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Btw, early this year gahment said that they would announce changes regarding maids’ medical expenses and repatriation costs. The scheduled date was July this year, if I remember correctly. It’s Aug now, but still no news.
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My past maids had been thankful that they had no off days (and their salary goes straight into their bank accounts as I pay for everything) so that they can return home with sufficient savings to buy their house(s), land and/or set up own small business so that they (hopefully) no longer need to work overseas. Some of them had specifically asked to have no off day. With freedom comes responsibility which some maids are not ready for and there may be potential consequences which have to be unfairly borne by employers .
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PhoBIA:
It's not much use even if the authorities 'advise' them what to do and what not to do. I'm sure many employers advise their maids too (I definitely do) but whether the maids want to listen is another thing.
The authorities are only saying they need off days but did they advise these fdws what to do and what not to do? Simply irresponsible remarks just to score points. Didn't spare a thought for the employers.
It all boils down to the maid's personality.
In the meantime, I feel that compulsory off-days are necessary. Most of us are already groaning with a 5 day work week and 9 - 6 job. The maids work more days and longer hours and their pay is so little. They deserve a break.
I feel that what the authorities can do is force maid agencies to be more stringent with their selection process, and choose maids based on skills and personality. Of course, this may lead to maid shortage problem. -
Next year will be a totally new ball game. Without loan to tie them down and with a day off to learn new tricks, employers be prepared to handle many new patterns from maids.
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I think I would prefer maid to have fixed working hours eg 7 am to 8pm. After that, they will go back to their hostel to sleep. They can don’t work on every Sunday. And employers are not liable to what happen to them after "office" hours. The tax levy can be used to pay the hostel instead of paying govt.
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peapot:
I think I would prefer maid to have fixed working hours eg 7 am to 8pm. After that, they will go back to their hostel to sleep. They can don't work on every Sunday. And employers are not liable to what happen to them after \"office\" hours. The tax levy can be used to pay the hostel instead of paying govt.
Some people need the maid to sleep in. eg those looking after feeble elderly folks -
I told my maid I could not afford to give her off days. On the other hand, in appreciation of her effort and hard work, I will pay her year end bonus and she will get to travel with us during the school holidays. Anyway, she's totally thrifty and does not mind staying home on weekend. It's a win-win situation for both parties.
I am really lucky to have her but when her contract ends next Dec (after working for me for 6 years), she has to return home and get married. With this new ruling, it's going to be a nightmare for me. I read the Singaporemaid blog and after hearing all those feedback from the employers, I know it is getting increasingly tough to get a reasonably \"ok\" maid. What makes the matter worse is that our MOM is not even supporting us!! Recently, my friend applied for a new maid and the agent asked her to select fast as the agency fee (exclude the 7-8 mth salary advancement) is going to be raised to almost $2k by end of this year. If this is true, it's really very ex!! I do not understand why is there a need to pay so much for agency fee?! 
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