All About Full-Time Maids

[jacsplace]

Does anyone know if Philippine embassy requires a S$300 fee for passing documents to transfer maid to new employer?

[KSmom8]

peapot:

Forgot to add, when u talk to her she just won't answer u. It feels like you are talking to a wall. When I raised my voice then she will reply. I told I try the same on her. Whenever she talks to me I also will become a wall and see how she feels!


Despite all these still keeping her because its damn hard to find a maid now!! Don't know whether Cambodia maid can make it or not.

OMG... My Phil maid sounds like your maid. Talking to her is like talking to wall. When I raise my voice, she'll answer she knows and sound like I'm nagging her. She likes to call me from kitchen for me to check eg how she cut vegetable. Initially, I went to kitchen, like being summoned. Asked her to write notes ( gave her new notebook ) so that she can refer which dish - how to cut. Says she can remember. After 6 months, still have to check. Now, I pretend not to hear when she calls. If she calls louder, I ask her to bring and show me.

She'll excuse herself from kitchen when I'm cooking. She'll say lots of other work to do. So she has no intention to learn cooking. Frankly, I think it's her loss cos cooking is a skill that can command a higher pay as a maid.

She was very slow when she first came. Then after 2 months, she was ok, can complete all work plus ironing for the week. I praised her. My mistake. After that, slow again and could not finish ironing. Every week, left a bit of laundry for ironing. Even on days that I didn't cook, laundry still stacking. Still retired to her room at 9 or 9 plus, made no effort to catch up. After a few weeks, she had gall to tell me laundry baskets for ironing full, like where should she put clothes? Told her she's first maid that cannot complete ironing for the week.

After having her, I end up doing so much more household chores. When I ask her to be faster, she complains so much work. Tell her about landed houses, pets, babies and elderly, mine only hdb. Then tell her if she does less, I don't need a maid. Maybe part-time helper will do. Still very slow.

Her saving grace is she don't show me black face ( yet ) and quality is good... most of time. She knows how to operate most appliances.

Will still keep her cos can still tolerate. Her pay ( set by agent ) is lower than market. As long as she does not ask for increment or more off days, or give other issues, I think I will tolerate and keep her. Increment will be impossible, now that she has turned DH off with her \"I won't lift a finger on my off day\" attitude. The next maid could be worse than her....

Am considering part-time helper now that kids are older. Has anyone faced problems with part-time helpers?

[KSmom8]

My maid is sooooo fussy about food.


We have been eating mandarin oranges this CNY. Bought too many. My Phil maid has a slight cough so told her to avoid eating mandarin oranges and bought apples for her. Today I asked her why the apples are in fridge, it’s been 2 weeks. She said she don’t like the apples. She’s just like my child who prefers the more sour type. Told her she cannot be fussy like my children, my children still have to eat if apple is cut for them. If she don’t want, let me know I can eat them.

I’ve given up trying to give her more nutritious meals. Now I ask her whether she want to eat the dishes. If she don’t want, then she can heat up canned food to eat with rice. She feels no qualms letting food spoil and throwing away food, if she don’t like the taste.

[reddiechan]

They’re usually like teenagers. Mam’s words are meaningless unless proven correct by friends.

[KSmom8]

reddiechan:

They're usually like teenagers. Mam's words are meaningless unless proven correct by friends.

Haha... That's true.

My indon exmaid is a teenager, even though official age was 2x. Discovered it short time before sending her home, cos she was giving me so much problems. Wrote to MOM to inform about age plus she was pinching my child. No response or query from MOM to date. Given up waiting.

My current Phil maid is in her 30s. Sigh. Like a teenager, likes to talk back and can be stubborn. Like a child, so fussy with food. Omg... Don't I have enough of this behavior from my kids!

[AhMee]

Hello Ladies,


My part-time helper is recommending that I hire her sister (Sri Lankan) direct (fulltime). Do you think this is advisable even if I’m willing to go through the hassle? Or should I just engage an agency for a helper?

[mummyv]

jacsplace:

Does anyone know if Philippine embassy requires a S$300 fee for passing documents to transfer maid to new employer?

hi jacsplace

I got a Phil transfer maid 1+ plus month ago. I did not pay for any Phil embassy fee. What I paid is agency fee + maid loan + insurance. My previous maid agency was very upfront in saying that for new Phil maids, there is an embassy documentation fee usually already paid by the agency (factored in as part of their agency fee). They wanted to claw back that some of the fee from me when I wanted to hire an almost new Phil transfer maid from them. So it is a matter of how much they charge for agency fee. If the agency fee is high, they will not claw this back from you. HIH

[mummyv]

AhMee:

Hello Ladies,


My part-time helper is recommending that I hire her sister (Sri Lankan) direct (fulltime). Do you think this is advisable even if I'm willing to go through the hassle? Or should I just engage an agency for a helper?

hi AhMee

I think the most important question will be is the cost savings justifiable to counter your effort? Getting a helper that works well with your family is a matter of heng swee. Even when some frens identified other fren's helper as \"good\" it also did not work out. People can change or employer expectations are different.

[POA Teacher]

Cut in levy for some of us.

But, based on history, I’ll bet a certain group of people will take advantage and raise charges etc

[yanyan]

I’m a little bit nervous abt tmr coz tmr evening will be telling maid to pack up her things as we will be sending her home on friday morning… Dont knw how her reactio will be…hopefully not a teary teary session since she is the one who requested to go home…