Facebook & maid

[Coolkidsrock2]

None of my maids have Facebook and do not require internet access.


They are clear they are here to work and do not want off days as well as it will mean they will need to incur costs when going out.

[clioclio]

I think they also want Facebook to ‘show off’ what they have or are doing…

My helper took lots of photos when the whole family went to HK disneyland…she wanted to post on FB to show her family at home and church friends the places she went…

Now FB is so common, its hard to say NO to her having FB… (its like our kids wanting HP coz the rest of the class has it and they use it extensively to keep in contact with their classmates)–but i would draw the line in letting her use my internet wireless and even my computer. There’s no limit and she will not feel the pain of forking out $$$ to use FB and internet.

Many handphones have data plans and if she is well connected with friends here, she will have tips on where to get value for money data plans and she can carry on from there. She can only use after her chores are done etc (as per yr agreed handphone policy)

Why don’t you also tell her that for SECURITY measures,
don’t take pics of your house, surroundings vicinity or even of your kids (if you r uncomfortable)–tell them that it may become a risk for kidnapping or burglary since outsiders know the layout of your house or how your kids look like etc.
-if they are from Philippines, they should understand perfectly…this kind of things do happen there.

[twinkletoes]

FB is pretty common amongst maid. That’s one way for them to stay in touch and chat without incurring $$$. My maid has her own laptop (ex-employer donated their old one to her). I’m fairly flexible, she’s free to use our wifi when her chores are done. I’ve checked her FB page (before she "blocked" me, haha!)…to read her FB status and pics.


I saw pics of her ex employers’ kids in the pool etc. I wouldn’t be too happy if it was my kids. Among her FB friends are some Bangla guys. So who knows who might access those posted pics and use them for the wrong reasons.

I wouldn’t let her to use my laptop. But WIFI yes, if she has her own machine. And it’s up to me when to turn on/ off the wifi.

Edited to add: my maid’s working days are numbered and I’m sending her home. Hence this is why I’m closing one eye on this matter!

[popireis]

Even if my maid didn’t ask our permission, I know she has FB account on her HP and she access it using her own top-up card that has data-plan. But I did not let her use our wifi, unless she is clever enough to know where to look for the key…


I do not allow them to take pictures of my children. If she takes pictures of my house I really wouldn’t know. I tried to search for her FB page but can’t find, they could be using bogus names and we wun know.

[Coolkidsrock2]

My maids do not have handphones as well. Their agents in their home country will confiscate it while they are at the training centre.


They will buy their handphones before they leave for good and I will check the album before they leave for the airport to ensure they do not have any photos of my home or kids.

My kids do not have Facebook and laptops are used strictly for school related work so I guess it is also a "tone from the top" kind of environment for us.

[Linlin]

My maid in Sg for 2 yrs plus. Her previous employer didn’t give her hp and she also never ask for it. She don’t have fb and I think if u pamper ur maid by giving hp then u shouldn’t b surprise she got fb etc. fb can help them to do part time job, find bf and also to show off her employer hm etc. Maid can reveal things about ur hse details like address, pic and some even update their status without knowing that they reveal the timing their employer not home. At the end of the day. If ur main purpose for having maid is to look after children or old aged is better not to give hp unless u willingly to take the risk. I came across old aged couple living with a maid (employer is daughter not staying with them) the maid is always on the phone or she will go out to ta bao food and take own sweet time back. Despite the old aged complaint to their daughter of the maid behavior the daughter didn’t seems to do anything until police came knocking door… The maid having numerous men no. and have complicated relationship…


If u willingly to give your maid anything like hp and off day then u must be prepare anything might happen and if they run, got BGR problem, sudden change and expecting more and more.

[cat_tail]

My maid has a fb a/c. Amazingly u dun need a data phone, just normal phone can do the updates & post pics! IT’s very addictive & whenever she got opportunity like I am not at home or in the room, she will start playing it. She is not aware I am watching her all the while till the day it get out of hand. She added 1000 frds including bangla, posting a lot of her own seductive pics in toilet & my bedroom, wearing my gal’s accessories & my clothings… Worst of all, she posted my kids fotos & called them a bunch of angry birds… I felt so offensive!!


Anway, I had kept her hp & made her deleted all the pics taken in my hm including my kids’ ones. I am sending her away soon.

[popireis]

Linlin:

If u willingly to give your maid anything like hp and off day then u must be prepare anything might happen and if they run, got BGR problem, sudden change and expecting more and more.

Is it our call to NOT give them offdays and hp? Can we say no? Even if employers willing to pay for their offdays, if they refuse and wants to take their days off, which is mandatory by MOM law, do we have the right to say No?

Can we refuse to let them hv hp too? Will they hv a case if employers \"keep\" their phones or do not allow them to buy phones with their own salary?

Frankly, I doubt most employers \"willingly\" do the above, but wat can employers do? There r so many activists out there fighting for the \"human rights\" of the fdw, do we hv an orgn fighting for the rights of the employers?

[twinkletoes]

Linlin:

My maid in Sg for 2 yrs plus. Her previous employer didn't give her hp and she also never ask for it. She don't have fb and I think if u pamper ur maid by giving hp then u shouldn't b surprise she got fb etc. fb can help them to do part time job, find bf and also to show off her employer hm etc.


If u willingly to give your maid anything like hp and off day then u must be prepare anything might happen and if they run, got BGR problem, sudden change and expecting more and more.

I got my first maid 11 years ago. Those days no HP and no FB. Yet she still managed to sneak out and meet her bangla bf. Told lies. Stole from me. So don't blame modern gadgets. It boils down to the individual maid. And luck. Not one nationality is better, new maid is also not necessarily better than transfer etc.

At the end of the day we have a stranger in our home. If we deny them contact to the outside world, no off days and no compensation, would they wake up in the morning feeling good or full of resentment? Yes sometimes we get those bad apples despite us treating them fairly. It's a risk. However, as a person, I can't ignore the basic rights of another person to want to communicate to their friends or family. So I agree with the laws to help these maids. Having said that, I wish MOM would listen to us and do more to protect employers as well. At the moment it seems one-sided.

[sparks]

I agree with twinkletoes. In this age & in our part of world, hp has become a necessary means of communication. Personally, I don't think it is right not to allow owning a hp esp if she is the one paying for it. Don't forget that we are short of helpers willing to come to Spore now. Unless you are prepared to do without a helper or even tahan paying high fees & risk getting a problematic one, we have to try to compromise somehow, in order to keep our current maid who has worked with us reasonably well.


Many years back,when I got my first maid, even without hp or off days then, she still manages to have a bf even though she's already married. So, yes, it is really the individual.

I am only thinking of using facebook as a reward for continuing to work with us. However, after reading some views here, I think it is better not to let her access my home computer. It is good that someone pointed out that you can access facebook thru hp's data plan (sorryI am a facebook & smartphone sotong :oops: ). So she still can use that option.