All About Full-Time Maids

[DesertWind]

moonee:

Just curious, do u all raise yr maids salary after her loan or stick to the same salary recommended for 2 yrs. Do u give bonus as an incentive?

Hi Moonee,
For my good Indon. maid, she joined us in Sept. and after 3 months, we found her to be excellent help and gave her 1-month bonus at year-end before her loan was fully repaid. She was so happy she called home to send back the money because she borrowed some money from relatives in order to come here to work.

After that, during CNY, she got ang-pows from us and relatives when we go visiting. Then couple of months later her birthday we also gave her ang pow. That means during the 7 months without salary, actually she still get money through the above. I believe it sort of encouraged her to do her best as well.

Each year so far I think we gave her 2 months bonus (1 mth from me, another from hubby). As for increment, after 2 years then I increase SGD20 a bit only in front of the embassy officer.

However in her third year, so far I think I have raised 2 times for her since she hinted about her pay (she spoke to her friends on her outings who apparently told her to ask for more). Her pay now is still below SGD500.

When she goes for off-days, I gave her SGD20/= for her transport and meals.
:celebrate:

[tansan]

hi all,

im new in this forum and also new in engaging a maid. can any kind soul provide me with recommended maid agency and perhaps advice me which nationalities of maid to engage.

many thanks in advance!

[DesertWind]

LKVM:

DesertWind:

That means during the 7 months without salary, actually she still get money through the above. I believe it sort of encouraged her to do her best as well.

Not all maids will appreciate it... and some may think its their right to be paid extra!! so guess if she behaving still so well I am sure ur very lucky :celebrate:

Hi LKVM,
Some think it is their right to be paid extra? :!:
Perhaps those very experienced and already spoiled by other employers?

How is your maid so far? Since our last discussion you were thinking about sending her back right? So have you decided already?

:celebrate:

[Angelight]

DesertWind, you are quite generous to your maid, yet she still asks for more pay :shock: , guess that is the result of going out on off days when she gets to meet her friends and compare this and that.


My previous maid also 'changed' after she went on her off day, and became very discontented and argumentative after that...

That's why I'm abit hesistant now whether to give the next maid off day or not. Personally I do feel the maid shld have at least one off day a month so that she can run her own errand instead of having to face the employer 365 days a year, 24 by 7. But on the other hand, when they go on off days, they meet other people and start comparing this and that. There is also the worry that they may mix with the wrong company. So what gives? Any one has any advice or sharings for me?

[DesertWind]

Angelight:

DesertWind, you are quite generous to your maid, yet she still asks for more pay :shock: , guess that is the result of going out on off days when she gets to meet her friends and compare this and that.


My previous maid also 'changed' after she went on her off day, and became very discontented and argumentative after that...

That's why I'm abit hesistant now whether to give the next maid off day or not. Personally I do feel the maid shld have at least one off day a month so that she can run her own errand instead of having to face the employer 365 days a year, 24 by 7. But on the other hand, when they go on off days, they meet other people and start comparing this and that. There is also the worry that they may mix with the wrong company. So what gives? Any one has any advice or sharings for me?

Hi Angelight,

My maid have zero off-days during her 1st 2-years with me as it was stated in contract she prefers to take extra money instead. She also had no hand-phone for 2 years.

In her 3rd year after contract renewal, I offered to give her off days and she asked for 1-day off every 2 months. Bearing in mind I allowed her to go home for 2-weeks every year hence if you want to count, she already have \"off-days\" in this way. So 1 off-day every 2 months plus 2-weeks per year sort of equivalent to 1 off day each month.

Because I asked her which she prefers and she wants to go home every year so give up more off-days. She also \"automatic\" because she said she knows she cannot have everything! (That's why I like her you see? This maid is intelligent and understanding! :lol: )

As for her friends, I asked her where she finds them? She said most met on the plane, just say hello, talk and then exchange phone numbers to go out. After each outing, we will chat and I ask her where she & friends go, what they do, what they eat, buy etc... just chatting not interogating!

As for the pay increase, actually she just hinted that her friends told her we cannot get maid with her experience at this pay anymore. I can choose to ignore it but want to increase for her since she good helper. But yes, a bit \"painful\" initially because I already am quite generous with her in other ways (ie. those bonus, ang pows and I did not mentioned before when my husband and me sold our apartments, we also gave her 2 months extra!).

But since at 3 years her pay still below SGD500 and she takes care of my boy really well, I feel it is only right to give her more. Comparatively if I were to get a local nanny, minimum pay now is at least SGD500 to SGD600. So this maid takes care of boy and do housework too so I deem it worth-while. Of course we got to pay maid - levy which is additional cost (but not to maid leh). We also provide food and lodgings hence all adds up to quite a lot of money. But then I am working so OK lah (money is \"outside-body\" item! ).

Other things I gave my maid:
1. Brand new perfume which comes with the perfume I bought.
2. Also new watch (about SGD400) which my colleagues gave me but I hardly wear.
3. Diamond pendant from LEE HWA and white-gold necklace. Also a gift from colleagues I hardly use (it brings bad memories for me).
4. Those free handbags that come with cosmetics purchases. Also free cosmetics from Clinique that comes with skin-care products I buy.
5. Clothes from me that I can no longer wear. Recently brought her to buy new jeans and tops from OG. Also pants from Marks & Spencer (because she is quite big size #16 leh so might as well buy quality stuff!).
6. Old baby / kids clothes my son no longer can wear she brought back to Indo. for her relatives.
7. Brand new shoes/sandals.
8. Recently gave up buying clothes for her girl just gave her SGD100 to go shopping on her own before she goes home.

When she goes out with her friends using all the above, her friends asked her where she buys them? She said all from ma'am! ke..ke..ke..

But I read here somebody gave her maid 5 months bonus!
:!:
Wah, I not so generous leh!

:celebrate:

[moonee]

Desertwind… u are really very generous and so are a lot of others who posted here. None of my maids stayed long enuf to enjoy any monetary benefits. I only gave one a 300 dollar angpow on her last day plus loads of toys bags and gifts. She deserved it. As for the recent maids I had and have now, they r lucky i didnt cut their pay.

I normally assess their performance and attitude, if I have one that is honest , I will give her a yearly bonus and shower her with gifts. JUst too bad , I m very dissapointed again this year with my current Mynmar maid and am going tru biodatas again :x :x

[moonee]

Angelight:

I'm also getting a Myanmar maid this time, previous one was Indon. Heard that Myanmar maid is more mild mannered though a slower worker. But I'm willing to train from scratch, after having ex-Sin maids who have attitude problems. Hopefully this fresh maid will turn out well for me.

I too went tru hell with a lot of transfered indon n filipina maids. Not all Mynmars remain slow for long. once they get to know yr duties, they cn b quite fast. Some Mynmars can b very faithful when they know u hv confidence in them. u hv taken ex spores for sometime so u should mentally prepare urslf for quite a big change, dnt expect a fresh mynmar to know wat to do unlike the indons n filipinas. U may find a mynmar standing around after she has completed her duty waiting for u to tell her wat to do next. If shes fresh, u may have to demonstrate to make her understand at times. Nowadays depending on who yr agent is, they do hv some form of basic training.

[DesertWind]

moonee:

Desertwind.. u are really very generous and so are a lot of others who posted here. None of my maids stayed long enuf to enjoy any monetary benefits. I only gave one a 300 dollar angpow on her last day plus loads of toys bags and gifts. She deserved it. As for the recent maids I had and have now, they r lucky i didnt cut their pay.

I normally assess their performance and attitude, if I have one that is honest , I will give her a yearly bonus and shower her with gifts. JUst too bad , I m very dissapointed again this year with my current Mynmar maid and am going tru biodatas again :x :x

Hi moonee,
So are you going to hire another Mynmar maid?
:celebrate:

[moonee]

DesertWind:

moonee:

Desertwind.. u are really very generous and so are a lot of others who posted here. None of my maids stayed long enuf to enjoy any monetary benefits. I only gave one a 300 dollar angpow on her last day plus loads of toys bags and gifts. She deserved it. As for the recent maids I had and have now, they r lucky i didnt cut their pay.

I normally assess their performance and attitude, if I have one that is honest , I will give her a yearly bonus and shower her with gifts. JUst too bad , I m very dissapointed again this year with my current Mynmar maid and am going tru biodatas again :x :x

Hi moonee,
So are you going to hire another Mynmar maid?
:celebrate:

Well, hv been going tru some biodatas but all too short. Need the maid to be my mums height and at least 5 ft. Ahhh, so tired, really so very tired of changing maids. Im into my 6th maid soon, all the hasstle I went tru going up and down to the agent countless times n someting wrong will crop up between them n my mum. Looks like my life is centered around maids and their problems till I hardly pay much attention to my dd now. So stressssing!! Very time consuming and interupts with my regular schdule. I need to fetch my dd to her classes aftr sch and the timing seems to clash if i have to go to the agent. :stupid: :stupid:

[peapot]

Hi all,


Not all Myanmar maids are good. It really boils down to luck. I have a friend who has a Myanmar maid who works for her years. But my myanmar maid only works for me 1month and I can feel my blood pressure went up during that one month. I have already transfer her out. My current maid is ex-Singapore 4 years indonesian and I absolutely have no issues with her. So, conclusion it really boils down to luck and not nationality.