Treat a maid like part of the family? O-owhhh it's a MISTAKE!!

What is a good employer ?

As an employer, I have learned my lesson that there is no use treating a maid like part of the family, or give her a lot of freedom. Many employers make this mistake, thinking that their maids will be grateful and try their best to perform well. The fact is that the maid will think that since you treat her so well, that means you cannot do without her. The maid believes that she can do anything, and you will not send her away. Treating the maid like part of the family, sharing your expensive food with her, etc, is NOT going to change a bad maid into a good maid !

Whether you get a good maid or not, depends entirely on your luck. I believe that as employers, it is important to treat maids in the same way as our employers treat us. In a company, if a person performs badly on his/her job, or has a very bad attitude, he/she will be fired. When a person works for a company, he/she must follow all the instructions strictly. No company will employ you and let you do anything you like. For maids, it should work the same way. At home, house rules are equivalent to job requirements and work instructions when we work in a company. If the maid does not like the job requirements, she can always ask to leave. If the maid finds a better employer and asks to leave, we should just let her go. If you resign, can your boss refuse to let you go ?

As employers, we should always keep our conscience clear.

1. Salary

If the maid is very hardworking, and performs very well, then please pay her the salary that she deserves. I am paying my maid $500 a month now, because she is a very good maid. She used to earn only $300 when she first started to work for me. I slowly increased her salary over 3 years when she has proven herself as a very good maid. My maid also understands that it is impossible for her to find a job that pays so high, so she really treasures working for me.

Many people think that Singaporean employers are paying their maids a salary which is too low. The fact is the initial salary is agreed between the maid and the maid agency ! Employers DO NOT set the salary when we employ a new maid from the maid agency. All employers are free to pay their maids any salary. I know there are many maids who are paid above $450 in Singapore.

However, I think there are many employers of FDW who earns only about $2000 – $3000 every month. The government makes us pay $170 levy every month. The total cost of employing a maid can take up a large portion of the employer’s salary. For employers who cannot afford to pay their maid a high salary, then please be fair to the maid and consider giving her a reasonable work load and off days.

2. Work Load

Look at the work that you ask your maid to do everyday. Ask yourself whether you can do all those work if you were to stay at home. If you cannot do it, then don’t expect your maid to be able to do it !

What is a reasonable work load ? This is my personal opinion :

If a maid is taking care of a baby below one year old, and/or a toddler below 3 years old, without any help from grandparents, then the maid cannot be expected to do the full load of housework. She should be able to cook for herself and the children under her care, and probably only mop the floor once a day while the children are sleeping. It is NOT reasonable to expect her to do anything else. She should be allowed to do other housework during weekends when parents take over the kids.

If a maid is taking care of 3 kids all below the age of 3 or 4, without any help, then it is NOT reasonable to ask her to do any housework except to cook for herself and the kids.

If the maid is taking care of 2 or 3 kids, all above the age of 3, without any help, she should be able to cook for herself and the whole family, mop the floor, and perhaps do laundry when the kids are attending kindergarten/nursery.

However, if grandparents are helping to look after the kids, then the maid should be able to do more.

Parents should understand that their kids are the most important people in their lives. You don’t want a tired and overworked maid looking after you kids, anything can happen !

3. Sufficient Rest

Can you work everyday of the year without any rest ? If you are unable to do so, then don’t expect that from a maid ! I know maids who developed mental problems after working for 2 years or more without any off day. Now with the changes to the Security Bond, employers do not need to lose their Security Bond when the maid gets pregnant. Please click the following for more information :

Change in Security Bond Conditions

For employers who are afraid that the maid will be badly influenced by other maids, do remember that you only pay the maid a salary to work for you. You have no right to control the friends she likes to mix with. You have no right to cut off her communication. If the maid wants to turn bad, she will turn bad no matter what you do. My maid has one off day every alternate Sunday, she is still a good maid after working for me for 3 years.

Every one of us will be happy to have a job that pays well, has a very reasonable workload, and sufficient rest for us. High pay and reasonable workload will NOT change a bad maid to a good maid. But these conditions will certainly retain a maid who is willing to work hard.

Info di ambil dari web Muslimahmaid.com. Thx for sharing :) ada juga betul kata dia.... memang tak guna pun buat baik dengan maid ni. Tapi aku rasa mostly maid Indon yang banyak buat hal. Depan cakap lain , belakang cakap lain. Very pretending! So skang aku tengah kumpul info sepatutnya yang boleh digunakan untuk berdepan dengan next maid. Haiiihhh.. harap2 maid tu sampai sebelum hujung bulan. Lagi bagus kalo dpt sebelum raya cina...