I've gone thro many horrible maids previously. My hubby says it's like they exchange 10-year series before they come & create havoc in our lives if things don't suit them.
These helpers will bring big bags out, find ways to escape checking & bring stuff back claiming their sisters, cousins, aunties gave them (when I see new shoes & bags every other weeks).
They'll break your plates, etc & if u tell them to be careful or not be careless, they'll say if we're not happy transfer them out or send them home. They know MOM rules protect them a lot. They don't hv to pay their own air ticket home even if they deliberately burn your clothes, spoil your clothes after wash, etc. They know we cannot abuse them. They'll use all tricks.
It's frustrating enough for me, but I learnt to be decisive & also not to pass my problems to others. I never keep maids whom I cannot trust, even if they'll with me less than one week if found dishonest, stealing or lying. They'll plead for me to send them to Batam not home. I never do that bcoz it's so cheap & easy for them to return & wreck ano family.
I keep good helpers & it's my responsibility to make them feel st home w/o making them same level as myself as an eyer. I don't spoil the mkt with higher pay, but share their concerns (buy appropriate books to send to their kids, explain what food & cooking style affects our health & hygiene, give them perspective to help their decision-making if their husband ask for 2nd wife, aunty keep asking for money, etc).
We only give a bonus at the end of contract (when we hired salary may change within year & our way to commensurate her worth) & give her her due of home leave. Over the many years, one of our helpers renewed 3 contracts before her parents health require her return. Our Mynmar helpers are younger & we keep them fr idle learning sewing, hair-cutting, English fr Community Centres. Small cost for us to divert their attention comparing only salary with others.
But when we encounter helpers whom we spot stealing, lying, dishonest or disobedient spirit, we send them off straight-away. One was sent 4-days after with our family, not her fault but we discovered her previous madam may hv found hubby "amorous" with her & transferred her away to us & she was all the time in daze. Started bcoz I found a bright red swimming suit in luggage & it disturbed my mind & she just cldnt do anything right tho I can tell she had understood my instructions & done correctly sometimes. Finally, I had to ask & she told me & I tried sending her back to agency but they denied even tho she said it happened. But agency simply tells me to transfer her if I don't like her. I brot her to make her police report & after her case, I sent her home with ex-gratia to help alleviate her family needs.
One pino girl stole my husband's new box of brief & my gift of Ferragamo necktie & she claimed she didn't put those in her luggage. We kept quiet, book her ticket for 1am, got MIL to watch my kids, got her up to pack & told her tickets bought sent straight to airport.
Ano Indo survived 3 mths with us but whole time I didn't hv peace w/out knowing where my inkling comes from. Just the way she always steal a look whenever she's cooking, cleaning, etc. Then her ex-eyer got in touch to say they made police report as she stole thousands after her hubby's last bz trip. I agreed to inspector into my home interrogate her, but she was very sly so no concrete evidence but apparently she's alr got a case file. I spoke to inspector before they came, and I know if can't arrest her, I still hv to let her work with me. I'm decisive & don't want unease hanging over my daily life with young kids, so before inspector arrived at appointed time, I bought her air-tic to Kalimantan to fly off 3 hours after being searched. She said too far, she "prefers" Batam. I told her my legal responsibility is to send her back & she's STILL under investigation & not to come back & prey on Singapore families. She never dare come back.
Most maid agencies are there to maximize profits. Whenever they've a chance, they'll quickly transfer & earn fr the helpers & new eyers ano round of commissions. One of my helpers was enticed to change job, oferring to find her a $100 jump in salary even tho she's happy with us. She was there only to help keep a frd company looking for new eyer when her contract completes. I don't rely on agencies anymore.
Do everything to protect your family. Money is nothing if something happens. Helpers only want to do anything that benefits themselves.