Advice needed on maid. Pls Help!

piggy83

Member
Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2008 - 6:23 pm: Edit Post Print Post
Hi there. I'm a new mum and had juz employ a maid to help me with housework and take care of my baby when I'm going out to work in 3 months time. When me and my hubby went to the maid agency to chose the maid, the profile written there was 146cm 39 kg. and the maid is willing to take care of dogs. So we intend to employ her. But when we went to the agency to fetch her 3 weeks after, I noticed that she is far more shorter than 146 and very small built. Now she is with me 3 weeks le. She can do household job but she cant hang out the bamboo or take in the bamboo as she is too short.(I'm standing at 156 but she is shorter than me 1 head) Now i realized that if my baby reach 7 months she might have a problem carrying the baby. I'm thinking of changing her but worried might hurt her feelings. Can anyone teach me wat to do?
 


Hi Sharon, if the maid is hardworking, honest and has a good personality/attitude, height is secondary. Yes, there are inconveniences when handing out clothes and not being able to reach the top cupboards but all that can be solved by stool or ladder. Short women do give birth too and are all well abled to carry babies up to toddlerhood. There are a lot of horrible maids out there. If height is the only issue bothering you, you'll probably want to reconsider.
 
Hi Sharon,

Don't believe the bio-data fully. My fili maid data also got discrepancy with her height. Her data shows that she has ~152cm, the actual height is just ~140cm even shorter than me !!!

I called up the agent and complained but they just listen and keep quiet and persuade me to give her a chance to try. Since she has come all the way from Philps, we just try and see.

Really a lot of inconvenient, we really have to adjust.

1) We bought a stool for her to stand at the sink for washing utensils and plates etc.. and to reach for the plates and bowls placed on the metal rack that mounted on the wall near the sink.

2) Bought a set of metal standing pole for hanging our clothings outside our corridor instead hanging out from the windows.

3) A ladder for her to climb up and down to clean kitchen walls, cabinets and our wardrobe clothings and bedsheets that placed higher.

Her housework and looking after baby is so.. so.. only... Still need to keep reminding and supervise her the correct way of doing things.

Think twice before you act. REally dun like the hassle of changing and changing maids again.

In future, look for a more reliable agent.
 
i totally agree with mummy melissa. it is really a hassle changing of maid and having to teach them all over again. if your previous maid is good & hard working,why the need to change.i believe there must be other alternatives.
 
As long as she is hard working. height should not be a problem. my maid is short. but she can handle house work.
 
Any mummy here can advice me on the rates for a maid?? thxthx.
happy.gif
 
baobei,
your fil maid with how many years experience and ex-spore or UAE? i know some charging $400 with 2 days off!!!
which agency u go to?
 
Hi, everyone, I am looking for a maid at the moment, as I am a first time employer, I will be really appreciate if you can advice on the agent you go and the maid you have.

I don't know if it is right to get a maid in a bigger and more well known agent like Nation, JPB or Budget Home, as they are also advertise by TCS stars? Or, it will be better to get a maid from some small agency?

Can anyone out there give me some advice please?
 
Hi,

Has anyone encounter maid wanted to leave after contract to work in Hong kong with double the salary? anyone has maid come back to work after hong kong ? pls share.
 
Hi Jazi start with a simple duty roster first, like Monday washing toilet.

Tuesday, wash bedsheets.

Wednesday, Wash kitchen floor etc.

Do not lump all the 'hard work' into 1 day.

Besides these there are the routine daily chores, like washing clothes, sweeping the floor, look after kids, ironing, cooking etc.

Of course you must be flexible and communicate with your maid, example if it rain maybe instead of washing bedsheet you tell her to change to washing floor otherwise your bedsheet cannot dry due to the rain.
 
"If you are not happy, you can send me back to agency." or If you are not happy, you can get me transfer". These are two of the common phrases which employers hear from maids easily.

Simple to them. Employers' nightmares!
They argued they are human beings, deserved this deserved that at employer's expense. If we let them go due to their 'threats', poor attitude or working incapability (mindset is not to be a domestic helper), who suffered the most? Employers! By pretending unable to work, don't know how to carry out a task correctly after few trainings, weak or saying above, their wish are forced to be granted = sent back to agent. <font color="ff0000">How to hire and pay for a domestic helper when you're the one slogging at home &amp; work or forever at the losing end?</font>

We suffer time loss to find new replacement, re-train, take annual leave, pay additional costs imposed by agency and MOM.

MOM collects levy comfortably, agency continues to count money + no responsibilities, maid granted the luxury to rest at agency while employer pays for daily lodging and food (waiting for transfer), etc. Is this how Singaporean employers should be treated?

We paid levy, paid agency fee and insurance but what protection do we get? Anybody or organisation bothers to know the quality of maid nowadays is not worth the high pay? It is really high pay, compared to Hongkong because employers are paying levy, salary, agency fee, binded by repatriation clause (air-ticket) + security bond terms (runaway means $2500 to $5000 gone), in-house food &amp; lodging, etc.

A lot of local cleaners or housekeepers do not receive take home pay of $400-500 per month but maids do! Maids don't need to pay for food, transport, housing loan, CPF, education &amp; medical in Spore, etc. So is take home pay of $400-500 per month really low?? Taking into consideration, their demands are so high these days... more off days, chat on mobile frequently, no hanging of bamboo laundry, can't wash windows or car, shorter working hours (mine has 9-10 hrs rest), etc.

<font color="0000ff">Seriously, if you've a better choice, don't hire maid. The reason why we are suffering is because there's a high demand for maids in Spore. No matter how harsh, how unfair the terms are set, as long as the demand for FDWs didn't gone down sharply, our voices won't be heard.</font>

<font color="ff0000">I wrote to MP, even PM but they don't care! Grassroots came to visit my house and vanished (no follow-up). CEL kept giving suggestions that are non-feasible. Gov, CEL or MOM only read key words, not content of your message/problems so they kept giving wrong or impossible suggestion. 说风凉话 These people are not in my/our shoes or have no time to look at our root cause properly.</font> 事不关己 I suppose, we're small flies, not worth the effort and attention. So what I'm a locally born citizen. I don't have any strong backup to voice on my behalf nor am I or my hubby in an industry or position that commands power.

Highlighted my situation and reluctance to hire a maid..... I have a special needs child, no childcare or daycare centre setup for her or willing to accept her. Really forced to hire a maid so that I can work. If continue to stay home, we're unable to bear the costs of Sg high living standards. Get financial assistance .... you think so easy to ask govt for money? You able to withstand the coldness of your social worker, insensitivity, continuous financial assessment (means testing) and help (S$) that is insufficient.... having a special needs child or disability is costly in Spore!

I don't want maid but I don't have a choice. I've stayed home for many years, a financial drainage, used future money .... I have to work but government not compassionate or willing to help.

Advice: If you've a better choice (most of you should be better than me), especially if you or friend has encountered errant/princess maid, don't try to get yourself in messy business, no fun, stressful, nightmares, money wasted vs quality hired. The new era maids are not here to lighten your loads. If you want a big baby to take care or money nowhere to spend, they fit well!
 

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