ARTICLES

USEFUL TIPS

Culture shock - Many domestic workers are not used to staying in a city as they usually come from a rural area. They may also have difficulty in understanding and communicating in the language you use at home. Therefore they would need some time to be familiar with your household habits. Common difficulties include using appliances like microwave ovens and washing machines as well as adjusting to living in high rise buildings. She would also be used to different practices in child-minding. In the first few months, it would be a good idea to spend time to orientate and train your maid.

Open communication - Your maid comes from a very different social, cultural and even religious background. She could be feeling homesick and lonely. As the employer, help her by letting her communicate with her family and friends back home, especially via mail to help alleviate her homesickness and sense of isolation.

Family integration - As far as is practical, integrate her into your family since she will stay in your home during her employment duration. Try and understand her different background. Exercising patience , tolerance and understanding will go a long way in minimising any disputes and conflicts that could affect her performance.

General well-being - As an employer, you are also responsible for your maid's general well-being including food, accommodation, basic necessities and medical care. She should be treated fairly and reasonably when you assign household duties to her. A happy and well-treated worker will give you less trouble than one who is unhappy.

Wages - You can either pay your maid by cash or credit her wages into her bank account. To avoid any misunderstanding, this should be properly documented and if a bank account is used, you should let her keep the account book. If by mutual agreement you are to keep the account book, she must be given access to check that payments are credited regularly.

Bonuses - Where appropriate, this should be considered because it acts as a good motivator. This could be in the form of an annual bonus or an end of contract term gratuity. These incentives may result in a maid who would serve her contract diligently and effectively.

Medical care - As an employer, you are responsible for the medical benefits of your worker. Should she require medical treatment, including hospitalisation, you are required to bear the full cost of medical care.
 
Accommodation - Where possible, your worker should be given a separate room of her own. In the event this is unavailable in your home, you should respect the need of the maid for privacy and ensure that sufficient private space for sleep is provided. Some examples of improper accommodation include making the maid sleep in the corridor or living room or sharing a room with a male adult.

Rest - A well-rested worker is more productive and better adjusted. Hence, you should ensure that your worker has sufficient rest, especially during the night and sufficient off days, which is mutually agreed upon between you and your maid

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10 TIPS ON HOW TO GET ALONG WITH MAIDS

Employer normally want maids to understand their needs but try to understand their needs and feelings too.

When the maids have just arrived, try to give them sometime to adapt to your house environment and don’t give them too much pressure. Slowly guide them day by day. Over teaching will not benefit them but will only make them confused. When the maids are familiar with what you have taught them, then you can increase the workload.

When maids make mistakes and does not admit why, this is because they are afraid employers will beat them or scold. When they have done something wrong, try to talk to them slowly. If you start to shout at them before you question the reason will only make them more afraid and they will tell more lies.

Do not show your care for them directly and let them remember that you are still their employer. Also, try not to have meals together with them on the same table. Doing this, will only let her think she has the same status as you and she may take advantage of this.

There are elderly at home who always cannot bear to let the maids overwork and always help them do the household chores, this will also spoil the maid. When this happens, the maid will not really work when the employer not at home, and will begin to bully the elderly family members, Try to advice elderly members not to be too lenient them.

For communication problems, try to be kind to them slowly and by not using long sentences. Maids that have been trained by agents should understand simple English.

If the maids take up too much time in doing the same household chores, let them know that if she could not finish before bedtime. She has to finish it before she goes to bed. Therefore, by doing this she will not take her own sweet time and work slowly.

Always check whether she has done a good job, and if it is not clean, ask her to redo it again. So next time, she will be afraid of redoing the same task and will clean it carefully to avoid more work.

Try to understand the maids nature. Sometimes the maids are stupid, but because they are born in less advanced provinces, equipment and things not available in their province. Give them sometime and teach them again because different household equipment render different functions.

Give them sufficient rest (eg. 8 hours per day) because lack of rest will result in less quality work and she will not be happy to work in your family. This will later lead her to perform badly and purposely mess up your things in order to make you angry with her and replace her. Remember, it won’t benefit you if you overwork her. Also, they are human beings and they are stupid. You can also seek help and advice from our agent if you encounter other problems.

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