Sorry....it's a maid question.... | ExpatWoman.com
 

Sorry....it's a maid question....

7
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 01 August 2014 - 14:27

Hello ladies, sorry to bother you but need some advice please.

My maid has given me notice to terminate her contract after only a year with us (her contract was two years). She is now actively looking for another job which she has told me will pay her 'far more than we do' (we currently pay her 2,000 and she does hardly anything).

I have no problems that she is going as we have had several problems with her since she started (rushes her work, breaks everything in sight, is constantly in her room on the internet even when there are things to be done in the house and seems to have no safety awareness when it comes to kids - she will often leave the iron or hob on unattended even when I have told her countless times not to). Basically, she is not committed. She has told us that herself. These are just a few issues, there are far more believe me, so I will not be sad to see her go.

I have two questions;

1. Is it awful to fly her straight back home after her 12 months are up even though she wants to use her month's grace period to find another job?

2. What are we liable to pay her? We will, of course, be paying her one months holiday pay / salary when she leaves and her flight home but is there something else I am missing?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Daisy x
edited by gentledaisy on 01/08/2014
<em>edited by gentledaisy on 01/08/2014</em>

5452
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 02 August 2014 - 21:20
I have been thinking recently about the worthiness of having a maid. When you total the visa fees, salary, plane ticket, medical fees, toiletries, clothes, food, utilities, wiring money, phone credit, etc., it is actually really expensive to have a maid! You also have to deal with all of the drama of having an extra person in your home. Nowadays, so many companies provide services that maids do, such as indoor and outdoor cleaning, ironing, grocery delivery, etc., and you can avail of those services without going through all the sponsorship hoopla. So I think that maids should be on their toes nowadays. Unless they are offering something of extreme value to a family, like cooking or child care, it seems a lot of hassle for nothing. There really is no place for a lazy maid. And as I wrote down below, if you find that your maid is not making your life easier, then why have her at all? Sorry for the rant but I am starting to think that us EWers should make a list of how much a maid costs annually and then decide if it is really worth having one....
7
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 August 2014 - 16:13
mama5, maybe you have misunderstood my post. I AM allowing her to find another job (please remember my maid is choosing to leave it was not me who gave her notice). My issue is that I would rather not have her here still on our visa for the 30 day grace period (which is AFTER her contract has finished which is months away). She has the w/ends off and I have told her she is more than welcome to go for job interviews in the evenings whilst she is still working for us. My decision for this is NOT down to her work ethics, it is due to past experiences where she has proven to be irresponsible and untrustworthy. Trust me, I will not be getting another maid. @llovechoos - thank you for your response. I would like to add that I have a lot of empathy towards my maid, too much I have been told by my friends. I actually can't sleep because it is constantly on my mind. I did not even think about flying her to Kish and of course I would agree to that, if that is what she wants. I will put it to her and see what she says. Thanks for all your replies. edited by gentledaisy on 02/08/2014 <em>edited by gentledaisy on 02/08/2014</em>
151
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 August 2014 - 15:47
Hello ladies, sorry to bother you but need some advice please. My maid has given me notice to terminate her contract after only a year with us (her contract was two years). She is now actively looking for another job which she has told me will pay her 'far more than we do' (we currently pay her 2,000 and she does hardly anything). I have no problems that she is going as we have had several problems with her since she started (rushes her work, breaks everything in sight, is constantly in her room on the internet even when there are things to be done in the house and seems to have no safety awareness when it comes to kids - she will often leave the iron or hob on unattended even when I have told her countless times not to). Basically, she is not committed. She has told us that herself. These are just a few issues, there are far more believe me, so I will not be sad to see her go. I have two questions; 1. Is it awful to fly her straight back home after her 12 months are up even though she wants to use her month's grace period to find another job? 2. What are we liable to pay her? We will, of course, be paying her one months holiday pay / salary when she leaves and her flight home but is there something else I am missing? Any advice would be much appreciated. Daisy x edited by gentledaisy on 01/08/2014 edited by gentledaisy on 01/08/2014 @Gentledaisy, just remember one thing that the maid has done which pleased you and your family so much and release her to find a job for the sake of her family and in the end God will reward you with another very nice maid
277
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 August 2014 - 15:12
I am sorry but I think its pretty harsh, can you not let her have the opportunity to go to Kish and come back on a tourist visa to search for a job. You do not have to have her on your visa, a tourist company can organize it and she can pay for it if she really wants to stay. She might be useless and lazy, but she's got a family to provide for. If it was me I would probably have more empathy for her family and her. I dont think you should give her a reference, or anything beyond what you owe her but giving her that Kish option could help her family (and maybe prevent her from a terrible situation in Saudi, or Qatar).... It might even be cheaper for you in the long run. Sending her to Kish instead of the Phillipines is way cheaper and tell her she has to pay for her own tourist visa. Anyway these girls all know how to work the system, the chances of her getting on that plane to the Phillipnes is pretty slim. Once her passport is stamped at the airport with an cancellation, you have no control over her. She will either have another ticket to Kish, or Oman and take that flight instead, or perhaps get off at another country on route - i.e. Singapore or HK both countries she won't need a visa for. Good luck, its a horrible situation to be in.
3
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 August 2014 - 14:16
Intriguing post. Is it awful to fly her straight back home? Absolutely not. She is already actively looking for a job and she has the weekends off to go attend interviews... plus you are going on holiday and she will probably make the most of it trying to get a new job. I'd 'be a cow' and fly her home at the earliest.
5452
Posts
EW MASTER
Latest post on 02 August 2014 - 13:14
Hi, I'm not sure what sort of contract she is on but my understanding is that if you are an expat sponsoring then the contracts are yearly. It is only locals that get 2 year visas for housemaids. at. If an expat uses an agency to find a maid, then they, just like a local will get a two year contract with the maid. The visa has to be renewed after a year but the maid agrees to work for two years and that condition was accepted before leaving her country...
1184
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 August 2014 - 12:38
I heard of maids asking for 3500-4000 even 4500. Usually they were also very specific on other needs, like " I need internet" " I never work after 6 pm" or "my previous madam gave me an iPhone but it is broken now, it would be very hard for me not to have one". I do not think they will ever find a job.
2043
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 02 August 2014 - 12:07
The only maids I have heard of who earn AED 3500 + have driving licenses and act as a family driver too. I am so glad I don't need a live in maid, I would be a useless boss! <em>edited by Cornish Pixie on 02/08/2014</em>
7
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 August 2014 - 11:47
Yes, she is right. She would not be able to come back here but she can still work in other GCC countries like Kuwait, Qatar, and the KSA. I'm sure that she'd be thrilled to know that. She could also go to Singapore... edited by gentledaisy on 02/08/2014 Oh lord, I'm going to hide my best crockery when she learns about that. I can't let her go early because we need her to look after our house when we are away on holiday. Also she has decided to take a cookery course in the evenings which she has paid for so I would feel a complete cow if she didn't finish it. Sadly, 'no' she does not make my life easier (apart from having a fairly clean house that is it). That is a good question to ask. Actually, I think it is very much the other way around. She has a very easy life with us and rarely works beyond 5pm plus she has the w/ends off. I don't begrudge her for wanting to find another job and earn more money but can maids out here really earn AED 3,500 a month (which she is expecting earn in her next job)? Thanks again for your advice. It is much appreciated. Daisy x p.s not sure why it has turned into a long quote........I am new at this and have no idea what I am doing lol. edited by gentledaisy on 02/08/2014 <em>edited by gentledaisy on 02/08/2014</em>
5452
Posts
EW MASTER
Latest post on 02 August 2014 - 10:12
Yes, she is right. She would not be able to come back here but she can still work in other GCC countries like Kuwait, Qatar, and the KSA. I'm sure that she'd be thrilled to know that. She could also go to Singapore... If she doesn't have much time on her visa left, you might think of sending her home now. And remember this: If your maid is not making your life easier, then what is the point of having her? I also have to tell this to myself as I have a similar issue...
7
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 August 2014 - 10:02
1. IMHO, no. In any case, I don't think that it would be easy for her to find another housemaid position in this country without references from you. If she is as lazy as you say, then who would want to hire her, especially with her high salary expectations.... 2. You only need to pay for her ticket home. If she had been good, you could have offered her a leaving bonus, but it doesn't sound like she deserves that... Thanks AnonDubai for your reply. I spoke to her last night and told her I was flying her home (back to the Philippines) as soon as her contract was up. It wasn't pleasant. Lots of tears and she told me that if I did that, I would be ruining her life and her children's as she would not be able to come back here due to a recent ban? If she had been committed and hadn't pushed the boundaries all the time I would have happily let her stay for the extra 30 days. The fact is, the thought of her staying in Dubai during that period, still on our visa, doing god knows what, fills both my husband and I with fear. We simply don't want to take the risk. I know I shouldn't, but I feel dreadful. So now I have to endure her moodiness and listen to her take out her aggression on my Dyson until her contract expires. Oh happy days, lol.
656
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 01 August 2014 - 23:22
Hi, I'm not sure what sort of contract she is on but my understanding is that if you are an expat sponsoring then the contracts are yearly. It is only locals that get 2 year visas for housemaids. Anyway if she is asking to leave before her contract is up then you don't have to give her a flight home. I don't think you even need to give her the holiday pay either but her contract will clarify that.
5452
Posts
EW MASTER
Latest post on 01 August 2014 - 19:14
1. IMHO, no. In any case, I don't think that it would be easy for her to find another housemaid position in this country without references from you. If she is as lazy as you say, then who would want to hire her, especially with her high salary expectations.... 2. You only need to pay for her ticket home. If she had been good, you could have offered her a leaving bonus, but it doesn't sound like she deserves that...
 
 

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