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ewmoda

If you hire illegal maids.....

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3804

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:51

Teabag, you can use a pet sitting agency like Homely Petz, they'll look after the dog and take care of your plants.

211

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:50

They usually bring me a small gift as a thank you so I suppose this counts!!?? It hasn't come up yet vis-a-vis our holiday but we are away this year for a month and I am at a bit of a loss about what to do with the dog, houseplants and garden. We don't have a gardener (are they legal?) and access to the garden is through the house anyway so we do it ourselves. An agancy maid would have to come in a couple of times a day for the dog which would be really tricky - what to do? I suppose I coupld still ask my friend's maid to do it - when she's here anyway looking after their dog but I would feel awful not to be able to thank her for her help. Does it mean that tipping the guys who load your shopping is also illegal? - You don't sponsor them and you are not actually paying their employers for their company. Another legal minefield. And I thought wills were complicated!! <em>edited by Teabag on 22/03/2011</em>

3804

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:49

Doesn't everyone want to earn as much as they can? Where I work, we all pay for our visas (illegal) it states in our contracts 'no outside work' yet everyone does it and our sponsor turns a blind eye, so long as it doesn't get in the way of our contracted work. So it happens in other sectors too. So it really is about time the rules changed.

vero possumus37927

876

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:47

anyway, maids are domestic workers and here in the UAE this is considered menial work. If you start increasing the salaries then they would stop working for the locals, and that is NOT what the UAE wants. if you wish to do that elsewhere, then go ahead.

vero possumus37927

876

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:46

it does not matter how much you pay them. it is in 'their' (yes, I wrote that) blood. they cannot stop themselves....they want more and more

2222

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:44

If I water my neighbour's garden when they are away - am I also acting illegally? If you are charging for it, yes....

322

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:43

Interesting information. However, maybe people should stop and consider why people take on extra work? If the wages came up and weren't so low in the first place, then they wouldn't feel the need to seek other work to earn a bit more. Give credit where it's due for taking initiative and the drive to work hard to earn more to support families who are far away. The laws really need to relax a little, or people need to pay more to stop it. You can't hold someone captive and working 7 days a week to prevent it. But in the meantime, I guess people do need to be wary of it all. Just out of interest how much would you consider maids should be paid to stop them looking for work elsewhere? Some maids will no matter how much they are paid if they can get a few dhs more and for some easy work they will. Regardless of the contract or law. Time maids have to pay a deposit for themselves or the law needs to be changed.

211

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:42

I have a question. We have a regular agency maid a couple of times a week. If we went on holiday and left our houseplants/garden watering/pets to be daily minded by a friend's maid - is this still illegal? And if so... If I water my neighbour's garden when they are away - am I also acting illegally?

4747

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:38

I have been an expat in the GCC for over ten years, the UAE for 6 of them. This is not my first post. I post occasionally but have created this id as the other person that I refer to in this post may be a member here too. My family has lived quietly and respectful of the ways of the middle east. Almost a year ago, my maid was discovered working part-time for another expat in our compound. Fortunately my husband was able to reduce the fine from 100,000AED to 50,000. This did not spare him from court and a humiliating experience with the police. My children (who are older now) fully understand why our maid was in jail and it has affected them too. My husbands crime: legally sponsoring a maid, providing food, accommodation and two days off per week. She, in turn, worked part-time for many other people. Our maid had been informed that she was to work for us only, no part-time or other work. We trusted her with our children, our home. She had worked hard for us and we rewarded her well for over 4 years. My husband has spent countless hours dealing with the repercussions of her actions. I will not go into the repercussions for the other party found with her. Frankly, I don’t care. What I can tell you is that after almost a year in the legal system, my husband has successfully sued the other family for the AED50,000. Our case is lodged and should the other party attempt to pass immigration, they will be arrested. I write this because if this happens to you, it may take a while but you can recover at least some of your money that was lost in fines wrongly attributed to you. (we had just renewed her so lost that money too) Do not hire illegal maids, it is selfish and unbelievable stressful to good and honest people who sponsor legally. I have always told people straight about this, but some will not be told. Oh they say it wont happen to me, well it does, I have know a couple of people thats its happened to over the 14 years I have been here in Abu. Its also a nitemare as one case that i know it took over 6 months to sort out and the loss of your passport while it is sorted out, what happens if you needed to leave the country you cant you are stuck.

3804

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:33

Interesting information. However, maybe people should stop and consider why people take on extra work? If the wages came up and weren't so low in the first place, then they wouldn't feel the need to seek other work to earn a bit more. Give credit where it's due for taking initiative and the drive to work hard to earn more to support families who are far away. The laws really need to relax a little, or people need to pay more to stop it. You can't hold someone captive and working 7 days a week to prevent it. But in the meantime, I guess people do need to be wary of it all.

5400

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:28

Different world. In Geneva, there tends to be a blind eye turned to helpers who are there illegally as there is a move to allow them to be legal, anyhow, as very few Genevans will do the work. Portuguese and Filipina ladies who marry Swiss nationals and thereby get Swiss nationality, immediately stop working as cleaning ladies and take a step up to work in a supermarket. Illegal workers are only turned in by people who bear a grudge against their employer or the worker, it seems to be something local government would prefer not to have to deal with.

2222

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:27

Many people get 'paid' here for doing govt service. Taxi drivers, gardeners etc I'm being really dim here. When you say 'paid', why is it in inverted commas? People who inform.... commission based i would presume......

vero possumus37927

876

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:23

Many people get 'paid' here for doing govt service. Taxi drivers, gardeners etc I'm being really dim here. When you say 'paid', why is it in inverted commas?it is not official.

425

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:23

Also, there are people from the municipality that do random checks. They ring the bell and ask you if you have a maid and ask to see the contract.

5400

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:22

Many people get 'paid' here for doing govt service. Taxi drivers, gardeners etc I'm being really dim here. When you say 'paid', why is it in inverted commas?

5400

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:21

How are maids who work illegally, and their sponsors, discovered? watchman call the police if the maids don't pay them / put out, random spot checks. Crikey. (About the watchmen.) Who carries out the random spot checks? People don't inform on the neighbour they've had an argument with about their dog pooing in their drive, then?

vero possumus37927

876

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:14

That all depends on the agency status. If the agency is in Dubai but they have sub contracted the maid from Abu Dhabi, then you are all in trouble anyway.

100

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:13

I have a full-time, live-in agency maid. It says in her contract that she is not to work elsewhere and we have also told her the same. She has two days off per week. If she is working on her days off and gets caught would it be my responsibility or her sponsor (i.e. the agency)?

vero possumus37927

876

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:08

Many people get 'paid' here for doing govt service. Taxi drivers, gardeners etc

2222

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:07

How are maids who work illegally, and their sponsors, discovered? watchman call the police if the maids don't pay them / put out, random spot checks.

5400

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 12:05

How are maids who work illegally, and their sponsors, discovered?

vero possumus37927

876

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 11:42

Perhaps you could keep a few months salary as a security deposit? If immigration set this law in place it might help. Some agencies ask you to pay a few months salary, and this gets released to the family after she has completed her contract/

5400

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 11:41

well in this case, the authorities DO mind, which is why it is so weird that EW allows all this nonsense. :-P I agree, but as has been said often and often, strange double standards apply in Dubai on many things.

2222

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 11:34

Lets be realistic here, the only reason that maids are here is to earn money - a lot more than they can earn in their own country. If they are given 2 days off a week, and can earn an additional 500 AED a week by working both days, they are going to. Whether or not you have told them not to. That equates to about an extra 2000 AED a month - the same as you are paying them. Now am not saying all maids working for expats are taking an extra job - but you can guarantee the vast majority are. In real terms it means that they can pay for their house / land / pay of debts in half the time.

1052

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 11:26

I dont agree that you should not allow your maids to venture away from you or your property they are human beings employees not prisoners, how would you feel if your employer said you were not allowed to leave your premises?? They are entitled to their day off for recreation and to spend time with their friends and families just as we are! Having said this i think there should be a way to protect employers from this i have concerns that mine may be working on a Saturday even though we advised her this was not allowed under any circumstances, perhaps we could put a thread on maids page and post names, description of maids see if anyone is hiring this person, i dont know what the answer is but we need to do something to protect ourselves from this which does not involve keeping the maids indoors under watchful eye constantly.

322

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 11:24

After reporting out helper for absconding, the lady in immigration said to me, Westerners think we are cruel to our maids as we do not give a day off, but the reality is you give them time off, they go out, work for other people, get pregnant even sell themselves. It does say in their contract to a day off, but this really causes sponsors a problem and we hear some horror stories after a maids day off. She did also say not all maids do this but in her job she has heard so many stories it is easier to keep them working. Not sure I agree with her completely but i understood where she was coming from. I think it would be better that the maid pays the deposit and if they abscond/work for someone else they loose the money and not the sponsor, but that is probably another thread. I know as a maids sponsor we are held 100% accountable for them but unless we keep them on a chain and lead how on earth is this realistic?

5400

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 11:10

Sorry, I know this isn't relevant, but I'm reminded of a friend of ours who worked as a teacher in Geneva for many years without a work-permit. This was supposedly not legal, but the authorities didn't mind as long as she paid her taxes, which were deducted from her salary, which was declared by the school :)

vero possumus37927

876

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 11:07

People appear to only be concerned with the high fines. Otherwise many of the EW'ers seem to condone breaking the law here by working illegally. Cake bakers, mobile hair dressing, cookery classes etc etc When we highlight these issues, EW just deletes the comment but still leaves the thread up. boggling really.

fairycakeyumm21878

2239

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 10:18

Totally agree, we have just found out that our maid who we sponsered only 4 months ago has been working somewhere else. we have reported and put a ban on her and cancelled her visa at the moment shes a run away but her brothers boss is helping to track her down, so hopefully ill get her on that plane. We also made it clear that she must not work for others, at immigration she even had the cheek to blame my dh and said we let her work at other places she did not care one litte bit what she put my children through and that we would prob loose everything and our life in dubai if she got caught before we caught her. We have the mans detail of who she was working for do we give this to the police or do u think its more trouble than its worth? i would have thought they would ask u at immagration if u knew who she worked for part time but they dont seem to care :@ To much AGRO for a bit of cleaning so im with an agency from now on. We also know of a friend of a friend who recently got caught hiring someone elses maid . Dont do it.NO NO AND NO Do not inform on the other person. Then they need to open a case, and you will be fined too. ok sorted wont be doing that now.

vero possumus37927

876

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 22 March 2011 - 10:14

Totally agree, we have just found out that our maid who we sponsered only 4 months ago has been working somewhere else. we have reported and put a ban on her and cancelled her visa at the moment shes a run away but her brothers boss is helping to track her down, so hopefully ill get her on that plane. We also made it clear that she must not work for others, at immigration she even had the cheek to blame my dh and said we let her work at other places she did not care one litte bit what she put my children through and that we would prob loose everything and our life in dubai if she got caught before we caught her. We have the mans detail of who she was working for do we give this to the police or do u think its more trouble than its worth? i would have thought they would ask u at immagration if u knew who she worked for part time but they dont seem to care :@ To much AGRO for a bit of cleaning so im with an agency from now on. We also know of a friend of a friend who recently got caught hiring someone elses maid . Dont do it.NO NO AND NO Do not inform on the other person. Then they need to open a case, and you will be fined too.

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