Maid Problems

Since when do maids need to be travelling around in taxis? I will get shot for saying that but really. And if it is for the convenience factor then what the heck??? They are maids - yes, housemaids,. And as such, not a profession that reeps major salaries. Live the lifestyle you can afford. That is how it is everywhere. I think when there are no metro/bus available. Or do you mean that if there are no public transport maids should just stay all their days at home because they are only maids and not fit for using taxi? No, let the maids use the taxi if they want but let them not expect their sponsors to pick up the bill - especially when the sponsor is paying them well. Let the maid use her salary or are they not expected to spend any of that on their cost of living. And like I said, plenty use car lifts - what is wrong with those? And yes, a person who is a maid does have to come with solutions - it is not a job that pays sky high salaries. Many maids survive with car lifts - which are very common here. There are alternatives to taxis.

Since when do maids need to be travelling around in taxis? I will get shot for saying that but really. And if it is for the convenience factor then what the heck??? They are maids - yes, housemaids,. And as such, not a profession that reeps major salaries. Live the lifestyle you can afford. That is how it is everywhere. I think when there are no metro/bus available. Or do you mean that if there are no public transport maids should just stay all their days at home because they are only maids and not fit for using taxi?

No to transport allowance. But tell her you will drop her off and pick her up and MOE at specific hours on Friday. That at least would have her coming back at a reasonable hour. This then means you have to work your day around your maid. Who is employing who? :\: Anyone willing to do that on a Friday, work their day around maid's pick ups? The OP's maid needs to get a bit more resourceful. If the transport system is not yet properly developed there, then there must be quite a few maids who all have similar problems. They should get together and organise a frequent car lift service at certain times and to a certain drop off place where they can then catch a public transport such as a bus or a metro. You could have 4 maids sharing this at affordable cost. Since when do maids need to be travelling around in taxis? I will get shot for saying that but really. And if it is for the convenience factor then what the heck??? They are maids - yes, housemaids,. And as such, not a profession that reeps major salaries. Live the lifestyle you can afford. That is how it is everywhere.

Your maid problem is only a problem if you allow it to be. This is your maids problem not yours, you are paying her a good salary and thats that, end of, what she does with it and her transport issues are hers not yours. Just say no, don't like it she can easily be replaced.

I also say no to providing transport or any extra money for the cab. The only exception would be if you were located somewhere central to start with (ie in The Springs) then mid-contract your family ended up moving out to VH, leaving her no choice and the increased expense of transportation during her off hours. It'd be like my kids getting a weekly allowance, then asking for cab fare or gas money on top of it! Uh...no! Some of us are savvy parents, but pushovers as bosses. :)

A lot of maids got spoiled here by expats paying salaries sometimes as much as DHS3,000 a month, they were getting greedy and expecting large salries. Unfortunately in the current climate many of us are not being paid as well as we were and therefore maids are going to have to get used to being paid a normal rate instead of the grossly inflated amount some of them were getting.

No to transport allowance. But tell her you will drop her off and pick her up and MOE at specific hours on Friday. That at least would have her coming back at a reasonable hour. This then means you have to work your day around your maid. Who is employing who? :\: Totally agree. and at the end of the day it IS a job, and YOU are the employer, and you have to set out your guidelines for the job and find a person who fits that criteria, and if they do not fit it anymore, then they should be the ones to move on, rather than you having to change your job offer etc... You're paying a decent salary, I pay 1700 + tickets once a year (by my choice, as I could give every 2 years) and no food etc, and my maid is very happy with that and says its much better than what others get... my next door neighbor is paying her maid 1200 a month all in and her maid has been unhappy with the salary and has been looking for a new job but is unable to find one (and she is very nice, and does a great job) so its not that easy for your maid to jump ship to a "better" offer anyway... put your foot down, stick to your rules and what you want to do, if you WANT to give her an allowance then do so, but the fact that you have to come on here and ask if you're been taken for a ride kind of answers that question, if you already feel that way then you are being taken for a ride... fine maybe others might feel this is completely reasonable, and for them they wouldn't be being taken for a ride as it is within their boundaries but for you it doesn't seem it is... And the fact of the matter is just because others pay way more than others doesn't mean you have to, you pay what you can afford and what someone is willing to accept and thats that... If she wanted transport allowance she should have negotiated it in the beginning.... If she insists and becomes difficult, just say to her, fine if you want transport allowance, I'll adjust your salary to that as stated by embassy (i'm guessing she's philipino so it would be 1400AED per month) and give you 200 transport allowance. When she complains it is less, say exactly so stop complaining, or I'll have to find someone else who is happy with this job, salary and working with my family for the money i am offering because I cannot offer any more.

No to transport allowance. But tell her you will drop her off and pick her up and MOE at specific hours on Friday. That at least would have her coming back at a reasonable hour. This then means you have to work your day around your maid. Who is employing who? :\:

I strongly disagree with the posters who suggest that you offer her a ride, or meet her half way etc. This is not a personal relationship...this is employment. You offer the contract, and she accepted. Nothing complicated about it. You owe her nothing more than you have agreed to. When her contract is up, give her a ticket home and end of story. Next time you should hire a maid with less attitude and you should learn to be more assertive. If work starts at 10am, then most would be fired for turning up late more than once. WHy have you never looked at your watch and asked her why she is late? Possibly because you do not take your role as empoyer seriously.

hmmmm you are paying her well above the normal salary and she is still new so that is bold of her to already be asking for that... I wonder if her friends are making a higher salary than her? I'd go the route of leaving maid cv's lying around like was advised! <em>edited by Abaddon on 10/01/2011</em>

Just leave some maid cv's lying around on the coffee table. Probably not a bad idea! Just to keep he on her toes ;)

No to transport allowance. But tell her you will drop her off and pick her up and MOE at specific hours on Friday. That at least would have her coming back at a reasonable hour.

is it correct that it is 8.5km from Victory heights to MOE? that should not cost more than 15 dhm if that and she can then take the metro to where she needs to go.

Just leave some maid cv's lying around on the coffee table.

OP pays more than the going rate. Your maid would have known that transport to where she needs to go at weekends would be difficult yet she still choose to take the job. Why because she knows your paying more than the going rate. She has friends and if she didn't know then her friends would have told her. As someone has already mentioned your responsibility to her as a sponsor is included in the contract that you both signed. I don't think anywhere in that Contract it states extra transport allowance for weekend trips. My employer doesn't given me an extra allowance for the weekend so that I can go out and enjoy myself. I'm just grateful that I have a job and get paid on time! Does your DH get paid an extra transport allowance so he can take you guys out at the weekend? If no, then why should you pay your maid extra. Do I sound harsh thats because you give an inch and they always take a mile.

Before we had buses in the Ranches our maid used car lifts;4 girls used to pay 20 or 25dh and get driven where they wanted. I'm sure the OP's maid is aware of this system and is just trying it on. From Victory Heights the taxi fare to the bus stop at Studio City would not cost even 25dh and the bus from there goes go Mall of the Emirates. Bus fare itself is only a couple of dirhams.

If she wants to go to the malls shoppping you're already paying her too much anyway !!! :)

THe weekend is for all of us to do as we please, I really dont think anyone should have to give up their free time up to drive anyone around. The OP is paying a decent salary. Im sure the maid was fully aware that it could well be difficult to get around without a decent bus service, why should the OP have to give her special time to run the maid around. Just my opinion thou.

Reduce her time off then she won't be able to go anywhere - sorted !!

monkapala No one said anything about paying for taxis twice a week, only when she want to have her day off on friday. Just help the maid out with cost so she can enjoy her free time. One does not have to pay taxi to M O E but if there is no bus nearby drive them or taxi them to nearest place/bus stop. Times are tough for everyone , and the lower paid also. As you pointed out maids are finding it very expensive if they go back to home for visit and go thru alot of cash. Just be reasonable. I agree with you to be reasonable. Absolutely. I also am an advocate of paying well and not be miserly. But the OP is paying close to Dhs 2000 already and food on top of that, that is a fair pay and I really do not think an extra transport allowance is needed . If you told me a maid was making 1000 a month then it would be a different story. What I am saying is that they do need to spend their salary here for some living costs too - just like everyone else. Well, at least in our household our maid has to. We do not cover all her outgoings - she gets a fair salary she can use for those and still send money home.

Izzy, The maid still has to get to IBN Batuta. Is there a bus service from Victory heights to IBN BATuta ?

monkapala No one said anything about paying for taxis twice a week, only when she want to have her day off on friday. Just help the maid out with cost so she can enjoy her free time. One does not have to pay taxi to M O E but if there is no bus nearby drive them or taxi them to nearest place/bus stop. Times are tough for everyone , and the lower paid also. As you pointed out maids are finding it very expensive if they go back to home for visit and go thru alot of cash. Just be reasonable.

Where is Victory Heights?

FYI - there is a bus from Ibn Batuta to Satwa - it's either the 8a or the 8 and goes all the way down beach road.....

mokkapala replied : Transport allowance? for what - for her to go to spend her weekends away? Of course it is not your responsibility. If she lived outside then it would make sense. ...Grocery shopping....church...doctors....sending money home....visiting family etc. Victory Heights is a new community and lacks amenities. Even maids have things they need to do on their day off! Yes, that's why you are paying her a[b'> salary[/b'> and from that she can pay her transportation!!! C'mon, clearly she is taking advantage. You know what, I also want to save all my salary, but I have to pay for my food, my car, my toiletries, my ...... everything!!!

Many maids use carlifts. There are lots of those around. Here where we live carlifts are common - but we do have good transport system as well. I find many maids do not want to go back the Philippines when their holiday is up as they say it is very expensive there and they end up spending a lot of money there. Mine and my friends' maids prefer to get the value of the ticket and then the 13th month salary as it speeds up their savings. All of a sudden they get say AED 3,500 for the ticket (which is what Emirates charged for January) plus their one month salary - and also their normal salary if they opt out of not taking the holiday. This is what our maid preferred to do this year and go next year instead. I do believe the yearly ticket is part of every contract now but not sure. On paying transport allowance I still do not agree with it. Really,so the maid wants to go to Mall of Emirates, are we meant to pay Dhs 100 for a taxi each time she goes, say twice a week? What nonsense in my opinion. This is their job, they should also pay from their salary for their outgoings. And you just got to live within your means. This is your life. You make 2000 dhs, how do you balance that out. So then you do not tke that Dhs 50 taxi to mall of emirates. Are maids meant to travel in a taxi now paid by their sponsors, wherever they go?

It is not unreasonable if you are living so far out of the city ( Satwa is a place alot of maids meet at ) and no good public affordable transport to meet her along the way either . Why not , Pay for taxi to nearest Bus stop / drive or pick her up for her days off or one or the other. Be reasonable : For a maid to pay a large sum of her salary to transport herself to spend free time with friends where she can then return to her place of employment in good spirits is not fair . She probably had no idea the cost of transport when you employed her , did you ? Don't know what your situation is but if she is working full time and your are both working or she is expected to do most of the running of the house and she is looking after house/ animals/ children a salary of 1900 dhs is not unreasonable . How much is transport from Victory heights to Mall of Emirates, I would guestimate about 50 dirhams each way by Taxi or maybe abit more , if so , is it reasonable to ask a low paid person to pay such a chunk from their salary. Would you be happy paying a simliar amount from your salary to relax at a wekend if you earned 1900 dhs ? Having a content household means give and take , make it easier for her to get back to work on time and reduce your own stress and the households. As regards yearly flight home, check your contract. It can be altered when you renew it if you wish to yearly. Maids are just like some E W posters, and love to wind one another up. Good luck

excellent salary. Do you know how much it is to the nearest bus stop by taxi? I wonder if there are maids that get together to take a taxi, if you could find out from neighbours, this might help? Or could you drop her at a bus stop? I suppose until there is an actual bus service you both could be a bit flexable, certainly not paying taxi into the city though but to a stop? Yearly flight home is pretty normal now I believe at your convenience. Best to get that organized now so she knows. The yearly flight starts after she has been with you 12 months .....fyi :) When my maids contract is up, after the first 12 months do I then give her a month holiday and flight home and when she comes back to Dubai do I then re sponsor her? Or do u re sponsor her then she has a month off and flight home ? We live in the villa community we pay 2000 dhs a month we said 1800 for everything all in plus 200 dhs for transport. She has a filapina guy who picks a few of them Up and they pay him like 25 dhs each to take them to church etc I would remind her that she needs to be back on time on Saturday's , and that she knew the conditions and wages before she started. There will only be a payrise when you decide.

I also live in VH and there is a transport problem... I often drive her to AR where she can meet up with her sister and take the bus... Kindness and helping out is a two way street! Our maid goes above and beyond for us and I very happy to return the favor, on top of a very good salary... I figure if she is happy then she will do a great job and be a nice person to have around the house... Have NEVER had one sulky look from her, only smiles and a cheerful disposition!!

mokkapala replied : Transport allowance? for what - for her to go to spend her weekends away? Of course it is not your responsibility. If she lived outside then it would make sense. ...Grocery shopping....church...doctors....sending money home....visiting family etc. Victory Heights is a new community and lacks amenities. Even maids have things they need to do on their day off! Of course they do, that goes without question, but it not our responsibility to provide transport allowance. It should come from their salaries and this lady is paying her maid well. My maid also leaveson Thursdays and comes back on Saturday, she uses bus and metro and pays herself. We also pay her a decent salary. Sponsors are not meant to have to pay for everything are they?