what to do if your maid DOESN't want to go home for her holidays? | ExpatWoman.com
 

what to do if your maid DOESN't want to go home for her holidays?

64
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 03 May 2011 - 11:46

Hi just wondered if anyone could fill me in on what happens if your maid choses not to go home for her holidays. Presumably she is due:
1. 1 months holiday pay in lieu of the holiday
2. Assuming she wants to work during the month allocated, she is also due normal pay and food allowance for that month
3. The cost of a return ticket
Normally ours goes back to the Philippines for a month to six weeks, paid leave and we give her some spending money. However, we normally use airmiles to fly her back and do not employ anyone when she is away, so the cost of her not taking her holiday is quite considerable to us in comparison!
I just want to give her what is fair and check that my understanding is correct of it all.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 10 May 2011 - 11:07
Our maid did that for 2 consequent years. We gave her 2 salaries and the cost of the ticket. Make sure here leave is not due in high season :) This is what we did as well. many maids prefer to stay here because they end up spending a lot of money when the are back in Philippines. We paid our maid 13th month salary and the equivalent of a ticket to Manila which we calculated based o what Emirates would have cost us - that time it was about Dhs 3,300 for return ticket.
4329
Posts
EW MASTER
Latest post on 09 May 2011 - 18:53
Thanks everyone - as I thought, we will pay value of direct flight home, 2 x salary that month (and I guess a bonus too as we think she's great), so we'll just have to tighten the purse strings on other things for a bit! there's something so wrong about that statement "so we'll just have to tighten the purse strings on other things for a bit!" if it makes more financial sense for you and your family for the Maid to take her holiday, then tell her she needs to take it..... You are the employer. edited by Izzy99 on 07/05/2011 really though..if you can't afford a couple of thousand dirhams extra, can you afford to have a maid? Suppose something really crops up e.g medical treatment for her? She has an accident or dies? It is your responsibility to see to all of this.
2958
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 May 2011 - 22:41
We recently found out about all this ...You do not need to give them cash for the flight if they didnt take it . But people do thats why maids expect it. If they don t want holiday after 12 months u give them 1 month extra salary as they will be working there holiday. I'm sorry but this is not correct. According to the domestic worker contract which you should have you do need to give them the equivalent in money the flight costs plus a months paid vacation time.
927
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 08 May 2011 - 13:33
Sorry not been on here for a few days. Thanks for the answers to my query, as I was really curious. I know that in all my work experience here in 20 years I have always worked under the use-it-or-lose-it-system for both flights and holidays. Seems that every sector has it's perks then! ;) I agree with Aryanwyn - I think local leave as a minimum is essential for anyone's physical and psychological well being, with return home even better. 2years is too long to be away from family; I know I did it once when I lived in Oz and really regretted it.
355
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 07 May 2011 - 16:37
Thanks everyone - as I thought, we will pay value of direct flight home, 2 x salary that month (and I guess a bonus too as we think she's great), so we'll just have to tighten the purse strings on other things for a bit! UK mum I would insist she takes leave, but here. It's not healthy for anyone to have to work 12months a year, leave is as necessary psychologically and physically as sleep. In good faith you can give the cost of the flight tickets, but this may be encouraging a situation in future you are not entirely comfortable with. I would not give the double salary, only her usual salary, nor would I expect her to work. If she chooses to stay here for her leave, it is her choice - you still incur the extra charges of having an extra adult at home anyway; but I do think sometimes people need to be forced to take a break for their own good. Like my DH for instance! :)
2222
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 May 2011 - 16:23
Thanks everyone - as I thought, we will pay value of direct flight home, 2 x salary that month (and I guess a bonus too as we think she's great), so we'll just have to tighten the purse strings on other things for a bit! there's something so wrong about that statement "so we'll just have to tighten the purse strings on other things for a bit!" if it makes more financial sense for you and your family for the Maid to take her holiday, then tell her she needs to take it..... You are the employer. <em>edited by Izzy99 on 07/05/2011</em>
64
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 May 2011 - 15:14
Thanks everyone - as I thought, we will pay value of direct flight home, 2 x salary that month (and I guess a bonus too as we think she's great), so we'll just have to tighten the purse strings on other things for a bit!
4329
Posts
EW MASTER
Latest post on 07 May 2011 - 14:51
We didn't sign that And we didn't have to pay it maybe different from Abu dhabi ? Even our pro that works for the government and immigration said we didn't have to pay cash if she didn't take the flight. that's what they told us. Are you saying that you live in AD? I live in Dubai and that is the contract for Dubai.
2239
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 May 2011 - 14:29
We didn't sign that And we didn't have to pay it maybe different from Abu dhabi ? Even our pro that works for the government and immigration said we didn't have to pay cash if she didn't take the flight. that's what they told us.
4329
Posts
EW MASTER
Latest post on 07 May 2011 - 13:28
We recently found out about all this ...You do not need to give them cash for the flight if they didnt take it . But people do thats why maids expect it. If they don t want holiday after 12 months u give them 1 month extra salary as they will be working there holiday. Have you read the Employment Agreement for Domestic Workers and Sponsors? [b'>Second Article part 2 : The second party may opt for a salary of one month in lieu of the month vacation; in addition the value of one return ticket home.[/b'>
2239
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 May 2011 - 10:11
We recently found out about all this ...You do not need to give them cash for the flight if they didnt take it . But people do thats why maids expect it. If they don t want holiday after 12 months u give them 1 month extra salary as they will be working there holiday.
4329
Posts
EW MASTER
Latest post on 07 May 2011 - 08:49
This does not refer to anyone on this thread BUT I am constantly shocked by the people I encounter here who think nothing of casually spending 500 Pounds on a small item yet are SO TIGHT towards their maid re leave etc.. will not pay them their due......then they wonder why their maid hates them ! :)
4329
Posts
EW MASTER
Latest post on 07 May 2011 - 08:40
I am just curious about this - and not at all suggesting that it should be the case - but is there not a case to ask as to why the employer should have extra expense if the maid CHOOSES not to take her holiday? I understand that some employers would be delighted if their maid did not go on holiday and more than happy to pay the extra month, but this is not true for the OP I know if I chose not to take any holiday my employer would not pay me any extra and I would lose the holidays and my flight home if I did not take them in a contract year - I cannot carry them over. I suspect that this is the same for many employees here and genuinely wonder why it is different for maids? Is it because they are part of the household? I know my employer, and I myself as a manager, insist that employees take their allocated leave each year as someone who does not have any leave becomes very stressed and much less productive, especially living here IMO Can the OP not insist the maid takes her leave if that if what she wants? Not trying to stir the pot - just really curious about this. It is so because it says it in their contract. This is what the Gov says.
213
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 May 2011 - 18:44
We gave ours one month salary and the equivalent of a ticket. some prefer to take the cash equivalent
178
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 May 2011 - 17:54
But you would not be allowed to choose not to! It would only be company demands which would require you to forego your holiday. 'Use it or lose it' is the policy of most companies......
1759
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 05 May 2011 - 17:41
I don't know about your employer Genie, but my employer would be required to pay me double time if I worked and did not take my vacation and they would be required to pay my ticket home whether I went there or not. Is it different for domestic help? Don't know.
927
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 05 May 2011 - 13:15
I am just curious about this - and not at all suggesting that it should be the case - but is there not a case to ask as to why the employer should have extra expense if the maid CHOOSES not to take her holiday? I understand that some employers would be delighted if their maid did not go on holiday and more than happy to pay the extra month, but this is not true for the OP I know if I chose not to take any holiday my employer would not pay me any extra and I would lose the holidays and my flight home if I did not take them in a contract year - I cannot carry them over. I suspect that this is the same for many employees here and genuinely wonder why it is different for maids? Is it because they are part of the household? I know my employer, and I myself as a manager, insist that employees take their allocated leave each year as someone who does not have any leave becomes very stressed and much less productive, especially living here IMO Can the OP not insist the maid takes her leave if that if what she wants? Not trying to stir the pot - just really curious about this.
9
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 03 May 2011 - 23:28
Our maid did that for 2 consequent years. We gave her 2 salaries and the cost of the ticket. Make sure here leave is not due in high season :)
1414
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 03 May 2011 - 20:31
My houseboy didnt take his leave last year, we paid him a months salary and cost of a flight. He was happy with that, it was his choice to stay.
 
 

ON EXPATWOMAN TODAY