Would you periodically check your maid's room? | ExpatWoman.com
 

Would you periodically check your maid's room?

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2013 - 18:12

I have no reason to suspect anything at this time; just wondering if this is something that is advisable to do.

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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 February 2013 - 14:28
I dont check our maids room but she doesnt have a lock on the door and during the day keeps her room door open. DS goes in there, the cat roams around in there and if I need her I walk in as well. Shes kept an open door policy without being asked and for that reason it doesnt seem she has anything to hide. Our maid also adopted this policy without being asked but i do have a monthly peep to make sure i dont find mouldy food etc. I do trust her but i also know that my husband is legally responsible for her and she means less to me than the hubby so the checks will remain.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 January 2013 - 10:24
With respect to Desert Rose reply, I sadly have to agree. I don't have a live in maid but asked the maid who works part time next door to take care of our dog while we went away for xmas for a couple of weeks (We live in Arabian Ranches in Al Reem 1). She has been continually asking me to give her work and was hoping to have me let her baby sit my 2 toddlers. While we were gone, my sister in law checked in. The dog was without water or food and there was dog waste all over the living room. When my sister in law called her, the maid told her that the dog always goes in the house. I've had the dog for 8 years. She's never had an accident. She is extremely well-trained, better than the maid it seems. This is our second bad experience in less than one year. You really need to watch out. I thought my sister in law and others were very cynical with their maid warnings when we moved here a year ago but if I have a live in, I will put in cameras, and try not to take it personally when, after I've treated her well, she betrays my trust. BTW, if you hire anyone parttime in Al Reem, watch out for this woman. getting somone part time not through an agency is illegal
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 January 2013 - 09:51
I dont check our maids room but she doesnt have a lock on the door and during the day keeps her room door open. DS goes in there, the cat roams around in there and if I need her I walk in as well. Shes kept an open door policy without being asked and for that reason it doesnt seem she has anything to hide.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 08 January 2013 - 09:07
I dont think it does all come down to salary. You can pay people very well but if outside forces are at work on their mind and telling them oh you'll get more if you run away and do this that or the other, or if they're convincing themselves of it, nothing will stop them going.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 January 2013 - 07:32
Shame MrsB and sorry to hear you are in a bit of a bind now. Unfortunately, though we have never had this problem, it all comes down to salary even when treatment is good. I try to think of "staff retention" - to borrow a silly term from organizational behavior for the workplace - and consider the cost benefit analysis of increased pay versus being left in the lurch. Frankly the extra 200 a month or whatever the space is between what you pay and what the next person pays may well be worth it going forward for the next maid. Try an agency maid that lives out in the interim and good luck!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 January 2013 - 03:02
With respect to Desert Rose reply, I sadly have to agree. I don't have a live in maid but asked the maid who works part time next door to take care of our dog while we went away for xmas for a couple of weeks (We live in Arabian Ranches in Al Reem 1). She has been continually asking me to give her work and was hoping to have me let her baby sit my 2 toddlers. While we were gone, my sister in law checked in. The dog was without water or food and there was dog waste all over the living room. When my sister in law called her, the maid told her that the dog always goes in the house. I've had the dog for 8 years. She's never had an accident. She is extremely well-trained, better than the maid it seems. This is our second bad experience in less than one year. You really need to watch out. I thought my sister in law and others were very cynical with their maid warnings when we moved here a year ago but if I have a live in, I will put in cameras, and try not to take it personally when, after I've treated her well, she betrays my trust. BTW, if you hire anyone parttime in Al Reem, watch out for this woman.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 January 2013 - 23:47
I also check my Maid's room regularly for cleanliness and signs of other things. However, that didn't stop her - I took her passport out of the safe yesterday morning and put it in my personal cupboard with all her other paper work to go to immigration this afternoon to renew her visa (upon her request). Woke up this morning to no maid!!! She had gone through my personal cupboard yesterday while I was at work and found her passport and bolted durning the night last night. We had NO indications that she w even unhappy with us!!!!!! What to do!!??!! Have made a case against her with the police but it costs 1500aed to black list her - on top of the small things, including small 24ct gold stud earrings, she stole from my room and loosing the 5070aed security I paid. and, worst of all, in the interim of finding a new maid, who will look after my 8 year DD in the afternoons till I arrive home from work????? Arghhhhhhhhh!!!! Pleae dont put it down to her being unhappy with you. These ladies come from the land of dog eat dog and for the most part they have no thoughts whatsover about moving on till pastures new if there is the slightest chance of an improvement in their life - even if its a very much a case of the grass is always greener on the other side ;) if you live in a dog eat dog society its kind of ingrained in you from an early age that honesty isnt the way forward - that deceit and expecting the worst of others is. Please dont be too upset, and I really hope you can get someone to look after your little one after school
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 07 January 2013 - 19:14
Sorry to hear that mrsb, an absconding maid is a nightmare. I'm shocked you have to pay to blacklist an employee who has stolen from you. Surely there should be warning flags against their name if they have a report of absconding and theft against them?
Anonymous (not verified)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 January 2013 - 18:31
I also check my Maid's room regularly for cleanliness and signs of other things. However, that didn't stop her - I took her passport out of the safe yesterday morning and put it in my personal cupboard with all her other paper work to go to immigration this afternoon to renew her visa (upon her request). Woke up this morning to no maid!!! She had gone through my personal cupboard yesterday while I was at work and found her passport and bolted durning the night last night. We had NO indications that she w even unhappy with us!!!!!! What to do!!??!! Have made a case against her with the police but it costs 1500aed to black list her - on top of the small things, including small 24ct gold stud earrings, she stole from my room and loosing the 5070aed security I paid. and, worst of all, in the interim of finding a new maid, who will look after my 8 year DD in the afternoons till I arrive home from work????? Arghhhhhhhhh!!!!
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 January 2013 - 15:12
I check my maids room and have always done. I told her that I will be making regular checks and she accepts that. Ive had maids who have stored food under the bed and forgotten about it and the room was so smelly and the air around it that the maid got sick. it was a plate of half eaten rice with soup. Ive had a maid who thought it was perfectly acceptable to ' take ' my half used toilettries and cosmetics ' because madam can buy new ones. I think people can very easily be mislead into assuming that just because a maid may keep an employers house to the standard required - it also means they carry on the practice in their own rooms. My lot have rooms outside of the house but they know that once a week I expect to see their rooms being turned upside down by way of getting a good clean. It means furniture out in the garden if it can be moved, wardrobes and chest of drawers cleaned behind, ac's cleaned, fans cleaned, their bathrooms cleaned from top to bottom including the tiles right up to the ceiling. Its usually done the afternoon/early evening prior to their day off, when they start to wind down a bit anyway. My kids have all had to do it as well, even the one who just got married last week. She was doing it till the week she left home. :D <em>edited by DesertRose1958 on 08/01/2013</em>
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 January 2013 - 13:46
No, I would never periodically check maid's room unless I had a very good reason to do so.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 January 2013 - 13:46
No, I would never periodically check maid's room unless I had a very good reason to do so.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 January 2013 - 10:01
I have never checked in either of the rooms but then they are outside of the house. Even when their rooms were inside I didn't check. I suppose I just feel that they are afforded so little privacy and private time to begin with I don't feel the need to intrude. Again though we have never had suspicion or reason to.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 January 2013 - 09:33
I check my maids room and have always done. I told her that I will be making regular checks and she accepts that. Ive had maids who have stored food under the bed and forgotten about it and the room was so smelly and the air around it that the maid got sick. it was a plate of half eaten rice with soup. Ive had a maid who thought it was perfectly acceptable to ' take ' my half used toilettries and cosmetics ' because madam can buy new ones.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 January 2013 - 01:52
I don't see what's wrong with teh odd check up for cleanliness/things in order etc. My employer reserve the right to inspect company accommodations at any time for any reason with or without notice given, so I think someone asking the maid to be present while they check a room in THEIR house is quite reasonable.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 January 2013 - 22:10
There are plenty of opportunities to look in the maids room, I usually need to ask them something a few times a week after their works done so I really don't see the need to specifically check. I have had maids for years the good ones are still with me after 12 years the bad ones were sent packing. You know when somethings wrong without having to snoop.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 06 January 2013 - 21:34
I'd look upon it as the employers right to see whats what in any bedroom in their home that's being used by an employee. If a person lives with me - they live to my standards regardless of who they are. As for looking in drawers and the likes - no, I wouldnt unless I had a very very very good reason to. Exactly right DR. When I started my OE in London years ago I had a live in pub job for a few months. My boss did periodic room checks, I had no issue whatsoever with it.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2013 - 21:25
Exactly DesertRose, I do the same
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 06 January 2013 - 21:21
No way !!! Would you like your employer to snoop round your bedroom? I'd look upon it as the employers right to see whats what in any bedroom in their home that's being used by an employee. If a person lives with me - they live to my standards regardless of who they are. As for looking in drawers and the likes - no, I wouldnt unless I had a very very very good reason to.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 06 January 2013 - 21:21
No way !!! Would you like your employer to snoop round your bedroom? I'd look upon it as the employers right to see whats what in any bedroom in their home that's being used by an employee. If a person lives with me - they live to my standards regardless of who they are. As for looking in drawers and the likes - no, I wouldnt unless I had a very very very good reason to.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2013 - 21:05
I wouldn't call it snooping if you ask her to be with you? It's different if you were going through her private possessions without her knowing. The room itself is part of your home, probably containing most of your furniture so I think it's totally acceptable to check that's it's well maintained. That being said though I've still had a shock in the past when the room has been vacated (our previous maid). The grime was well hidden....
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 January 2013 - 20:47
No way !!! Would you like your employer to snoop round your bedroom?
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2013 - 20:30
Thank you for your advice. I am new at this and appreciate the insight.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2013 - 20:08
Hi. Yes I do. I have checked mainly for cleanliness and damage. I have always told her that I would and even done it with her there too. I don't snoop at her private things, like in her drawers etc, I've never felt the need. If things are a little unclean I simply tell her to sort it out as I expect her room to be of the same standard as the rest of the house.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 06 January 2013 - 20:03
I wouldn't say that I go in there to check but I go in there about once a week to ask a question or look for something and that is when I observe if it is clean or not. Personally, I think it's a good idea to go in there every once in a while.
 
 

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