5 common problems you may face with your domestic helper
There is a plethora of issues when it comes to maids. In this article, we have identified the 5 most common issues faced by employers in Singapore and our advice on managing these issues.
“Help! My maid has run away from home!”
This situation can happen to anyone. When a maid feels that she’s no longer interested to work in your house, and/or feels that she’s not able to communicate with you, she will leave without informing you or sometimes even the agency. Maids in Singapore attend the settling-in-programme (SIP) where they are given the contact details and addresses of all the places, other than the agency, that they can go to should they need help. If this happens, there is no need to panic. Inform the agency that your maid has run away, and wait for 24 hours before you make a police report for missing persons. Most of the time, the shelter that your maid has turned up at will give you or your agency a call to inform you where the maid has reported to and will advise further. You may still need to make a police report if the maid has stolen something or hurt any of your family members before running away.
Our suggestion: It may be helpful to keep an open channel of communication with your maid to prevent a runaway case, establish a safe space and continuously encourage her to be open with her thoughts. If a maid is unhappy working in your house, it is best to discuss with her and the agency to look for an alternative rather than forcing someone to work against their wish.
“My maid does not take any initiative in her work.”
A lot of helpers, especially new ones, need to be prompted to do some work and this can be very tiring for employers, especially if the same instruction has to be repeated every day. With the fast pace of life in Singapore, people do not have the time or energy to micromanage and often expect their maids to run the household with initiative. However, new maids may come from a background where they need supervision, or they are just not confident enough to manage things on their own.
Our suggestion: Provide a detailed timetable for the maid to follow a routine and this includes writing down any minor work or work that is done infrequently. Show, by example, your cleaning or cooking standards so that your maid understands your level of expectation. Praise or reward your maid when you observe that she has done something that meets or exceeds your expectation; this works better than repeated nagging and scolding.
“My maid uses her phone too much!”
The use of phones is almost always a big problem for most employers. Technology has been made accessible to everyone in today’s world, especially with increasing methods of connectivity. These days most maids do not agree to work without a phone, and even if they do agree, eventually they get uncomfortable and either keep a phone without the employer’s knowledge or quit and ask for a transfer to a household that allows phone usage. On the other hand, employers are worried about distraction at work, which may be a problem if they are required to manage children or the elderly. So how do we find the right balance?
Our suggestion: Instead of confiscating their phone or heavily limiting their usage, we prefer to advise the maids to practice professionalism at their workplace just as we would in the working world. Inform them to abstain from frequently touching the phones and keep themselves busy with work till after their working hours. We also advise employers to monitor their maids, especially new ones. Set a condition for when a rule is broken. An example would be to remove the phone during the day for two weeks.
“I think my maid is homesick.”
Travelling abroad for work contracts and leaving behind family and friends can be psychologically difficult for a lot of people. Even when money is a big motivation to work, some maids are not able to handle their emotions and become very homesick, which almost always leads to them wanting to return home. This causes a lot of financial losses to the employer and disrupts their daily routine. During the interview process, employers usually clarify with the maid if she would be able to complete the contract duration. However, they fail to understand that without actually being in the job and away from their family, such promises are usually overstated. There is no guarantee that someone new may fit well into your home and complete the contract.
Our suggestion: From our experience, we have noticed that some employers are able to retain their maids when they make an extra effort to help them settle down with all family members of the household, speaking about the family members of the maid, conducting video calls on behalf of the maid to her family back home and showing her that she is now part of their family. Remember that the first few months are crucial to the survival of the maid at your home. Usually, once the maid crosses the three-month mark, they would have adjusted in Singapore and with the employer. The support system of the maid also plays a vital part in their survival in Singapore and their job. Encourage the maid to speak to her friends who work here in Singapore, invite them to your home to spend time with your maid or allow some off time for interaction with other maids working here.
“I think my maid is stealing my things.”
Most employers usually want to consider their maids as a member of their families. While it is important to establish a bond with your helper, it is also equally crucial to know where to draw the line, since the maid can leave your home at any time. Maids get familiar with where the employer’s personal items are kept and it would be easy to pocket a few things that would be difficult to notice until much later.
Our suggestion: It is important not to let your guard down, even if your maid has worked for your family for many years. Stealing smaller things may eventually lead to stealing more expensive items or money so it is important to nip this habit in the bud. If you catch her stealing, you may give her a chance with a very stern warning. However, if she has been stealing things frequently and there is no regret in her action there is no other option but to call the police and report the issue to MOM.
While we hope that this article helps you to deal with some of the common problems employers face in Singapore, feel free to contact us for our professional advice.
This article is fully written and owned by selectamaid.com.sg
