After spending more than $8,000 fin five months, an employer wanted to hire an experienced Filipino maid, but little did she know that the maid turned out to be inexperienced and unwilling to endure hardship. The female employer had no choice but to return the maid to the agency, but it would cost money to change the maid. The female employer stated that this was very unfair.
Ms Tan, who was a 36-year-old housewife complained that the former maid returned to Indonesia after four years of work. She decided to hire another maid, but the process was unsuccessful.
The agency first found an Indonesian maid for her. The other party was very diligent but had poor understanding of English. Therefore, at the request of the maid, Ms Tan decided to let her find a more suitable employer.
In October last year, Ms Tan decided to hire a new maid with help from a maid agency. She had to paid additional handling fees and quarantine fees. The maid had to pay for the loan before she came to Singapore. In addition to the intermediary fees paid before, Ms Tan paid close to $8,000.
Due to the complicated procedures, the maid came to Ms Tan’s house on February 28 this year, but this was the beginning of a nightmare.
Ms Tan said helplessly: “She makes trouble once a week, because she feels that being a maid is too hard, and she never knew she had to do these housework. All I assigned to her were the lightest housework such as sweeping the floor and occasionally wipe the fan.”
Ms Tan said that the maid would ask her from time to time when she could go to the swimming pool of the apartment to swim. “She also asked me when I would bring her to eat crabs.”
What Ms Tan couldn’t accept most was her irresponsible attitude: “I coaxed my little daughter to sleep, but she left my 4-year-old son in the living room alone, and went back to the room to sleep by herself.”
Once when she went out, the maid even watched her son run to the bus stop near the road to throw trash. She was scared to blame the maid. Unexpectedly, the maid ran home and fell asleep on the bed with her head in her arms, looking very painful and refusing to communicate.
Ms Tan finally decided to send the maid back to the agency on March 17, but was told that she would have to pay more to change her maid.
She complained: “Her resume stated that she had taken care of children and had two years of experience as a maid, but she would not even do simple housework. The responsibility is not with me, but I have to bear the extra cost, which is unreasonable. “
The agency has reached an agreement with the employer to refund part of the money
The agency claimed that the employer asked for all payments to be refunded at first, but many fees were not collected by the agency, so the two parties were unable to reach an agreement at the beginning.
Mr. Lim, the person in charge of the maid agency, said that the employer initially requested that the intermediary fee, handling fee, loan and insurance borrowed by the maid before coming to Singapore be refunded. They are also unwilling to pay the maid’s room and board during this time.
Mr. Lim explained: “There ais a lot of money, including the maid’s new quarantine fee, insurance, handling fees, etc., which are not given to the agency. How can we get it back?”
However, after the two parties negotiated, a preliminary agreement was finally reached. If the contract is terminated, the intermediary will refund part of the handling fee, insurance, and the maid’s accommodation expenses during this period. After the employer signs the transfer letter, they will also return the maid’s loan to the employer.