Unique maid situation- need advice

[zzm9980]

Looking at the demonstrations and such and the recent case of maid abuse with the Indonesian maid in HK would tend to say there are equal amount of both types there. Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know.

http://qz.com/176354/how-hong-kong-maid ... hout-asia/

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/arti ... kong-maids

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/99794/ ... e-of-maids

Come on, this is Singapore. You can't compare metrics on the numbers of articles on maid abuse to rate them comparatively. The HK press is rather open like the US or other western presses. Who knows how much abuse in Singapore doesn't go reported at all, let alone reported and you never hear about it.

That said, ignoring bad apple employers that illegally (by almost any legal system) abuse their maids, and focus on maid's rights. Minimally, Hong Kong maids have had days off in writing for as long as I know. Maids can are allowed to live on their own away from their employers if they so chose and their employer agrees. There are avenues to something 'after being a maid', be it real employments or emigration elsewhere (the OP's maid's rationale). None of this is possible in Singapore, outside of extremely extremely rare edge cases. Maids can't even *marry* a local without the governments permission as they're legally lesser humans by SG law.

[Hannieroo]

I know the whole Canada thing might make it a no go but have you tried offering her more? If I had a very small child I left with somebody I trusted then $800 a month for the rest of the contract would be money well spent for me. Even if it impacted on my life. A new maid would cost me that in a year just for the agency fees.

[ecureilx]

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However, my agent told me that once I cancel my current maid's pass she can utmost stay here for 3 days. She doesn't want to go to Philippines now and wants to go to HK from here because of money/visa/other issues. Also, I do not qualify for 2 maids as I have only 1 child.

per PH law you have to repatriate back if she is not seeing and found a transfer employer, or some do good lawyer from Ph may sue you just for the fun of it, and there are many of that likes in Ph

and you didn't hear this from me, many maids avoid going to Ph as they are heading to HK to work on social visit pass,doing regular visa runs to Macau, and make good easy money, and if they go back to PH, PH immigration will make it next to impossible to go to HK without paperwork and the associated fees ...

if she legally has a job, she should have no qualms following the process and going back home, and cancel her POEA stuff for Sg work and process new ones for HK

hannieroo: many Filipino maids believe HK is just one stop to Canada ... it won't work trying to tell them otherwise ... and any pay rise in SG will not be tempting enough, me thinks so

[movingtospore]

Well, sorry for you but good for her I guess. They actually have a slim chance of moving towards a real life in HK, bad employers not withstanding. SP is set on keeping them down. Especially if she is then able to go on to Canada or Europe.

[Beeroclock]

I know the whole Canada thing might make it a no go but have you tried offering her more? If I had a very small child I left with somebody I trusted then $800 a month for the rest of the contract would be money well spent for me. Even if it impacted on my life. A new maid would cost me that in a year just for the agency fees.

agree with the thrust of your comment, but I query why agency ? Just hire direct. Post an ad for free online, you can use the classifieds here, you will get plenty enquiry. Of course you need to filter and select well. But you save yourself agency fee and second guessing if your agent is acting in your interest. More important you save the maid transfer fees so she can actually keep her first 2-4 months salary!

The Mom processing is easy online and cost 20bucks.

[ecureilx]

The Mom processing is easy online and cost 20bucks.

but forget Filipino maids, since minus an agency she will be treated as a human trafficking victim, in Philippines, and forget about going out of the country anymore

[Hannieroo]

That's why. You can't even do a passport application without an agency. The Phillipines stealth tax and don't actually appear to provide their with anything for it.

You don't have to reclaim the loan, that's up to the employer.

[Beeroclock]

The Mom processing is easy online and cost 20bucks.

but forget Filipino maids, since minus an agency she will be treated as a human trafficking victim, in Philippines, and forget about going out of the country anymore

Really ? can you clarify the last part, who cannot go out of country ? I've been having a Filipino maid with no agency and have sent her home twice without any issue.

[bro75]

If you directly hired your maid and she needs to go for a vacation or renew her passport at the embassy, there are agencies here that will assist you for for a small fee (< 200SGD).

[Beeroclock]

If you directly hired your maid and she needs to go for a vacation or renew her passport at the embassy, there are agencies here that will assist you for for a small fee (< 200SGD).

Yes exactly, that's what my helper has done, but it's only a one-off processing fee, and she has no further loans/commitments/ties to this agency afterwards and with respect to my direct contract with her.

[ecureilx]

Really ? can you clarify the last part, who cannot go out of country ? I've been having a Filipino maid with no agency and have sent her home twice without any issue.

errrrr is she registered with POEA and all the likes in Philippines ?

99% of maids or for that matter, any Filipino going overseas get caught in Philippines and per their law, an agent is enforced on the candidate to 'process' papers for legal overseas employment ... that's what I know ...

even in my last return from Philippines two GUYS were denied permission to leave as they were deemed to be possible human trafficking victims ...

[Wd40]

Love India in these matters, they never trouble non resident Indians at all. In fact we get special tax treatment on our remittances. Fixed Deposits at 9% interest and interest not taxable. Locals pay upto 33% tax on the interest income.

Philippines, I believe is much more dependent on foreign remittances, yet they treat their non residents so badly?

[ecureilx]

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Philippines, I believe is much more dependent on foreign remittances, yet they treat their non residents so badly?

that is to ensure the huge load of civil servants employed to take care of filipino Foreign workers get paid ... they have to ensure nobody can slip by without a dozen papers ... simple business ...

[Beeroclock]

Really ? can you clarify the last part, who cannot go out of country ? I've been having a Filipino maid with no agency and have sent her home twice without any issue.

errrrr is she registered with POEA and all the likes in Philippines ?

99% of maids or for that matter, any Filipino going overseas get caught in Philippines and per their law, an agent is enforced on the candidate to 'process' papers for legal overseas employment ... that's what I know ...

even in my last return from Philippines two GUYS were denied permission to leave as they were deemed to be possible human trafficking victims ...

Yes POEA and the rest , as per what bro75 said you do need to involve an agency on a one-off basis and pay approx 200bucks (not each visit) for the home leave papers.

What I know is : 1 there a plenty maids keen for direct transfer as it saves them a substantial agent fee. 2 I would rather the money I pay for the work they do for me, to go to them rather than an agent. 3 my maid has had no problems with home leaves just need to go through the due process.

[ecureilx]

Yes POEA and the rest , as per what bro75 said you do need to involve an agency on a one-off basis and pay approx 200bucks (not each visit) for the home leave papers.

What I know is : 1 there a plenty maids keen for direct transfer as it saves them a substantial agent fee. 2 I would rather the money I pay for the work they do for me, to go to them rather than an agent. 3 my maid has had no problems with home leaves just need to go through the due process.

home leave / exit permits (only in the Philippines ...) is now cheaper and simplified and they issue up to 10 exit permits in the embassy ... cost has gone down though I still wonder why a citizen of PH needs a permit to go home ... :

your maids been lucky or know how to avoid undue attention from BI folks in Ph

additionally those going direct take a longer time to clear all the Poea paperwork, vs those going via agents getting it done faster ....

additional rule being planned in Philippines is to force maids for compulsory refresher course every 2 year ... to boost fee collection

anyway, as said you been lucky ..