maid's bed and food?

uk-kiwi · Post by **uk-kiwi** » Mon, 20 Mar 2006 3:38 pm

hi - i have a maid starting in two weeks and apart from clearing our junk out of her room i need to get her a bed. now we all know these rooms aren't big so does anyone know where i get one of these smaller type singles so that there's plenty of room for table, tv. etc. also, with regards to food / allowance, i'd just like some examples of how you yourself go about this. do you just buy up the food when you go to the supermarket /wet market together and then it all goes in the fridge, or do you give her money and she gets her own on a sunday or does she just eat what you eat if she's cooking and maybe if you're cooking and she might not like it. phew. it is such a basic question but i'd like to know what the norm is. if she buys her own, does she have a special space in the fridge (sounds like flatting all over again) and cupboards? thanks for any advice you can give!

Dhelper · Post by **Dhelper** » Tue, 21 Mar 2006 7:19 am

to get it right in the 1st place,where do you stay?
condo or private est?
from there we can help you out,cos there is lots of
different in room size.
my in-law is condo and we managed to get a good
and correct bedroom set for the maid.of course without
the tv but it air-con and a cd player
as for the food,she eat what she eat, at the same time
and share the same dinning table with her.
any misc things,it under my in-law and of course she
allow to keep her own food stuffs the same way as my
in-law do.

uk-kiwi · Post by **uk-kiwi** » Tue, 21 Mar 2006 7:33 am

we live in a condo, thanks.

Dhelper · Post by **Dhelper** » Tue, 21 Mar 2006 7:50 am

I guess you can get a single bed, a small cupboard,
for the time being to see what spare space you have
after all that were in place.the cupboard i suggest the
height should be 3ft so as it can also act as a table top
for a small fan and also she can display her family photos
there other personnal things.
As for foods,it all depend on you.Some expat give $$ to
the maid for food allowance ( abt $100 to $150/mth ).
If no allowance,d maid eat as what her employer eat.
it all depend on each and every employers.
Always be patient with your maids.

So what happen to your previous maid ?
She not doing her works well ?

uk-kiwi · Post by **uk-kiwi** » Tue, 21 Mar 2006 1:21 pm

ok thanks. do you know where i can get a small single with storage underneath? this is the first maid i'm employing. i haven't felt the need so far but now i'm expecting my 2nd child i would like some help as my husband travels alot but as the room is so small i really want it to be v. comfortable for her.

kimm · Post by **kimm** » Tue, 21 Mar 2006 3:41 pm

Hi,
Try court or ikea.And they also fix up the bed set for you at a small
cost.

elizabeth · Post by **elizabeth** » Tue, 21 Mar 2006 3:56 pm

In Singapore all the apartments, bed room should be big enough for a single bed, and a cupboard.

As you have food we can bribng her along if you do your marketing, so that she know where to buy your necessary when you are not free to do it on your own. Moreover you are expecting now.

If your maid is a malay - out of repect try not to give her pork.

earthfriendly · Post by **earthfriendly** » Wed, 22 Mar 2006 7:15 am

For food, I think it is best you talk to your maid on her preference. I hired a temp maid for 2.5 months. She likes Chinese food and eats whatever my mom cooks. She had mentioned that she liked working for Chinese families due to dietary reason, so that worked out. I do not know what kind of food is served in your household, so if it is not to her taste, you can perhaps give her additional food allowance. She can either use the money to get take-out or buy grocery to cook the kind of food she likes.

Aside from her monthly allowance, we give pay her additional for the extras that she did around the house. My maid's main responsibility was child care, plus mopping of floor and laundry for me, my daughters and husband. However, we were living with my mom. So if she cleaned the fan or wash the bathroom whatever extras she did for my mom's house, my mom would gave her $20 each time.

I am more chin-chai (easy-going) type and do not manage the relationship too professionally, so if my maid has unusual request, I usually help her out. She needed to interview with new employers and had to pay for transportation, so I would get her MRT card or taxi money (some interviews were at remote location not accesible to public transportation). When she was low on $$ and would tell me, and I may offer some pocket money, about $10. Or she needed to get more comfortable sandals and I try to chip in for her sandal-piggy-bank fund. My way may not be the best. Some people prefer to state the rules of the game upfront, what each party (both maid and employer) will be responsible for, to avoid future misunderstanding.

Good luck to you.

Dhelper · Post by **Dhelper** » Wed, 22 Mar 2006 8:18 am

Hi earthfriendly,

If you are hiring a temp-maid, i guess she must be a FDW,as the way
you had mentioned she goes for new employers interviews.
What kind of permit she is holding ?
Or are you letting your maid to do part time houseworks
for other household too ? Or she is under your sponseship ?

Vaucluse · Post by **Vaucluse** » Wed, 22 Mar 2006 8:46 am

Dhelper wrote:Hi earthfriendly,

If you are hiring a temp-maid, i guess she must be a FDW,as the way
you had mentioned she goes for new employers interviews.
What kind of permit she is holding ?
Or are you letting your maid to do part time houseworks
for other household too ? Or she is under your sponseship ?

Why so many questions that do not concern you?

Dhelper · Post by **Dhelper** » Wed, 22 Mar 2006 10:23 am

Why you so...so kay poh..

kimm · Post by **kimm** » Wed, 22 Mar 2006 10:28 am

hey vaucluse, unless you are one of them,than you
also breaking the MOM rule.
No offend,but face the fact.

earthfriendly · Post by **earthfriendly** » Wed, 22 Mar 2006 2:15 pm

Dhelper wrote:Hi earthfriendly,

If you are hiring a temp-maid, i guess she must be a FDW,as the way
you had mentioned she goes for new employers interviews.
What kind of permit she is holding ?
Or are you letting your maid to do part time houseworks
for other household too ? Or she is under your sponseship ?

Dhelper,

I do not know what's FDW and no idea what permit she was holding while working for me. She was working full time for me (me, my hubby and two toddlers) but we lived part of the time at my mom's house and part at my sister's house. The nature of her work did not change despite my change in living arrangement. We told her upfront it was mainly for childcare plus a little housework.

My family (sister

) paid for the service and handled all the paperwork. Do rest assured that everything was handled legally as it was done via an agency.

I lived in USA and was back home for vacation with my two toddler girls and needed a break from childcare.

She needed to look for new employer since it was a temporary assignment. Luckily she was able to contact her ex-employer who re-hired her and I was very happy for her.

Thanks for your concern and for looking out for welfare of maids.

Bafana · Post by **Bafana** » Mon, 27 Mar 2006 6:39 pm

Cold Maggi Mie noddles and a cot beside the bathroom wash hand basin lor...

Alternatively try Giant in Parkway Parade and feed them the same way you would your own family making provision for halal food if she is a muslim.

dot dot dot · Post by **dot dot dot** » Tue, 28 Mar 2006 12:17 am

Weird thread this became....

A maid is a human right? Who can talk and listen right?

Talk to her.

This 'dhelper' person, it beats me, got no clue what the hack her/his value is here....

Eric

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maid's bed and food?

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