What do you pay your maid per month?

[jockney]

well, my son was happy with the maid and she was treated well and will continue to be treated as a human while she is here.
She gave me receipts for money I left them and I noticed only one lunch...for my son and not her, so I called her tonight and said if she is working for us we will pay for her lunch and access to all facilities that my son wants to use...bowling etc
This is our responsibility and not to come from her money.
I explained it is not acceptable for me to expect her to pay for her own lunch and access fees to bowling etc.
I am happy, she is happy, my son is happy and my wife has peace of mind whilst in the UK...so paying a fair price and treating employees fairly is a small price eh??

[keepitreal]

I think you are absolutely off your rocker to pay here $600 per month and all those other perks, bearing in mind that they have a decent roof over their heads and have very little additional outgoings - but that's just my opinion.

If you work out how much YOU most have left at the end of a month after you they have paid out for everything and divide that by the number of people in a family, your probably not too far off what the maid is being paid, right? So I'd say everyone is getting pretty much the same on head for head basis.

Of course, those expats fortunate enough to have mega-packages will have far more disposable income, so I guess they can afford to pay more. So if you were a local earning a much lower salary without any package, you'll probably find that my calculation above is spot-on, hence why I was advised never to go above $400 p/w....

[jockney]

600 dollars a week you mean?
I think it is a decent wage and can not afford/and dont have the space to employ one full time as I could not let her live in a rabbit hutch of a room either.
I am on an expat salary and can afford silly low rates, but can not afford the rate I deem as fair...but morally I think it wrong as I want a fair pay for what I do, so why should a maid be different???
I had a choice to come here, they dont, and their choices will never change if we all continue this practice of expolitation.
Exploitation is outlawed in the UK, although it does happen, but taking part in exploitation is not my game.
How could I complain and take action when my salary is low and feel I am being exploited and then pay a maid an unbelievably low wage?
Fair pay and conditions for ALL, not just when it suits my pocket!!
I know one thing, she will go home happy and if asked she will return to help us out no bother,she wont steal, cheat and hopefully she will feel valued as an employee, same as I do.

[road.not.taken]

hence why I was advised never to go above $400 p/w....

$400 per week or per month? How can anyone advise you when they don't know the scope of the maid's responsibilities, the size of your house, how many children and pets, her responsibilities?

[sundaymorningstaple]

what one should pay for semi-skilled labor.

I hope no expat stay-at-home wives without maids don't read this. You will be rather unpopular having called all of them (domestic engineers) semi-skilled labor.

[Thaiclan]

Its a tough one - we bring a woman into our home and feel guilty about her level of poverty and pay her in our mind a decent wage. Yet back in the Philippines a person who has a degree and is a professional with years of experience does not bring home half of what our maid gets and he has an entire family with all the costs associated.
I'm sure if we meditated a bit longer on the subject we would see that we are perpetuating the education problem with girls choosing to be maids (same formula for girls choosing prostitution - or others choosing it for them) rather than becoming professionals and helping their country with a higher skilled workforce. I cannot blame the maids becoming maids (I know what I would do), yet there is most definitely a greater story and bigger picture here. On a macro economic scale it does no good to pay far greater wages than the "going rate" of the country.
Rather we choose to give the benefits of a European worker - 7/8 hour days, 2 days off per week, paid holiday, sick pay PLUS further education/training.

[sprite]

Its a tough one - we bring a woman into our home and feel guilty about her level of poverty and pay her in our mind a decent wage. Yet back in the Philippines a person who has a degree and is a professional with years of experience does not bring home half of what our maid gets and he has an entire family with all the costs associated.
I'm sure if we meditated a bit longer on the subject we would see that we are perpetuating the education problem with girls choosing to be maids (same formula for girls choosing prostitution - or others choosing it for them) rather than becoming professionals and helping their country with a higher skilled workforce. I cannot blame the maids becoming maids (I know what I would do), yet there is most definitely a greater story and bigger picture here. On a macro economic scale it does no good to pay far greater wages than the "going rate" of the country.
Rather we choose to give the benefits of a European worker - 7/8 hour days, 2 days off per week, paid holiday, sick pay PLUS further education/training.

I think your heart is in the right place Thaiclan, but of all the maids I've employed or even known, their hasn't been one who wasn't supporting their family back home. They have put roofs on houses, paid medical bills, buried dead in-laws and put younger siblings, nephews, etc... through school. Their wages benefit the relatives at home and gives them a chance to make more of their lives. It's not perfect, but its better than nothing.

[Thaiclan]

Yes they do all help out their families, but what happens when maids earn more than their fellow countrymen who have been to university or trained in a skill? Just take a look at what the NHS did a few years back, literally recruiters walked out of Philippine hospitals with 80% of their specialist staff (surgeons, anethietists, peadiatricians etc) to become NURSES in the UK where there was a shortage. Yes on an individual level of course they want to earn more money regardless, but what about the future of these countries and their emphasis on trying to create a higher educated and skilled workforce.
I do not agree with paying maids a low miserly wage. But I also think we need to use caution when we use the power of our $ to disrupt many levels.
Many maids earn just $300-$400 per month and this is via an agency. I think people should ask more questions to the agency in regards to how much the maid actually has to pay them to get a job in the first place. I would also urge people to help their maid pursue their higher interests via education here in Singapore.

[sprite]

I would also urge people to help their maid pursue their higher interests via education here in Singapore.

Me too

[jinkel]

I'm posting in this thread since I see a few posters who seem to give their FDW's good benefits/pay (in my opinion, of course). I am trying to find an agency to send my FDW to, that may have a higher expat clientele.

We are American, and now have to leave Singapore and go back to the States. My Filipino FDW is fantastic at her job. She cooks dinner, does marketing, cleans house, irons, and is terrific with babies and children. She has been an indispensible member of this household - hardworking, honorable, and just a really great person. She has been with us for 2.75 years (as of her end date coming in June), and my heart is broken that we are leaving. I would really really like to find her a great expat family.

Does anyone have any agency rec's they could pass along to me? I'd really appreciate it!

[Forks]

I pay my maid $450 a month, sundays off, bonus for birthday and christmas, no work after 7 unless required, seems ok to me.

[durain]

so what's the low and high end wage for a maid? and is there a price difference for maids from different countries?

sorry, me no maid. me domesticated!

[QRM]

We used to pay our maid 500 a month, with half days off on sundays, plus two month salary at xmas.

She did get pregnant and had to leave singapore, obviously wasnt going to church on those half day sunday off

We got a new one, straight off the boat with no experience, she is getting paid 350 a month. Before every one start going Kunta Kinte on me she asked if she could work sundays at extra pay, in order to clear her agency fee. When I say no experience, she was using dishwasher powder in the washing machine, cleaning windows with Harpic, and cant cook, you get what you pay for.

Whats the going rate for drivers?

[durain]

We used to pay our maid 500 a month, with half days off on sundays, plus two month salary at xmas.

She did get pregnant and had to leave singapore, obviously wasnt going to church on those half day sunday off

We got a new one, straight off the boat with no experience, she is getting paid 350 a month. Before every one start going Kunta Kinte on me she asked if she could work sundays at extra pay, in order to clear her agency fee. When I say no experience, she was using dishwasher powder in the washing machine, cleaning windows with Harpic, and cant cook, you get what you pay for.

Whats the going rate for drivers?

that's a funny one.

i will be your driver. how much you wanna pay me? is diesel same as petrol?

[PhoenixT]

As far as I've read - it may be better to find a family for your FDW yourself if you have the time than to go through an agency b/c the agency will charge her a fee also... or at least, pay the fee for her. Have you considered posting on boards, word of mouth -- go to the American club and post the info up on their bulletin board.

I'm actually looking for a maid to start in May, perhaps we can work something out- can you PM me, I'm too new so can't PM people.