I have been calling maid agencies for the past few days. From my findings, I am rather perplexed with the structure of the agency fees imposed by these agencies. From what I have gathered, different agencies charge different rates on the agency fee, some of which charge vast differences in the fees. Most of the agencies charge between RM7,000 to RM10,000 for agency fees (to be shared between the Malaysian agent and Phillipines agent). Monthly salary of the Filipina maid is fixed at a minimum of RM1,000 and some RM1,200 per month. Most of the agencies have advised me to hire a Filipina as maids from this country do not create as much trouble as Indon maids. This I have to agree as I have hired Indon maids for 10 years and so far, only one maid was truly efficient with not much attitude problem BUT she had a boyfriend, whom she befriended just over our house gate every morning!! Can you imagine how they can fall in love without even going out with each other and can even exchange kisses on some mornings? All done at my porch and they were caught in the act locking lips by my nosy parker neighbor!
Yesterday, I called up another maid agency. I was perplexed when they told me that they charge only RM4K+ for agency fee to hire a Filipina maid and the maid's salary is RM1k a month. For Indon maids, they charge close to RM9,000 for agency fee and the maid's salary is RM808 per month. When I 'reported' my findings to the boss, he said "cheap things surely mean no good! If they can charge us a fee which is so low as compared to what other agencies normally charge, surely the maids are of sub quality and who knows, the agency may be one of those agencies reported in the newspapers that teaches the maid to run away after the 3-month guarantee period! When this happens, the employer will surely go back to the agent to source for another maid and another RM7k has to be paid upfront to hire a new Filipina maid. And behind our backs, who knows, the unscrupulous maid agency will be recycling the runaway maid and we will never find out about their illegal modus operandi.
Did you know that a prospective employer has to fork out an average of RM12,400 to hire a Filipina maid? This amount comprises of RM10k NON-REFUNDABLE agency fee and 2 months advance salary of RM1,200 per month. Renewal of work permit after 1 year is about RM1k. Now bring out your calculator and start counting. The average monthly salary of a Filipina maid on a 2-year contract is RM1,616 per month!! That is equivalent to the starting salary of some fresh graduates??
After discussing with the hubs, he still thinks that hiring part-time maids who come in several times in a week is the best solution. I need part-time maids who can come between 6pm - 8pm as this period is the busiest time for me -- preparation to cook dinner, piles of dishes, wok and pots to wash and scrub and messy floor to mop after dinner. I have called 3 part-time maid agencies today and only 1 agency (working on a very tight schedule) can provide a part-time maid to me, who can come in on Monday and Thursday from 6-8pm. Cost is about RM260 for 8 sessions (twice weekly, 2 hours each session). For other days of the week, I will have no choice but to slog like a dog for the sake of my 3 angels. If not for the 3 of them, I would have eaten out everyday, just like what I did before they came along. But back then, life was a tad lonely and incomplete without them and they are my missing pieces to my complete jig saw puzzle now :)
Health Freak Mommy ~ The Joys And Throes Of Motherhood
8 comments:
I have read comments from yr earlier posting. You will have to scale down the menu...for years I always had a one-pot meal, and always made extra for the next day. Till now, I still do that and no one complains! I only clean once a week, just spot cleaning for immediate messes. The girls are also old enough to sweep with a broom, so enlist their help.
I just have one other comment which I am sure will upset some ppl. I am uncomfortable with the idea that these maids are to be 100% with the employer to the extent they do not have their own life to be outside on their day off(1 day a week is not unreasonable) and to socialise etc. I also disagree with some employers who force them to work till late at nite and then have to be up at 6am. If my husb ever forced me to do that, he would lose use of his legs! Maids are maids, there to help u, they are not indentured servants. They are human beings, just like us, and the only difference between "us" and "them" is circumstance.
It is certainly not cheap hiring a maid now. Mine is due in Jan next year. I am also contemplating to do without one next year.
It is not cheap hiring a maid nowadays...I think part-time maid is a good choice...at least no stranger stay under the same roof, more freedom too.
Hi Shireen, that RM260 for 8 sessions (twice weekly, 2 hours each session)-> 2 maids or 1 maid? ...
I'm searching for reliable PT maid too... :(
Shane, it's for 1 maid only, which I am not too favorable. I prefer 2 maids one time so that more things get done. Very little work gets done in 2 hrs by 1 maid. If it's just 1 maid, by the time she finishes washing the dishes and mop the floor, she may not have time to even do the laundry. I got the contact from http://www.parttimemaid.com/
Chris, Indon maids over here cannot be given too much freedom, as advised by all the maid agencies. Those run-away maids, maids who steal from employers, etc are usually those who are given day off and a mobile phone. For me, I think it all boils down to the individual character of the maid. Some maids can stray even w/o going out of the house - like in my case where my 2 maids secretly went out at 3am every night to have short flings with their boyfriends w/o our knowledge until 1 maid betrayed her friend and spilled the beans!
Just to warn you in case you hire a Filipino maid, my ex Filipino maid Cherry Mae Laplana Gamutan added menstrual blood into our food and water, and was caught by our Indon maid. The agent, Sri Mawar, also saw some evidence of this but did not tell us until we sent the maid back. Unfortunately, the Indon maid also kept quiet about the matter under we terminated the Filipino maid's contract. All this only came to light after she got sent back, corroborated by both the Indon maid and the agency. We have since placed her on the Malaysian immigration blacklist, and Philippines embassy blacklist, and there is a police report on this matter as well, in case she ever thinks of coming back here. Pls beware.
Dear all just sent my Filipino maid margarita munguiho ananayo back, her dob 9 march 1982. If you happen to see her name in agency office don't take her. She lies a lot, lazy and mentally unstable. I do intend to blacklist her name from coming to Malaysia again. I hope there will be more victim like me being victimize by a maid like her.
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