HAVING closely followed the vigorous debate on the subject of
granting a day off a week to domestic maids, I am unable to
comprehend the hullabaloo over something that is so fundamental -
that is, every worker needs a rest. Isn't this a given?
Most of us work either a five-day or five-and-a-half-day week,
with up to 21 days of annual leave, and 11 public holidays. But
when it comes to granting a day off a week to domestic maids, we
feel that the sky is collapsing on us.
Maids generally work long hours, with most starting their
household chores from as early as 5am and stopping at about 10pm.
It can be longer for those who work in households with large
families, especially when they have to wash four cars, do the
laundry, clean the house, walk the dog and cook.
Many employers do not treat their maids well. Over time, I have
made many observations, and the following is only a sample:
1. When employers go on vacation, they move the maid to their
parents' or in-laws' homes, so that they continue with the daily
household chores there. This smacks of the "making one's money's
worth" mentality.
2. Maids are at the beck and call of the employers, even to the
extent of fetching a glass of water.
3. When families dine out, the maids are taken along to look
after the children. In some instances, the maids are not given
food.
4. They are not allowed to talk on the phone. However, I must
add that maids, when allowed to use the phone, need to exercise
discipline.
5. Instances of maid abuse are sufficiently frequent.
So there is a lot of soul searching needed for employers of
maids. Maids, like them, are human, and need to be treated like
one. There should be no modern-day slavery.
Lawrence Loh
While the writer is well-intentioned, there are several points
of which I disagree with him.
First,
He assumes that not giving him a day off, means that the maid is
overworked and is not having enough rest.
I believe this may or may not be the case.
Even when the maid is working on a normal weekday, lets say on
Monday or Tuesday, the welfare of the maid must be in attention and
that means she must have enough rest, enough sleep, and the
workload must be managable and so on. This doesnt neccessarily mean
that a one day off is the solution.
Second,
People who dont give one-day off doesnt necessarily mean the
maid is overworked. Again it depends on daily workload.
We see the reasons employers are hesitant in giving one day off
are, worrying that the maid will be interacting with bad people,
or, that the maid is needed during that day off, or, the maid
herself doesnt mind and is willing to work to earn more cash.
Anyways I personally dont have any strong opinion on this. Off
day or not off day, is ok.
But I want to challenge the writer's further faulty
assumptions.
He said when employers go on vacation, transferring the maid to
relatives is a kind of "milking" or "exploiting" them. This is
wrong. Why is it deemed as an exploitation ? We see that the writer
has some kind of fundamental wrong assumptions or prejudices.
Further,
He said asking for glass of water is also an exploitation.
This is wrong again.
If we go to restaurants, dont we also ask waiters for glass of
water ?
What is wrong with it ?
Again the issue is not whether asking these things is too much
or not, but whether the employers are polite and decent. The
employers should be polite and remember to say "thank you" after
the glass of water is fetched. But to say that the act of asking
for fetching of water is wrong, is wrong assumption.
Maids are not slaves and are not chattles. So when this writer
are thinking these things, maybe he is having prejudice and is
imagining things in his mind, as if maids are such poor people who
are getting oppressed by slave masters. This is not true.
Furthermore,
He said on family outings, maids dont eat together with the
family, and also maids cannot use phones at homes.
What is wrong with it ?
Again, he assumes this is a type of human rights violation and a
kind of exploitation.
This is false.
In fact it is correct and proper to maintain a distance and a
decorum, between employer and employee, especially one where in
this case of maids, the nature of work is such that there is a lot
of contacts and interactions in an intimate personal family
area.
In fact, if such a distance is not maintained, bad things will
happen.
Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger have sex-affair with his maid
?
So we see maintaining proper distance is a correct action, and
is not harmful to the dignity of the maid, in fact it protects and
respect the dignity of the employee concerned.
Again finally I conclude that the writer is an unrealistic
person and actually holds many prejudices on maids and is thinking
in his mind many funny things.
Just know that maids are not slaves, and are not chattels. They
are employees, working in a domestic informal sector, at homes,
interacting with employers families. They have their rights and
their duties, but also understand that due to the nature of their
work, there will be some meshing between private and work, and both
sides will work out what is best and most comfortable for both of
them. No need for high-horse pronouncements to "protect" them and
come up with these patronizing suggestions. They are patronizing to
the maid and to the employers families.
Thank you.
