Who is in need of the other more? The domestic helper, who needs a monthly income to support herself and her loved ones, or her employer, who needs the extra pair of hands to help around the household chores? Even though the obvious answer is that they are mutually beneficial, there have been many cases where the working relationship between the two has transgressed into bitter, and sometimes dangerous, grounds. It is understandable, or even laudable, that many native countries of domestic workers have adopted new rules and regulations to secure their citizen’s interests. Others have altogether banned sending maids to the UAE, the most recent being Indonesia. However, now some residents feel like they’ve pulled the shorter end of the stick as they squander time and money trying to find a maid they are pleased with.
Syrian-national Zahra B. said she has had to go through five domestic helpers in the past five years.
“I’ve lost a lot of money trying to find an apt maid,” Zahra B. said, “I’ve been to the agency so many times, flipped through so many candidates’ files, it isn’t even funny. The agency asks for Dh10,000 to Dh12,000 for placement fees and the government charges Dh5,000 in sponsorship fees.
Overall, we need to pay Dh20,000 just to bring the maid into the country. Imagine the amount of money we’ve lost by changing five maids in the last five years.”
According to Zahra B., the agency offers a three-month grace period in case the employer is not satisfied with the domestic worker’s work habits.
“The problem is, most maids start showing their quirks only after the first three months,” she said, “some just start getting lazy and neglect their chores. One of them came to our house and revealed she had asthma. She refused to dust the house and asked us to pay for her medication. Another even brought her boyfriend home. I have three children and such behaviour is disruptive to their upbringing.”
Zahra B. said the domestic drama she has endured has had her subjected to bouts of anxiety and depression.
“We do our best to make them feel welcome at our home,” she said, “I understand that it is difficult for them to live and work for a family who comes from a completely different culture. But we try to make them as comfortable as possible. We give them mobile phones, access to the internet and one day a week off. I don’t know, maybe we’ve just had bad luck with finding a good domestic helper. The problem is, once they show signs of being disgruntled you start feeling unsafe in your own house.”
According to Zahra B., one of her employees filed a complaint against her.
“When she knew I was going to let her go, she accused me of not paying her salary for three months,” she said, “she went to the Philippines consulate and filed a complaint against me. Luckily, I kept all the paperwork to clear the matter as soon as possible but it was still an unnecessary misadventure. She was trying to seize the deposit fee, which every sponsor pays the maid’s respective embassy.”
UK-citizen Tony Wilson, who lives in Mirdif with his wife and twin daughters, said that he employs two domestic helpers who recently have been at each other’s necks.
“I’ve had to sit with them and mediate the problem a numbers of times,” he said, “they come from separate cultural backgrounds, one of them is Sri Lankan while the other is from Zimbabwe. They both have strong personalities, which may be the cause of the friction between them.”
Wilson said he found them through online advertisements on Dubizzle and ExpatWoman
“I work for a government institution so luckily, I know the ins and outs of the visa and employment processes, and I am aware of the list of rules and regulations concerning domestic employment” he said, “They were both staying in the country so I did not need to bring them from their home countries.”
Wilson, who pays his maids around Dh2,500 each, said he tries to ensure the friction between them is minimal so their relationship wont adversely affect his household.
“We’ve arranged separate rooms for them,” he said, “they are off duty one day a week as well as national holidays. They have systematic work schedules and they are free to do whatever they want outside their working hours. There is a clear employee/employer relationship.”
However, Wilson said the contracts with his maid have nearly expired and he is finding trouble securing new employees.
“We’ve posted ads online in December, since then we’ve only had about two responses,” he said. “A number of countries have banned their citizens from working as maids in the UAE so it is going to be tough finding new employees. Some of the rules are reasonable as there have been a range of horror stories concerning maids but one needs to be financially secure to be able to pay for sponsorship-fees, medicals, and the deposit.”
Some residents said the rules make it too expensive for middle-income families to afford a maid. They added that there is also a “risk” that the maid recruited from abroad may not meet expectations.
“My sister sponsored three maids in the last eight years but none of them worked out,” said an Indian teacher in Sharjah, who did not wish to be named as she has hired a Bangladeshi maid illegally.
“The first one left because she was too homesick, the second absconded while my sister was abroad, and the third was so frail my sister ended up serving her instead. She lost a lot of money sponsoring maids.”
The resident, who pays her maid Dh1,500 per month, added: “I can’t afford to hire a maid through official channels, it’s too expensive – the deposit, the visa, and the ticket adds up to a lot. I understand the governments are trying to safeguard maids’ rights, but not all sponsors are bad.”
She added that “it’s easier and cheaper” to “try out” unofficial maids locally. “Both the maid and the family can see if they get along during the try-out period. And if the maid is unhappy with the terms, she can quit anytime. With the contract system, you are both stuck with each other and your deposit money is locked in as well. If she has to go back home, you have to pay for the ticket.”
According to her, there are lots of women working as part or full-time maids unofficially – and they are easy to find. She said: “They even have their own business cards which they slip into your front door. Or you can ask your building watchman. Women even approach people on the street to ask them if they want a maid. If you ask around, from your friends, colleagues or neighbours, you’ll be introduced to many maids.”
However, she conceded that hiring maids unofficially is a legal risk as the practice is not allowed.
“The sponsorship system is good for rich people who can afford the associated costs. For normal people, it’s out of their reach. Many maids work part time with different families and make good money – more than a full-time sponsored maid.”
There are many agencies around the country that act as intermediaries between maids and employers. Some, like Zahra’s agency, offer candidate files for customers to choose from while others offer services on an hourly-basis. There are also some, like MaidCV.com, who act as an online platform for domestic-workers to post their CVs on.