Well, many employers do not know how to treat their maids properly or they may think that they have treated them nicely because they did not ill-treat them.
Some employers really abused their maids with different unimaginable and inhuman methods. These maids suffered in silence until a point of no return when retaliation with death with the employer or their own suicide. This is a great pity in human race. Some employers are still treating maids as slaves, beating and torturing them because they do not follow instructions or make mistakes. It is a shame. If the maids are really incompetent, send them back to the maid agency or back to their country. It is tormenting to both employer and maid.
Usually the maids are not very educated and do not understand our dialects or languages. They may nod their heads in acknowledgement that they understand or know what is tasked on them, however they may misunderstand the whole issue and do something else instead. As time passes, learn to understand your maid's character and habits. Check on them to ensure the tasks given to them are done in your manner. Have the patience and endurance to teach your maids for a period of time, otherwise change a new maid. Every family has their own ways and schedule of doing things, similarly every maid has her own way of doing work. Give them a list of tasks to be carried out for each day and check their performance. As a matter of fact, we must not be too demanding.
Sufficient rest and proper sleep must be given to the maids to ensure their good health. A sick maid will spend on medical cost and zero work done. Cooping in the house may cause anxiety effect of imprisonment, unhappiness and frustration for the maids. Bring the maids out for marketing, shopping and outings whenever possible. Give them extra money or gifts on special occasions to reward them for their good work, birthday and new year, etc. Treat the maid as part of your family members is the solution to the maid and employer relationship. If both parties treat each other as enemy then you can expect a stealth war to surface in time to come. Treat your maid like everyone else in your family with compassion, love and understanding as well as providing physical, mental and emotional support.
There may be a need to install remote cameras in your house to observe the maids if they are employed to take care of young babies or old folks that cannot speak because they cannot tell you if they are being ill-treated. Ensure that all valuables and money are properly locked up so as not to invite unwanted theft by the maid or accusing the maid of theft when valuables or money are lost. Most of the maids come from average or poor families in search of work and high salaries to support their family and childrens' school expenses and house/land purchase, etc. Theft of valuables and money in the employer's home is a possibility, so don't encourage or create a crime of possible theft by your own actions.
Get a prepaid telephone card and a cheap or your old/spare hand phone so that your maid can make calls back home with control their usage. You can deduct from the maid's salary or give the initial cost of the phone card as a small encouragement. A little 'carrot' will make the maid feel at home. As for other money matters, it is wise to let the maids handle themselves the sending of their hard earned money back home, otherwise if there is any dispute of the money not reaching their family, the employers may have to pay for the money lost.
If the maid does not improve in their work or becoming uncontrollable after working for a period or abusing the goodwill given to them or meeting with bad companies, it may be wise to cancel their service.
State proper instructions, requirements and warnings to the maid right from the beginning of their service. Have a good employer and maid working relationship for all. Good luck.
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