New employer wanted

[kindredspirit]

Hi,

My helper's sister is looking to change employers. I cannot vouch for her personally, but my helper is great. One of the reasons she wants to change employer is that she says she is not given much food to eat by her current employer.

She is available any Sunday for an interview. Her name is Maria Karen. You can call her directly at 90230548 if you are interested.

 

[mocha]

at what age? with new born exp?
not given much food to eat <--- i just wonder not many choices or not enough?

Hi,

My helper's sister is looking to change employers. I cannot vouch for her personally, but my helper is great. One of the reasons she wants to change employer is that she says she is not given much food to eat by her current employer.

She is available any Sunday for an interview. Her name is Maria Karen. You can call her directly at 90230548 if you are interested.

 

[kindredspirit]

She's 30 years old. I don't know the details, but I heard from my helper that apparently she is not given enough food. She is currently looking after an 11 year old boy. She says she has past new born care experience in Dubai.

 

[anotherone]

Although this helper might turn out to be absolutely brilliant, I would like to flag a few things here just for general reference:

- it is very very rare for employers (even the supposedly "evil" Chinese employers) to not give their helpers enough food. If that's the claim, make sure you check with the employer and use your own judgement in evaluating the employer's response to the accusation. But chances are, this helper will tell you the employer "does not want to speak to the prospective employer" - which in itself should ring a massive alarm bell

- helpers who have worked in the middle east don't necessarily have the skills and experience that we normally look for (NB or otherwise), as it is common for families over there to have more than one helper, each responsible for a limited range of tasks, the lady employer would normally be a stay-at-home-mum, and the helper is not normally required to do any grocery shopping / cooking etc.

 

[Honkyblues]

I would agree that "not given enough food to eat" is often used as a 'pity-party' excuse by many Filipinos working for Chinese families. Often the case is that they simply don't like the Chinese food they are offered. Other times, I think they say it to make an expat feel sorry for them and offer them a job.

I know that the last two helpers who worked for my Chinese (Australian) friend went round saying they were underfed. Believe me, I know my friend would not be starving her helpers. And I also know neither girl lost weight while working there. In fact, one was slightly chubby and stayed slightly chubby. Don't believe everything you hear on the maid-vine!

 

[miran]

and what survey / data / labour records are you basing your statements on ?

my helper had big food problems (among other things) with her previous emloyer. she's been with us for 2.5 years now and been a very good employee.

as for middle east expereince - the work hours there are known be very long. most countries in that region have a poor record of helper labour issues (it's all over the news). even if she was handling a part of overall helper duties - she might or might not be willing to learn. in any case she'd be as good or bad as an inexpereinced helper from ph.

i think it's unfair when we "flag" non-existent issues on the basis of our personal limited expereinces. in effect you might be putting off a few people from ever interveiwing her.

 

[howardcoombs]

it is very very rare for employers (even the supposedly "evil" Chinese employers) to not give their helpers enough food.

I would love to find out what you are basing this accusation on. I can a lot of independently researched articles and papers that claim otherwise. Where do you get your facts from?
http://www.foodjustice.net/ahrc-arc...ications/hong-kongs-invisible-quarter-million
Its a well known fact; its very very common.

If that's the claim, make sure you check with the employer and use your own judgement in evaluating the employer's response to the accusation. But chances are, this helper will tell you the employer "does not want to speak to the prospective employer" - which in itself should ring a massive alarm bell

The alarm bell I'm hearing is the naivete of your advice. An abuse employer (a far too common problem in Hong Kong) will not want to talk to you about their activities. If they do, they will lie thru their teeth to shift blame somewhere else. Would you expect otherwise ?

I would agree that "not given enough food to eat" is often used as a 'pity-party' excuse by many Filipinos working for Chinese families.

An excuse that has been well documented and proven to be true. I think that makes it not just an excuse

*shaking head*
HC

 

[mocha]

a big bowl of rice or a loaf of bread can easliy make a person full.
and it is hard to believe that a helper who stay with an 11 year old boy would be starving whole day at home. as the boy may also need to eat at home.
so this is the quesetion comes up in my mind " i just wonder not many choices or not enough?"

I also tend to believe that they simply don't like the Chinese food which the chinese families are offered.

 

[howardcoombs]

Mocha,
what you believe and the facts dont match each other. As can be seen from this thread, there are many like you who do not believe all the abuse and malnourishment cases that go in Hong Kong.

I would urge you to research properly and if you have the time go do some volunteer work at Bethune House; you will see the real cases as they come thru the doors. In a very short amount of time, you will find out the reality of what DHs have to go thru.

Until then, I would really apprecaite it if you could stop making baseless assumptions.

HC

 

[anotherone]

There is no need to be condescending on a forum like this. So the "research" that you linked to cited one helper. I have personal experience through colleagues, family and friends, who all, despite their more than generous treatment of their helpers, ended up being accused of all sorts by their helpers after they parted ways. So do I win?

No one says NO HELPER gets abused in Hong Kong. I also said at the beginning that this particular helper might turn out to be a really good one.

You say I was naive in choosing to believe the version of events as told by the employer (which was NOT what I said as I also urged the use of judgement to evaluate the truthfulness of what the employer has to say). I would say anyone who automatically chooses to believe any horror story told by a helper simply because SOME helpers are treated badly is the truly naive one. If you say a bad employer would lie through his/her teeth, why wouldn't a bad helper do the same?

Helpers can be good or bad, but all prospective employers should enter the hiring process fully aware of both sides of the argument.

I would love to find out what you are basing this accusation on. I can a lot of independently researched articles and papers that claim otherwise. Where do you get your facts from?
http://www.foodjustice.net/ahrc-arc...ications/hong-kongs-invisible-quarter-million
Its a well known fact; its very very common.



The alarm bell I'm hearing is the naivete of your advice. An abuse employer (a far too common problem in Hong Kong) will not want to talk to you about their activities. If they do, they will lie thru their teeth to shift blame somewhere else. Would you expect otherwise ?




An excuse that has been well documented and proven to be true. I think that makes it not just an excuse

*shaking head*
HC