While surfing one of the websites of a major maid company one day, I chanced upon this “Search for Maid” function which displays a list of maids according to your search criteria. But the word “Add to Basket” on the webpage caught my attention. It gives me the impression that the maid is like a good or commodity which you could add to your basket. Perhaps the web designer who designed the webpage did not pay much attention to the appropriate word to use.

 I learnt from the agent that all new employers are supposed to attend a Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) Employer Orientation Course. The course is available at both Singapore Polytechnic and Nations Training Centre. Singapore Polytechnic recently offers the online version of the course. This aids prospective employers who are too busy to attend the classroom courses to do so online at their own time. 

Also, through the maid finding process I learnt that there is this loan which the maid owes the agents. The employer would repay the loan on her behalf and the maid would repay her loan to her employer through her monthly salary. The agent would work out a loan repayment agreement between the maid and the employer. Based on calculations, the maid basically worked without salary for the first 8-9 months.

OMG! How would you feel if you are working 8-9 months without salary for your boss and also you are not being given off days at all .. on my… it sounds terrible rite?