According to Chinese culture, a kind boss should treat domestic workers as family members.
This is why some Hong Kong employers often ask their domestic workers to take food freely from the refrigerator and invite their maids to have dinner together with the family at the same table.
However, domestic workers may have different views. They may prefer not to take any food from the refrigerator for themselves and have their dinner alone in the kitchen. Many of them intend to keep a distance from their bosses.
It is hard for some Hong Kong employers to understand why their kind suggestions are rejected.
Fortunately, a woman has finally solved her long-standing puzzlement about her domestic worker’s meal preferences after she talked to some Filipino maids.
She realised that her intention to provide good food to her domestic workers might not have been the best idea, as many maids prefer to get the standard food allowance of HK$1,053 (US$135) and make their favorite dishes such as adobo, which consists of meat or seafood in vinegar and soy sauce.
Many domestic workers intend to keep a distance from their bosses as a way to show their respects. Some others are worried that a close relationship may come with a heavier workload. Many maids prefer to take their dinner in the kitchen alone simply because they want a private time after a full day of work.
Thinking from the domestic workers’ perspectives is what an employer should do.
(Updated at 11:50pm on Dec. 15, 2017)
Yeah thats true domt get us wrong if we dont wanna eat together with you,not because we hate u but we cannot eat properly cuz as a filipino we are usually shy type eating with other people
Sana mabasa to ng amo ko. I tried to ask her for my food allowance because i wanted to eat filipino food but my request was declined. They even talk to my agent in the agency and my agent said no need to give me my food allowance. I was hurt but i said it’s ok. Hope they will come across this article and read it..
salute to all good employer like u mam.ur helper was so blessed for having a very understanding employer.
Wow how i wish to have an employer like u mam????
Hopefully the other employers can read this article so that they will do the same thing to their helpers.
God Bless you madam
because not all the employer have the same thinking some they treat you as family but most of all they want to see how many that the helper eated. Sometimes why we’re not get any food from the fridge because some employer they said you can eat anything then once the helper ate the food the employer looking for that food, helper can satisfied what ever for they have as long as it came from the heart and dont think that all the food the u eaten we never eat we ate also even we’re in the philippines but not more often like here
She so lucky to have a boss like you mam
Kind employer who cares. For her helper.
Buti p nga yan free kumuha ng pagkain nla hehe samantalang dito sa amo ko kht itlog d pede kubg mgluto cla ska lng h..nbbsa nmn ng mga amo yan they just pretend not to know …
Miss Chen, you like my Boss they treat me like a Family member..we eat TOGETHER in OUR dinning table..we Pray TOGETHER before we eat.????
Sana mabasa ng ibang employer n sobrang GREEDY SA HELPER nila hindi komo helper dto s hongkong eh tanga un ang akala nila. I salute to this kind of employer GOD BLESS YOU MA’AM.
Most of the helpers prefer to eat in the kitchen rather than to eat with their employer????
RC Rubi Canlas kung sa tingin po Nila ta_____ mga DH, E mas ta______ yung nag hire na employer, just saying:)
Of course other employers will definitely read this article but they will still refuse to give allowances because they think a thousand is too much..they prefer their helper eat left over.
We are Indonesian is the same sepcialy we are moshly Muslim don’t eathing pork..we are prefer to eathing alone some of them use the own money to spend good food to eathing daily becouse them afraid the employer will hate mad…..end terminit them that the fear of the Indonesia. ..Like you know we work here for the familly home ???I hope All the employer like this Mr…we are work very loyal persons. …
Chris Oniuqa basta may helper k as a employer obligasyon mo yun s helper mo . Hindi dapat pagdamutan or tipirin .dhil pag ngkasakit ang helper mo wla n mglilinis .????
Yes its true me im ashamed also to eat with them together i prefer to be alone
I salute u madam,,,your one of a kind????????????God bless you,,,,
I’m so blessed to have a very nice and a very kind employer..I thank the Lord for having them.
Nawa lahat ng employers katulad nya.. I salute u MADAM..more power to u and GODBLESS u and ur family always..
How you can eat with them they use their chop stick instead the serving spoon with menu.. It is better to eat alone.. And make your own food ????, if I have tomato ???? and potato tops I’m happy already..
Employer ko makapal muka ayaw bgay fud allowance ko dhil katwiran nya sem lang daw kinakain nmin cnu ba mabuisog s 3 hiwa ng.maliliit na.karne at 3 pirasong talbos ng gulay….d ko kayang kumain ng oatmeal araw araw at noodles..kaya buy ako sarili ko pagkain kahit nakikita nya s ref na bumili ako wla.pakialam tlaga manhid….sahod ko 4500 2 bata 2 yers old at 8months old pinangako na taas ng sahod at bonus d tinupad…
isa na ako sa lucky na helper dito sa hk,, sa tagal ko na din n naging helper dito ,, ang dami ko din naranasan na hirap sa mga nakaraan kung mga amo,,.pang 6 na amo ko na ito,, my break din ako at my termanate,, now nakatagpo din ako ng amo na ,,easy work ika nga, hindi ako nag luluto ng food nila ,,kahit sa alaga ko,,sa labas sila kumakain,, madalas kami lang dalawa ng alaga ko sa bahay,, laging nasa business trip ang amo ko,, ung pinaka da bes lahat ng gusto kung food nakakain ko at naluluto ko,, thanks god ,,, na share ko lng po
Mrs Chen as iread your story,so far your the best employer and i salute you for being understand our culture.
I hope this will enlighten to all Employer to give more respect to their helper.
If your kind to us we are more respect you double and work more deligent….,
Sana meron din seminar ang mga employers before they hire a domestic helper in order to let them have some knowledge as well sa culture ng filipino or indonesian and most esp respect one another
You’re one of a kind employer Ms.Chen Jun-chen! Thanks a lot for your understanding to your helper of what she needs to eat everyday…hope this will enlightened some employers to be considerate enough to their helper.Your helper is lucky enough to have you as her rmployer…may God bless you more Madam!
Talagang ang buhay natina bilang Domestic Helper ay iba iba din me mapalad at.meron din hindi nabibiyayaan hindi man tayo lahat ay naging mapalad sa mga amo.at masasabi ko ko din na isa ako sa mga pinagkalooban ni LORD ng mabait at itinuring akong hindi iba sa kanila.,since nag start ako nag work sa amo ko way back 1997 ay sabay sabay na kami kumakain in one Table..sabi ni amo ko pareho lang daw kami nandito ako to work with them to help look after her FAMILY para makapagwork din siya para sa Family niya at ganon din ako .nagpunta ako dito para magtrabaho to earn money for my Family .So all we need is to help each other.manager ako sa oggice namin at ikaw naman ang manager dito sa bahay yan ang sabi niya.awa ni LORD andito pa din ako sa pamilyang pinaglilingkuran ko for almost 21 years na.kay LORD ang papuri.now si amo kong babae.ay histo na din niyang kumain nh Filipino food.pinakbet ,sinigang adobo,nilagang okra.lalo na ang pritong maliliit na isda w/ kamatis na me patis.minsan magtetequest ng maliliit na pritong galunggong na me kasamang kamatis at patis.minsan sya na nag sasabi can we eat pritong galunggong kamatis w/ patis tonyt / today please? ganon siya masasarap daw ying maliliit ma isda keaa ying malalaking isda.
sa mga kababayan ko manalangin lang tayo at kapit lang tayo kay LORD.
GOD BLESS PO SA ATING MGA DOMESTIC HELPER.
I got lucky .????????????????..my employer gave me when i requested to have my food allowance …they decided it for 1 month..????????…but the result is worth the wait…i always eat my favorite food now.. foods that we like to eat together with my kids when I was in the Philippines ????????????????????…less homesick if you are able to eat your home country foods..????????..
Hahaha i’m one of those many who intended to keep distance to their boss, and yeah, its bec having a very close relationship includes heavier workload..
Share n share para mabasa nila
I don’t have problem eating with my boss as i am incharge with the kitchen and the fridge as well,they like it when i could cook different dishes that are new to their taste,we do eat together and have fun talking while eating our meals,i don’t keep distance from them so that’s why they treat me as a family member,they never question about my marketing money they even told me to buy whatever food i want to eat and just take it from her own money,i think employer and helper knows what’s best for both of them,i’m so thankful to have a second family here in hongkong and they are also thankful to have me,we do laugh like friends and shares ideas like family…it is still important to be very close with our boss because we do live in the same house after all
This is the most love Asia times had been
postedI so far.. MAY GOD BLESS YOU.
Thanks ASIA TIMES…this post is more than words can say…this will also help employers minimizing on their thoughts of counting how much we ate the whole day…while we donestic helpers were giving employers what their money can’t buy…AND THAT IS "WE DOMESTIC WORKERS" WERE DOING THE RESPONSIBILITIES WHICH IS SUPPOSEDLY PARENTS MUST DO FOR THEIR CHILDREN ..????????????
One comment I heard was that families using serving plates do not adhere to the same rules at home as they do in a restaurant.
God Bless you kind employer..more favor from God be upon your family..you will recieved our declaration into your family. You are a Blessings to others..
My Employer also is a good and favored employer thy are kind and got a good hearted..i pray for them also. ..
Yes, indeed. I always eat alone and very seldom to eat with my employer outside. For more than a year with them, I only had dinner with them during chinese new year and another one with my female employer. It’s not that I don’t want to be with them but eating foods that we don’t eat or usually like is much more embarassing in front of them.
I thank God, that my employer have a good heart, both families they treat me like their family .i wish some employer like them they should understand the maid setuation.
Wew… Just want a free bfast … ???? idont ask for adobo or pinoy way of cooking food… Just free coffee nd biscuit… Shud be fine????
Good employer…
my employer are nicest people I’ve known..i can eat anything I want..minsan nga subra na..kya nanhihinayang tlga ako sa mga tira..blessed ako sa kanila..kahit di cla mayaman pero abunda k nman
Lucky for me di ko problem ang food coz my employer ask me also what i want to eat and what kind of taste i usually eat.Nagkakasundo naman kami pagdating sa food and eating together with them with chikahan the bond of housekeeper and the employer is better.
Nida Naz Laynes Naku sakin binibilang ang itlog.. kaya pag gusto ko bumibili ako…
Sana nga mabasa ng amo ko ito,
Boring ang pagkain ng mga amo ko,
Verryyyyy…. True……..????
Right! Right! ????????
some employers don’t use serving spoons on dishes, some use their chopsticks as toothpick,w/c is very unhygienic, they talk so loud during meals, etc,etc
I agree
. a short if sharing my employers wants me to join evry meals and they put many food in my plate how blessed i am…during my day off they let me eat some left over food in the ref,my popo loved to gave me food even working days loved to gave me many clothes lol i dont have the space closet to put????i wish some employer will change thr treatment towards my co helpers out there…some times its just depend on us how we show our sef to them and how they will responds..
1 aq sa maswerte ng amo,kc khit salo salo kami kumakain filipino fud pgkain ko at naluluto ko lhat ng gusto kung kainin…dnila pinipilit yong ayaw ko…