Once your children grow up and leave home, you will understand how difficult it is to be separated from your loved ones, and you will start to understand how your foreign domestic worker feels, a columnist has written in a Hong Kong paper.
The columnist, who writes on parenting issues, shared her recent experience in Headline Daily about how she felt after her daughter went overseas for studies.
She advised readers to put themselves in their maid’s shoes so that the employer-employee relationship would have a new perspective.
She said her Filipino maid, who had been working for her for six years, suddenly requested a one-month holiday. She agreed to the request without any hesitation because she knew the reason had to do with the maid’s son back in the Philippines.
The domestic worker, who is a widow and also needs to support her parents and brothers, had learned that her son had been skipping school frequently. It made her very worried and she wanted to talk to him in person and solve the problem.
The writer said her domestic worker, like many others in Hong Kong, was not a very good cook, liked loafing and was sometimes bad-tempered, but she was honest and took care of her employer’s daughter very well.
Only able to communicate with her son by phone, instead of taking care of him in person if he is sad or gets sick, is understandably very hard on the maid, the columnist said.
But, she wondered, how many employers in Hong Kong show any empathy for their domestic workers?
The columnist said she knew of a person who lived in a thousand-square-foot apartment but only provided a foldable wooden board, placed above a washing machine in a storage room, for the domestic worker to sleep on.
That domestic worker doesn’t have her own chair, and she is not allowed to sit on her employer’s sofa or a dining-room chair. She must stand when she has her dinner.
The columnist said she would never forget how the maid looked surprised but appreciative when her employer’s friends gave her food during a gathering.
The writer advised employers to try to put themselves in the maid’s shoes, show understanding and care, in order to build a good employment relationship.
Godbless you more sir
Yes 100 oercent agree to mr columnist you have a big heart….employers must understand our situation so that we can be worked together understand each others need….like me i have no rest during the day…..only nifht time because may lady employer stay in food is all frozen….i have my own room in the kitchen….its ok but i dont understand my wmployers attitude…..
My helper who worked for me 22 years cane to HK when her child was only 5 yrs old. After my daughter reached 5 yrs old, my daughter would often cry even if I just left for work. I remembered Linda my helper the pain she has gone thru. Last year when her mom was incurable sick, I forced her to go home, I told her not to regret that she wasn’t able to spend her time with her mom. She went there for 1 month. After a month her mom died and she went back for the funeral. We employer must be the one to strive for a better relationship. And just hope the helper will also strive to be the helper we trust.
God bless you more and also your whole family for this very bright insight that you’ve shared.❤❤❤ "Grateful Filipina here."
Sir, a million thanks for sharing this..A.Still a lot of employers can’t understand how to take care or what to do right.if you have a.domestic helper of @ny. Nationality .. They just say
They are."
Thanks sir/mam for being understanding….ur such a rear employer…
To all of the employers who truly understand our situations as a foreign workers…thank you very much…to the employer who wrote this simple essay we deeply appreciate your concern…im one lucky enough to find a good boss like the one you described.. i do hope that all employers should read your essay especially those employer who dont treat their empllyee well!
I’m one of the luckiest…
My employer treat me as their family member…
They even asked me if my KIDS hv enough allowance until my next salary…they always offer me financial help or in kind…
Even they ddnt met in person..as if they knew each other(my employets6and my family).
Big thanks for having such a very understanding heart stay blessed❤
The sad thing in this story,she don’t have her own chair?she must stand when she eat?and sleep in the storage.what kind of human are they?busit ang taong to..!
Thank you sir/ma’am you have good heart
Yeah absolutely
Very well said madam
I hope my employer is like you. Because i ask her to haveca 1 mo..vacation and attend the graduation of my daughter but the worst is she just think her business and sad to say that vacation leave turn into into termination.
Emphaty is such a strong word and it was seldom given to us as a DH but it can make a big difference in our work that transcend its bounderies as an employer and a helper.Thats why some can stay to one employer for long time.
We are all praying that all employers are like how you think. It’s really a give and take relationship.
thanks to those employer who take the chance to give their maid’s the sympathy that they deserve…and i also thank GOD for giving me an employer the same with these…kuddos for them…may the ALMIGHTY GOD shower you the blessing that you deserve..and a long life to live,that you can continue to do good for US…
Love begets love… a little sympathy means so much to a helper away from home. I hope this article will be an eye opener for the selfish ones.
its lucky to hve an employer have concern and care to treat u as famly….
Thank u…hopefully all employer will do the same as you…God bless…