Having a hardworking and responsible Filipino maid | Indonesian maid | Myanmar maid is more than an employer can ask for. They are a blessing and they make lives easier, especially to busy parents.
But maids are humans too. And we often forget that they are. We forget to consider and ask about their feelings, whether they are happy, sad, feeling sick, and stressed. When we are stressed, we have outlets – our colleagues, our partners, and our friends. But when the maid gets stressed they don’t have a direct outlet to burst out their problems, and they would not tell it to you directly.
A stressed-out maid is not good for you, your family, and for her as well. Watch out for these signs, if you think your maid is stressed-out but doesn’t tell you.
1. *She’s slacking in her work* – One of the ways your maid may express her stress is by slacking on her daily activities. She may become antsy and forgetful because of her stress and anxiety. If you notice that your maid is not performing her duties well like she used to, sit her down and talk to her. This way you can extend the help that she needs.
2. *You catch her snapping at your kids* – We often hear horror stories of babies and toddlers being at the receiving end of a helper’s frustrations. If you suspect that your maid might be ill-treating your child, look for any of these signs: the child is anxious when left alone with the maid, has bumps, and bruises. You can install a CCTV camera to record what is happening at home while at work. And if caught red-handed, don’t hesitate to show her the door as soon as possible.
3. *She starts seeing ghosts and spirits* – Some maids makeup ghost stories just to have an excuse to leave their employers house. One example can be talking about a ghost leaving tooth marks in some soaps and potatoes, but turns out to be a mouse in the morning. If this happens with your maid. It simply means, that she is anxious about something, or really wants to leave.
4. *She constantly complains about her health* – Living as a maid in Singapore can be tiring, doing household and securing the welfare of their employer can make them lethargic at times. Because of this, the maid’s health could be in toll one way or another. They could also have an existing health problem before coming to work with the employer, and they just try to keep it to themselves. As their employer, it is our responsibility to show concern over maid’s health. Give them help that they need and if after all the help from doctors and countless check-ups, if the maid is still complaining about her health, then it could be another way of saying that she has other issues, or she wants to leave.
5. *She starts showing you attitude* – A good employer-employee relationship should be based on civility and mutual respect. The same goes with you and your maid. But if you notice a change of behaviour with your maid, like ignoring your requests, becoming rude, short-tempered, and showing you heaps of attitude, then this might be a voluntary/involuntary result of stress and anxiety.
When you notice one or more of these signs with your maid, go and have a sit down talk with them, ask them what is wrong, and the things you can do to make them feel better. This could help sort out the issue and get back to the usual routine, or move on with other alternatives if the issue is still unsolvable to you both.
Another thing to remember before hiring a Filipino maid | Indonesian maid | Myanmar maid for the first-time is to remind them to not be hesitant in telling you what they feel, whether they are stressed, having any health issues and any difficulties in doing their job. As an employer, reassure the maid that you are willing to help when certain need arises.
