Foreign maid manual issued

Foreign maid manual issued

SINGAPORE (DPA): Singapore employers of foreign domestic
workers will soon have a "maid manual" advising them to make sure
their employees have enough rest and describing Filipino,
Indonesian and Sri Lankan cultures, the Ministry of Manpower said
Saturday.

The ministry targeted maid employers first since this group
hires the largest number of foreign workers in the city-state but
plans similar information kits for the construction and
manufacturing sectors.

Cases of maid abuse have been prominent in the media recently.
There have also been reports of abusive maids, such as an
Indonesian charged with pouring sulfuric acid into the mouth of a
three-month-old baby.

Then Yee Thoong, the ministry's divisional director in charge
of foreign manpower employment, said the kit setting out
everything an employer should know about employing and training a
foreign maid should be distributed to all employers this month.

Employers are exhorted to train the maid and ensure she
receives enough privacy and rest.

In the cultural guidelines, it notes Filipinos often wear
slippers at home in the belief the practice wards off rheumatism.

"A note written in red ink to an Indonesian maid indicates the
writer is angry with her," it advises.

A dictionary of everyday terms informs an employer of basic
words in Bahasa Indonesia, Tagalog and Sinhalese.