'Sign a legal contract when hiring a maid'

The absence of regulations governing domestic service agencies, housemaids and employers has contributed to the rising cases of robberies involving domestic helpers. Despite the fact that there are around 63 domestic service agencies in the city that have placed more than 6,000 maids, they are not bound to any employment contracts. The Jakarta Post talked to several people on the issue.

Agustinus Rohadi, 33, is a junior high school teacher at an international school in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. He resides in Bekasi with his wife and two children:

I don't employ any housemaids since I fired my maid last year for stealing some belongings and money. She was caught red- handed. The agency took her home then.

After the incident, my wife quit her job to look after our small children and manage the household chores.

I don't trust the domestic service agencies anymore because I've also had another bad experience. Once, I hired a maid from the agency, but she quit her job after working just two days. She said she did not feel at home, and the agency had forced her to take the job.

Unfortunately, the agency did not want to take the responsibility, saying that it was outside the conditions of the signed agreement.

I believe that the agreement has no legalities to comply with in the terms of agreement. So, I guess the agreement is nothing but a sort of bill after a certain transaction. As a result, the agency could wash their hands of any irregularities.

The agency just said in the agreement that if the maid had left for an unclear reason, it would replace her with another maid or reimburse the three-month down payment.

But the problem is not that simple, is it? I suspect that there is a conspiracy between the maids and the placement agency.

Even so, I could understand to the extent to which the continuing economic hardship has forced unskilled laborers like housemaids to resort to crime in order to make instant earnings.

I think there should be a legal agreement involving the agency, the housemaid and the employer in a bid to avoid irresponsibility. Perhaps the legal agreement will consequently raise the fees for the maid, but it doesn't matter as long as there is legal certainty.

Diah Massardi, 40, is a director of an advertising agency in South Jakarta. She resides in Bekasi with her husband and two children:

I hired a domestic helper twice through a domestic service agency, but both ended in nightmares.

I was impressed with the first housemaid, as she worked hard and was a very good cook. But after a week, she quit my house taking valuable belongings and money with her. She took the branded goods.

I complained about her to the agency, but it did not want to take any responsibility for the theft. The agency then replaced her with another maid as I threatened to expose the incident to the mass media. But she also left the house a few days later.

Because of this experience, I decided to hire a baby-sitter from a reliable agency. The agency is more professional, as their agreement sets the salary and the rights of the helper. The baby- sitter has worked for me for more than eight years, and I find her to be reliable.

Of course, I have to pay a monthly salary that is higher than a normal worker's standard minimum wage. She also gets a two-day holiday every month. Fortunately, she is trustworthy.

I guess it would be better for domestic service agencies to use legal and reliable agreements like this baby-sitter agency's. Otherwise, the image of the domestic service agencies will only get worse because of their bad track records.

Above all, I guess employers should not blame only their domestic helpers for being dishonest. The way employers treat their maids and the meager salary they give are also factors which provoke the maids to behave badly.

Housemaids are also human beings who deserve to be treated properly and to receive reasonable salaries. Of course, the employer should also look through the maid's personal background and track record before hiring her.

As added security, I provide the security officers with the maid's identification, just in case.

Ira, 27, works at a private company in South Jakarta. She resides in Rempoa, South Jakarta, with her family:

Upon hearing of my friends' experiences with their housemaids, I completely agree with the idea of making work agreements involving the domestic service agency, the housemaid and the employer.

Otherwise, the agencies will never be responsible for their maids' actions, and will simply ignore the employers' complaints.

I believe, in a way, that it is now very difficult to find trustworthy domestic helpers, but this doesn't mean that there are no reliable and honest housemaids.

Personally, I don't trust such agencies. If we need a domestic helper, we should get someone familiar, someone we already know.

Fortunately, every person in my family has their own share of the household chores, so we've been able to take care of everything ourselves. -- Leo Wahyudi S.