Posted by
Josie Jump
20 yrs ago
I recently employed a maid for the first time. I'm not sure whether I should allow her to use our home telephone for incoming and outgoing calls even tho she's got a mobile. Her family overseas tends to phone our home and she gets some personal calls although she keep them to about 10-15 mins. Would it be harsh if I tell her that all her calls should be made on her mobile. Would like to get some comments. Thx
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Our helper makes and receives all her calls on her own mobile after working hours. I know it may seem harsh but I told her she wasn't to talk on her mobile when she was looking after my daughter. Do set limits now because if she realises you are a soft touch, she'll be talking for hours on her mobile during working hours.
I did let her use our phone to make and receive calls from her family back home but she still uses her own mobile for this.
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Also, are you happy with your helper giving out your telephone number to all her friends?
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Life
20 yrs ago
If it will cost more for her family to call her mobile vs. your home phone, is it really that terrible to let her use the home phone? I mean, if you were in her position, how would you like your employer to treat you? Better yet, before you moved to Asia, while you were working, did you receive personal phone calls on the job?
I think if you limit the hours during which she can receive personal phone calls on the home phone or even the days, that would not be too mean. Anything outside these days can then be directed to her mobile. Is she working an 8 hour day? If not, give her some "me time" as long as she does not abuse it.
Now long distance charges need to be paid by her.
Or better yet, ask her if she would like her own phone line, which she will be responsible for. Charges that is.
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ShazP
20 yrs ago
My Maid told me herself that she finds her mobile phone rates cheaper that the residential line. They also use their pre-paid cards which are really cheap from their mobile phones.
I follow the same rules like 'happychick' with my DH. She can switch on her mobile after working hours in her own room & its off when she is on ' our' time.
Her family do call on our phone rarely. They are aware that they can call our line when its an emergency, urgent or anything like it.
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It seems to all of us that mobile phone calls are more expensive than landline phone calls. But as spare rib hk said, helpers hv pre-paid cards and they are very cheap. I would say if you want to treat her as your family member, then do let her use your phone. But if you treat her as your employee, then I think no need to let her use yr phone. Seeing almost 99 percent of the filipino helpers talking on their mobile phones all the time, I wl be scared to let them use my land line.
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24
20 yrs ago
We do the same as happychick and sparerib. We like our privacy so told her from day one that she is not to be using our home phone, mainly because I did not want anyone that I didn't know to have our telephone number.
She has her own mobile phone. When she first started working for us, right after our baby was born, it would ring often and she would chat on it and answer all the calls. Basically, we just got so annoyed by all the ringing and the chatting around the house that one day, we finally said that she is no longer to talk on the phone during working hours and she could chat all she wanted after she finished work. From then on, we didn't hear the phone ring or chatting again. Honestly, we wish we had set those rules since day one. I think it's completely fine to say no calls during work hours. It is your home after all and you are entitled to have some peace and quiet and enjoy it while you are there.
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Life
20 yrs ago
24, what are her working hours?
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I will never allow a helper use my home phone.....been in that situation already and when she get troubles outside, her friends will begin to call your home phone regularly....and you will have no choice than to change the telephone number.
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Thank you for all your replies.
It's not her outgoing calls that are bothering me as she would ask for my permission if she wants to use the home phone. Before she would receive calls from her family and other personal calls on our landline. While I don't mind the odd call on our landline during the time she's working but these days they are becoming frequent. Yesterday there was a call for her when she was in the middle of cooking. She spent 10mins on the phone. I spoke to her afterwards and asked her subtley whether it's from her family. She said it was from the agency who is helping her sister (who is still in her home country) find work in HK. I asked her whether she gave out our home telephone out to the agency, she said that she hasn't. She said that she has diverted all her calls on her mobile onto our landline. Can you believe that!!!!
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No, I cant. The verdict is - no softie to helpers. I would say. You give an inch, they take a mile (is my English correct ^-^)?
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Life
20 yrs ago
okay, so she pushed her luck. Tell her not to touch the home phone, and she may not take calls during working hours otherwise you will fire her.
Or tell her she is not working out and so you have to let her go, and then start from scratch and set the ground rules with the new maid on day one.
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I even asked PCCW before to activate the "block the blocker" function and I automatically activate the Private Call options...but still it didnt worked....as mighty said give them an inch and they will take mile....
and pity for Josie jump about the call forwarding on the landline phone.....I can't really imagine somebody do things like that without asking permission. So better tell her directly no landline phone usage, but you allow her to have mobile phone.
If you compare to other employers...some dont even allow maids to have their mobile phones especially if you have a baby, just pieces of advice according to experience.
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ShazP
20 yrs ago
Josie jump,
Seems like your DH is taking full advantage of you. If I were you, I would put an immediate stop to it by being straight & to the point. Dont give her explanations or reasons, just tell her what you want & what you dont! Tell her if she does not accept your terms, to let you know now so you can let her go & you can have someone who will do as you want in your home. If she does agree to your terms, tell her that you will not remind her again about anything. If she abuses your conditions, look for someone else.
Your relationship with your DH depends on what you lay down from the very beginning.Everything should be very clear at the start to give no room for advantage later ( like what is happening with your DH). Then you both can respect each other & enjoy a good employer- employee relationship.
All the best!
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??
set some guidelines...but be reasonabl;e. i am starting to hv the impression u guys are from hell.
don't tell me you don't receive calls at work?
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ShazP
20 yrs ago
Tiara,
Get a DH...give her full use to your phone.
Oh by the way...see that you have an infant/ toddler or two to depend on that same DH while you are out. If you arent lucky enough to be blessed with the world's best DH, then you will know what ' hell' is all about.
It amazes me that when someone has a different opinion , the unwanted & derogatory comments just flow out.
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swws
20 yrs ago
DH can be very offensive, and often assume people look down on them , and make so much money it is theirs for the taking.
However often this is a cultural difference. Perhaps a Filipno family would accept that a helper family has all these personal calls come in, but a Westerner may not.....
It is really hard to say where the problem starts, however there are always good and bad workers.
I have found with some cultures they are just diametrically opposed to western beliefs. The hysteria, lies etc.
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After having a maid being on the phone when I was in an emergency situation trying to call home to change arrangements for children etc and not being able to get through for 2 hours - using the home phone was absolutely banned for anything other than 1 minute calls during working hours. My maid lived out and left at 6pm - so she had plenty of opportunity to call her friends or watever after hours. During my working days if i was on the phone for more than 10 minutes on a personal matter a day my boss would get very upset with me. It all comes down to work ethics and the use of and taking advantage of the situations - they get to use your electricity, water and food - can't we say no to the phone without being awful - I think we can and we have a right to - I do the same thing to my teenage children. If the maid wants to use a cheaper phone she can get her own land line for $100 a month.
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