Saudi GazetteHiring domestic help in the Kingdom is one of the biggest challenges faced by many Saudi nationals and expats alike. Although there are some cruel and inhumane employers, there are also maids who make unreasonable and illegitimate demands. Employers whom Saudi Gazette interviewed said the demands of some of the maids are endless, tantrums are nerve-wracking, and salaries are skyrocketing, but employers are left with little or no choice except to employ those housemaids to get some basic household work done. Umm Manal, 38, a Pakistani national, is a mother of three young children. When she resumed work after her first child was born eight years back, she employed an Indonesian maid for a monthly salary of SR800. “Every now and then she asks for an increment. She did when I gave birth to my other two kids because she knew I would then need her the most. If I refused or told her that I would do it later, she would threaten to leave. Since she took care of the house well and my children were acquainted with her, I gave her the raise. She now takes SR1500. “And, it doesn't only stop there; she needs a day off every 15 days, come hell or high water. No matter how much you plead or how grave the matter at hand is, she can't be bothered to stay. On the contrary, she will pack her bags and threaten to leave for good,” Umm Manal said. Saudi entrepreneur Azdhar Saeedi said that her maid currently takes SR1500, and the maid has told her that if Saeedi wants her to stay until the end of Ramadan, Saeedi should raise her salary to SR2000 from this month onward. “It is ridiculous but I had no choice except to give her the increment. I know I wouldn't find anyone easily as Ramadan is near, and there are so many other things that need my attention at home and work, instead of ironing clothes, cleaning the house and mopping the floors.” According to some employers, maids, regardless of their nationality, know their worth and hence take advantage of the demand for their services. Some employers disclosed that some maids are part of unauthorized groups run by agents. Prospective employers who want housemaids call these agents who provide them with a housemaid in return for a commission and other miscellaneous fees. Fawziyya Abdullah, 48, a Saudi national, said: “I was looking for a maid when I got an agent's number from a friend of mine. I called the agent and she promised to get a housemaid for me within two days. When the agent brought the maid to my house, she took a commission of SR50, taxi fare and SR10 for the amount spent on calling me for directions and other negotiations. I gave her everything only to find out the very next day the housemaid ran away with all her belongings and the things I had given her, while I was working in the kitchen. This has happened thrice with me.” Umm Nabeel, a Saudi principal of an international school, has also been a victim of this dishonest scheme. It was only later that she, like many others, found out that this was nothing but a thriving business for the housemaids! “These housemaids are merely playing with people's needs and fooling us because they know we need them.” Other employers complained that on top of demanding high salaries and cheating, the housemaids have also started throwing their weight around the house. Employers also said that some housemaids are simply devoid of basic respect. A mother (name withheld) of five told Saudi Gazette that one of her children is mentally challenged, so she hired an Indian housemaid to help her out with her daily chores. The maid in her early 40's takes SR900 and comes six days a week for only two and half hours every day. Before starting work — cleaning only one bathroom and kitchen, and washing the dishes — she drinks a cold glass of milk and watches an Indian soap opera for half an hour; this is an integral part of her schedule. The mother said she couldn't raise her voice or say anything to her because in return she knows a snooty reply will follow. Umm Nabeel once hired a housemaid from Indonesia. Sometimes, when Umm Nabeel would ask her to do a chore and if the latter didn't feel like doing it, she would simply tell Umm Nabeel that she would do it later. The housemaid would then go to her room and watch a movie or soap on her laptop, Umm Nabeel said. Umm Abdullah said, “I wanted a maid for my mother. After asking around I finally found an Indian maid who I thought would be suitable for my mother. She asked for SR2000, a day off every 15 days with the taxi fare; we agreed. Two days later, she wanted to have Rainbow milk every day for breakfast and a ‘hara dabba' [green bottle (7Up)] with lunch; we gave it to her. Ask her to go clean the kitchen or the bathroom again, and you see her puffing up immediately.” Employers have also complained that some housemaids are flirts too, who come for both work and pleasure. Saeedi recalled a past experience with one such maid: “Once I recruited Rania, a young maid from Indonesia. She was young and naïve, but perhaps I was mistaken for she was having a steamy affair with a Burger King driver from Sri Lanka. Rania would refuse to eat dinner at night and pretend to work until everyone went to sleep. After which, she would stand in the balcony with her hair open, blowing kisses and gesturing at the driver who would come with her free meal.” Saeedi later found out that when she used to send Rania to the ‘Baqala' (convenient store) to buy groceries, Rania would meet the Sri Lankan driver there too. “She was doing all this under my nose and I didn't even know about it. We then sent her packing,” Saeedi said angrily. Saudi Gazette also spoke with two housemaids to know the reason behind their demands, which employers find unreasonable and illegitimate. Rahma from Indonesian has been in the Kingdom for only six months, but has already worked in three different houses. She ran away from her employers because she said they were paying her less as compared to her friends' emoluments, who were being paid more despite living in the Kingdom illegally, that is without having an Iqama (residence permit). Rahma also ran away from all her employers because the payment did not justify the work she did. Rahma said her employers made her work round the clock without giving her even a few hours to rest. “They made me cook, clean, wash and iron the clothes, water the plants, etc. no matter the time of the day.” Rahma was employed to look after the employer's ailing mother only for a monthly salary of SR800. However, when Rahma came to the Kingdom, to her horror she was made to work for a family of 10 members. Rahma has suffered thrice previously, she bitterly said employers lie when they recruit housemaids and that is why she demands more money, when she goes to seek work. Sri Lankan national Hetal, 34, said the reason housemaids like her demand more money is that employers completely depend on housemaids for everything. They don't want to lift a finger to do a single thing, she said. Hetal said in addition to household work, she was made to look after the employers' newborn baby too. If the baby woke up in the middle of the night, the mother would ask Hetal to look after the baby until he would sleep. If the couple was watching TV or had guests over, they would ask Hetal to take care of the infant. “I wasn't hired to look after a baby. I was only hired to do household work, but when they (employers) pay us our monthly salaries, they think they have bought us,” Hetal said. __
