How to Choose the Right Maid and Maid Agency

You've heard it on the radio. You've seen it in the evening news. You've read on the newspaper. Maids stealing money, pieces of jewelry, gadgets, and other valuable things from their employers. Yayas hurting the children of their bosses with CTTV videos to prove the accusations. Housekeepers being involved in inside job robberies. Indeed, letting strangers inside your house is downright frightening. Not just your possessions, but also your loved ones who will be traumatized in the event of these unfortunate circumstances (i.e., theft, child abuse, kidnapping). 

Regrettably, your family cannot do without house help. The next best thing to do is to find the most reputable maid agency that can provide you with a housemaid who is trustworthy and can render the quality of service expected from her or him. Here's how to choose the best maid and maid agency there is that fit your needs. 

Choosing the right maid agency

Some would-be employers are tempted to outsource their house helpneeds through their relatives, friends, officemates, neighbors. There is nothing wrong with this process. However, if you are urgently needing a maid, then hiring through a maid agency is the best route to take. In knowing that you are dealing with the maid agency among the pool of hundreds of maid service providers, here are some important factors to look at.

1) Permits and licenses

Make sure that the maid agency where you are planning to source a maid from has a license to operate. Primarily, the agency must have a license issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). It should be registered to SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). These are the proofs that the agency is legitimate and has the capacity in hiring, training and deploying maids. 

Another important thing is that since it is operating under various applicable laws, the agency is able to inform you about your rights and responsibilities as an employer. The same goes with the helper. Yes, this includes the Kasambahay Law. In this way, both you and the maid are guided and protected.

2) Affiliations

Any maid agency's legitimacy is solidified by its affiliations. If the agency is a member of federal associations, much better. It would be also good if it is operating under the guidance of a law firm. Another important thing, the agency should be working with a certifying body so you can make sure that the maids it supplies are well-trained and certified. Just make sure that there is no connivance between the maid agency and the certifying unit.   

3) Online presence

In this digital world, it would be much better if you can check the website of the maid agency. How the agency treats its site, for instance, can also tell a lot about how it operates. At times, you only need to browse the website's homepage to weigh in the credibility of the agency itself. A professional-looking website means that the maid agency is serious and prudent in operating its business. 

In most cases, anything you need to know about the agency such as its physical address, contact numbers, business hours. etc. are on the homepage. If you will browse the site deeper, you will learn about its hiring processes including the fees and payment terms. Some website even features reviews and testimonials of previous clients that can help you in judging whether the agency is reliable or not. 

Yet another way to determine the trustworthiness of a particular agency is through its activities on the social media. Agencies understand that their next leads could be on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Interestingly, they won't be in any of these networks if they don't want to keep their target audience updated, and that includes you. 

4) Variations

Understandably, our housekeeping needs are very diverse. It is best to find a maid provider that houses variety of maids to choose from. Options should not be contained to maids, yayas and cooks alone. If possible, the agency must also offer choices of maids and housekeepers who can also provide tutoring, babysitting, pet sitting and senior caregiving services, among others. Of course, at higher salaries. The bottom-line is, finding a housekeeper that can provide as many types of services at reasonable rates.

In lieu with the third factor to consider, some maid agencies feature the names of the maids and housekeepers available on their respective websites. This goes to show that the agency itself had probably exhausted all efforts in sourcing the maids and conducting research (background checks) on them to ensure the credibility of each helper. In brief, the profile provides information about the origin of the housekeeper, for instance, and his or her availability (full-time or part-time and live-in or live-out). Aside from the personal details, the full profile also outlines the qualifications and certifications of the housekeeper. 

Choosing the right maid

Once you find the perfect maid agency, the necessary next step is finding the maid that matches your needs. Your main goal is to find the maid that is worthy of the job and the salary that you are going to pay for. Even if you are hiring a maid through an agency, you still need to be diligent in picking the one for you. 

After contacting your preferred agency and informing it of your needs, basically, the agency will provide you a shortlist of the right candidates. The shortlist will be based on your requirements. For instance, you want a maid who knows how to take care of toddlers, who knows how to cook, between 20 to 30 years old and a Bicolana because you are from Albay, too. Make sure that there are at least three candidates on the list.

Additionally, the agency will offer you choices of methods to interview the candidates like Skype, phone, office and home interview. Regardless of your preferred interview method, the agency will provide you a copy of a printed profile (or resume) of each candidate where you can based your interview. If this is not possible, ask the agency to send you a copy of each resume on your email and have them printed out. These will come handy during the interview. Better be prepared with your questions as well. Some questions to consider are as follows.

• How long have you been working as a maid/yaya/cook?
• What sets you apart from other maids/yayas/cooks?
• What do you like most about your job? What do you hate the most?
• Have you worked in the same environment (apartment, condo, etc.) as mine?
• Have you worked in my location before?
• Are you willing to adjust your availability in case of schedule changes?
• How do you define a good employer?
• How is your relationship with your previous employer like? 
• Why did you leave your previous employer?
• How much do you previously earn?
• What do you usually do on your day off? 
• Are your parents still alive? or Do you have kids? Where are they?
• How often do you need to call your parents or kids?
• Are you sending them money on a regular basis?
• Do you have someone who may want to visit you?
• Can you follow a recipe?
• What religion do you practice?
• Are you taking any medications?
• What time do you usually wake up?
• What are your hobbies?

Evidently, the questions should be mostly about what is not written on the resume. Be as diverse and random as you possibly can when interviewing a prospect so you'd get to know the person. This is how you gauge her disposition, motivation, expertise, and experience. Take note of how the interviewee is reacting to your every question. If she frowns, looks bored or gives flippant answers, you may finish the interview and proceed with other interviewees. Continue interviewing other potential hires if you are not 100% happy with the interview and, of course, with the interviewee.

Part of your responsibility is to ensure that only the most trustworthy people will enter your house. After all, it is your house, your kids,and your possessions that you need to protect from deceitful house helpers. Good luck with your journey to find the right maid for you and your family!

Dealing With Maids Who Love to Ask for Bale (Cash Advance)

It happens. A maid asking for a cash advance for whatever purpose she may have. One problem with this is that the tendency to abuse the process at the expense of both the employer and the maid. It'll be a lose-lose situation that none of us – employers and maids alike – wants to experience. 

How should we deal with maids who constantly ask for a bale?

Know the purpose

Probe if you must. Ask her why she is asking for a salary advance. If it's a medical emergency or for paying tuition fee, you may grant her request. But, if she's only going to buy something to support her vices, then you can say no. 

For the first reasons, you may further explore if there is indeed an emergency. In most cases, when it is true, she would willingly let someone speak to you to validate her claims. Just be wary of connivance since it is highly possible.

Give her the benefit of the doubt. This is the most important. If she's already proven her trustworthiness, there is no reason you shouldn't giver her what she is asking for. She won't ask in the first place if she doesn't need it.

Establish rules

First, if you are not going to extend any cash advance to your househelpers, you might as well tell them during the initial interview. In this way, their expectations are guided.

Second, it's very unethical to ask for advance salary if the maid had just started working in your household for less than a week. So, tell her during the pre-employment interview that you only give cash advances to maids who stayed with you for at least 6 months. There are instances when a housemaid asked for cash advances and suddenly disappeared.

Third, tell her that you can only provide one cash advance at a time. This means she needs to pay the previous cash advance first before she asks for another. And, if possible, tell you in advance so you can include it in the next month's budget.

Fourth, unless absolutely necessary, you can only give her the amount that equals half of her monthly salary. If she's earning Php3,000, she is only entitled to Php1,500 of her entire salary.

Fifth, discuss repayment options. She can repay in installments – three installments following our example above. So that's Php500 deduction every payday. You can ask her if that's okay with her, but the final decision is yours.

Establish some limitations

To continue with the above, you may also tell your maids in the Philippines that you cannot allow poorly performing maids to make a bale. It's like telling them to prove their worth – that they are worthy of what they are asking from you. 

Let us not fall into the trap of getting used to getting money that you haven't worked for yet. She might lose the motivation to work or give her best. It's basic human nature. You already get what you want so why bother? Likewise, some people have this victim behavior while some are just plain opportunistic.

While at it, it would be best to teach her the value of living within her means and saving and not overspending.

Evidently, it is important to set boundaries when it comes to asking for and giving cash advances to your househelpers. Don't feel guilty if you have to say no. It's better that way than to support your maids and unconsciously push them into living a life full of financial debts until they themselves can't get out of it. They must know the importance of the fruit of their labor and use it in a way that's beneficial to themselves and their loved ones.

Why you should invest in a high-quality maid agency?

No one can underestimate the value of household help. However, homemakers have their own fears when hiring househelpers. We cannot blame them for feeling that way because, perhaps, they've been victimized by either the helper or the process of hiring a domestic help. Indeed, hiring a maid is not without difficulties, but what if you can make the process easier? Will you not jump in? Maid agencies specialize in hiring and deploying maids. Here are the reasons you must invest in one and, specifically, in a high-quality agency.

Caveat: When we say high-quality, it means effective and efficient. Thus, in this context, a high-quality hiring maid agency is extremely good at what it does, investing in it is all worth it.

Half the work is done

Maid employment agencies have strenuous pre-qualification activities. They collect the necessary identifications and document requirements. They do background checks. And some agencies even conduct basic training and seminars to ensure the future employers that their maids are dependable and can be trusted. Imagine how much money, time and energy you can save compared to if you are going to do all these. Career people don't have all the time in the world to spare, for instance, sifting through a pile of resumes. 

As such, with an agency at the helm, the only thing that a client like you should think about is screening the housemaid who perfectly fits your needs and preferences. Nevertheless, the difference between a mediocre and outstanding maid agency is that the latter will provide you with at least five options. This forms part of the assurance that any client will land on the right maid for him or her. The best part is, you have the choice to screen the applicants on your place, at the agency office, through Skype or a phone call. 

It doesn't end with a phone call, however. If possible, ask the agency if it is possible to bring the maid on your place just to gauge her or his interaction skills, among others. Most of the good agencies will oblige to this request. After this, you have the right to say no if the maid is not exactly what you are looking for.  

ROI is higher

Since we are talking about investing on the best maid agency, we might as well talk about the returns. Yes, there are several risks involved including risking you and your family's safety, your possessions, your peace of mind, etc. All of these things are priceless and that's why you won't entrust them to just about anyone, right? 

Depending on the services of a maid agency has its own financial advantages. Aside from efficiency, these agencies are also about transparency. They charge on an all-in basis, a one-time fee and with no hidden charges. Again, what separates an outstanding maid agency is it doesn't charge a replacement fee should you want your maid to be replaced. The best agency offers up to two replacements at no additional charge. 

Another good reason to rely on this service is the agency refunds 75% of what you pay for, in case, it failed to provide you with a replacement within 50 days from the replacement request date. Any good maid agency will commit to this timeline. In this way, you will be able to maximize the value of your money.

If you need a maid, the most important decision that you have to make is choosing the right maid agency. After reading the above, it is no longer the decision if you will invest on a maid agency or not because you should. However, you need to choose the best agency there is otherwise you'd end up doing all the work and wasting your hard-earned money on the wrong agency and the wrong maid per se. 

Why Is It More Convenient Now to Get a Maid From an Agency Than Through Referral?

In most instances, hiring a maid is the only solution should you no longer able to handle all the household chores and other equally burdensome tasks in your home. The majority of the people we know relies on recommendations in finding a trustworthy maid. However, more and more people are now tapping into the potential of hiring a house helper through a maid agency because it is utterly convenient to do so. Convenience is just of the many reasons; the others are below.

1) Variety

Unlike going through each recommendation, maid agencies usually provide choices of maids to choose your prospects from. Maid agencies understand that housekeeping needs vary from one household to another. For instance, you may want a house helper who can also attend to the needs of the elders at home. These agencies hire house helpers from different regions. Some agencies even have representatives who travel to and from various parts of the country to find people who want to work as maids, yayas, cooks, drivers, etc. These agencies also receive applications on a daily basis. 

2) Groundwork

So as not to experience any unfortunate incidents, you must learn how to conduct a background check. This is not only time-consuming but exhausting as well. You need not do this because the maid agency will be the one to conduct the checking. It will secure all the necessary pre-employment documents such as valid government-issued IDs, birth certificate, clearances (barangay, police, court, medical and NBI) and verify the authenticity of such. 

3) Training

Further, do you have hi-tech appliances at home, but you don't have the time to teach your new housekeeper? Don't worry because maid agencies provide in-house training to their roster of applicants may they be experienced or not. Mandatory training involves both lecture and practical. The series of training covers various aspects as cleaning methods, know-how of technologically advanced appliances, behavior and attitude towards employers, personal hygiene, etc. Each participant will be assessed based on their hands-on performance. Only those who passed the exam will be given certifications and be included in the list of deployment-ready house helpers.

4) Rate

Imagine how much money you can save from not needing to call your aunt in the province, asking her when your new yaya will arrive so you can go to work. Agency fees are very reasonable, and the agencies usually require a one-time payment so there would be no need to pay the agency on a monthly basis. The majority of the agencies also provide a free one-time replacement if, in case, there is a mismatch between you and the maid. Under the Kasambahay Law (RA 10361), clients are also entitled to a 75% discount if the agency failed to replace the maid within 30 days. This is more so if the maid leaves the employer without any valid reason or without prior notice. 

5) Assurance

To continue with the above, you need not worry about when your new cook will arrive, for instance. Maid agencies ensure that the house helper will be there on-time on the specified date. Why? Because most agencies escort the helper to the place of the would-be employer. For urgent matters, agencies can also assist you with instant hires. In less than an hour, domestic help will be on its way to find and help you finishing the chores and any tasks on hand. 

6) Legality

Have you heard the story about the maid who refused to a particular job because it is beyond what was agreed beforehand? This will not happen because maid agencies guide prospective employers on their rights and obligations as well as the rights and obligations of the maids under the Kasambahay Law. Some agencies even provide an employment contract to prove that the relationship is legally binding. You simply need to fill out the required fields with your preferences and sign the contract. You also have the choice to have the contract notarized or not. 

Finding another yaya, for instance, after the previous left you hanging is serious. Not to mention, it will test your patience and take much of your time and energy. Spare yourself of the difficulties of jumping from yaya to yaya. Maid agencies can do all the 'dirty' works for you. Perhaps, this is the biggest reason why it is more convenient to hire a maid, yaya or cook through a maid agency than to sift through the pile of applicant resumes. It is downright convenient and more!

Yayas in our sense

So why Pinoys do makes a good nanny or “yaya”?  Maybe because of Filipino traits and culture we had. In our country, sometimes it’s already a necessity to have a Yaya in our own house because of work and school loads.

Have you experienced having a Yaya when you were younger? How do you feel about it? Do you feel easy and relaxed? How about treatment? Did you treat them well? Or did they treat you well?

Most of our countrymen, even people abroad loves to hire Yayas, Nannies or Maid came from Philippines. Maybe the traits of Filipinos captured the hearts of other countries because we are global – global in a sense that the most significant traits are being hard-working and family oriented.

We have to know that our yaya and maids, some of them have families already – to help them and to send their children to school.  Just like any other parents, they want better education and future for their kids. Most yayas and maids are family oriented to their clients it’s because they have families as well. Sacrificing their time just to have a better life of their own.

Below are some traits of Yaya or maids that you possibly think of:

1. Hardworking – we will not hire who isn’t, right?
2. Helpful – we are also talking about personal approach
3. Respectful – this starts at our home
4.  Well-mannered – this starts with home on how we treat others
5. Trust-worthy – the number on trait when thinking of getting a yaya or maid

Now, it is in your hands to choose what makes a perfect yaya or maid for your family.

Maid in the Philippines

People nowadays are so busy with work or in making a living that they don’t have time for themselves nor their family. It’s a sad reality. For some, they are unable to give attention to their offspring because they give more attention to their gadgets.

Modern families resort to having a yaya or helper for their sons or daughters. Some families go to malls together but they no longer carry their own child around. Instead, their yaya does all the duties that a typical mom does. I am not the person to say that their child may grow up differently or unplanned which may result to being rebel or who will always keep distance from their parents. This is due to the lack of attention and care given by the parents.

Hence, a maid or yaya is a necessity especially for middle and higher class families that doesn’t have enough time on their hands to handle their kids and household chores on their own. Hiring a maid isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as at the end of the day, you can spend an ample amount of time for your loved ones. Getting one just lightens up the load of responsibilities that you are tasked to do. Maids are really a big help when it comes to household chores. Just make sure that you are hiring a suitable one for your household needs. Always make sure to check their clearances such as NBI Clearance, Police Clearance, and Medical Certificates.

Maids are usually picky nowadays. They want to work at homes that will give less stress and avoid being overworked. And of course, with a hefty pay in cash. You should also be cautious in choosing them. If they are picky when it comes to their employers, you should be twice as picky because your family’s well-being is on the line. The people close to you will be vulnerable as well as your properties. Well, we’re not generalizing the maid career here because there are others who are honest when it comes to their work. As the old saying goes: “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

During the first days of work, your maid may show dedication and honesty, but for some it may decline overtime especially if they are starting to hate the work environment there. You should observe their movements from time to time, though that may be hard to do since the reason why you hired a maid is that you need someone to be around the house and look after your children. Installing some CCTV may be of help too. Since it would be the eagle eye in your house that when something is missing, you can easily rely on the CCTV and check how it went missing.

When you hire a maid, make sure that you also treat them right. They’re still human beings after all who are also only making a living. Be sure to give them a proper place to rest and enough meals to give them energy. Because I’m sure you don’t want an unhealthy and sickly maid to take care of you and your family. Be sure to give them their rightful day offs too since they will also be longing for their family. Do not be too harsh on them especially if they are the ones who are cooking your food.

Maids who came from the provinces are more known to be dedicated and helpful when it comes to taking care of the household. Since they grow up taking care of their families and being close to everyone they love and care about. Most of the maids from the province are young. It may be perhaps they want to work in the City to earn enough to continue or start their studies or give to their family back in the provinces. These maids are hardworking since they leave their family behind to serve another family that is not their own.

When Your Maid Doesn't Want to Go on a Day Off

“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.”

— Alan Cohen

We've already discussed the proper way to schedule the housemaid's day off. The question now is – what if the maid doesn't want a day off? What if she wants to stay at home and do her work as usual? 

On one hand, it could be an advantage for you since she'll be able to do the chores that you'll be doing instead if she's not home. On the other hand, there are consequences to working non-stop everyday, performance-wise.

Your staffers may have their own reasons they don't want to use their days off. But, here's why you should encourage them to rest and go somewhere else during their rest days.

1) Efficiency at work

Come to think of it – even you require a “break” from your work from time to time. All you need is a change of environment to recharge, right? The same is applicable to the househelpers. 

Physical exhaustion will only lead to stress, depression, burnout or fatigue. There are no real benefits that the household and its members will realize if any of these is present. 

Further, it is always a way to 'miss' her work. She would feel recharged. She'll be excited to go back. And, she would feel ready to do what she needed to do.

2) Balance is key

Resting is equally important as working hard. Thus, when they insist on doing their tasks on their supposed rest day, remind them of the need to have some R&R (rest and recreation). This is critical for the person's physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. 

Suggest some ideas on they can spend their days off if you want. In time, she'll learn to appreciate that you value her and her contributions, knowing that her welfare and wellbeing are one of your concerns, too.

A word of caution

It can be extra challenging if the maid has no relatives or friends near your place. Hence, she would not be as eager to leave your place as other maids would be. This shouldn't be an excuse, though.

As her employer, it is your responsibility to encourage her to go out, see her relatives or friends and enjoy her day off. If she wants to go home at night because she has no place to stay for the night, then so be it. 

With that said, it is important to be flexible. If she wants to work during this week's day off and spend two days off the following week, consider the request. Reasonably, it is her way of maximizing her rest days more so when she needs to travel far.

During her rest days, all you can do is to suggest. However, you should let her decide whatever she wants to do on these days. After all, it is her rest day. 

Just remind her that she's still under your care hence, her activities must not endanger her and the entire household. Discipline and safety must not be compromised. 

If she said, she'll go home by 10pm, she should be at your place by 10pm, that is if she's going home. Even if she's not staying for the night, she should be at your place at the time she said she would be.

All in all, never let her work two weeks straight without taking at least one day off. Rest is very important. Hence, when a maid insists on skipping her day off, don't let her. Instead, remind her of the value of resting and why she actually needs it.

Maid Preferences

If you’re looking for some maid to help you out at home, be sure to know the following so that you will not have any problems when employing one.

1. Age · Before anything else, think of what you need. Do you need a young maid who is jolly and energetic so that you are sure that they clean the house daily? Or an older maid who slowly but surely checks that everything is A-okay. Age doesn’t really matter, it’s the experience that you must know. Usually older maids have more experience when it comes to household chores. But don’t cut out younger maids just yet. Being older doesn’t really mean better or will do a better job. Older maids usually have less energy. With that, they get tired faster. Younger maids are sometimes moody or lazy. So try to think and balance out your preferred age.

2. Location · I hear that maids from the provinces are more responsible and hardworking than those in the city. But those in the city are more familiar with the modernized way of living and handling various machines when doing the household chores. Maids who came from the province are also said to be good in cooking since they are usually taught by their parents the authentic Filipino cuisines.

3. Appearance · This doesn’t really matter to a majority of employers. But if you care for this then sure, make it a factor in choosing a maid.

4. Hygiene · This is one important factor. Of course if you expect them to clean your house and take care of your family, they should be clean themselves. Make sure they don’t have any excessive body odor, they always brush their teeth and take a bath.

5. Body Build · If you think that this is also important, then add it on your list. Be sure to ask if you can get the body build of the maid that you want. May it be thin, bulky, or something else.

6. Civil Status · Some people think that this should be considered too. Other people wants a maid who is single or doesn’t have any children. Probably so that they won’t be worrying about their family when they are at work.

7. Clearance Papers · Make sure to have the new and/or updated clearance papers of the maid. Some of which are NBI Clearance, Medical Certificate, Police Clearance, and Birth Certificate. This is to make sure that the maid that you are employing doesn’t have any illness which might burden you in the long run or lawsuits or legal cases that will give you more problem that you may already have.

So there you have it, when you are looking for some help with regards to your household or children, these may be the things that you need to know.  

Changing Conditions for Maids

People – mostly employers – would always ask whether changing the conditions for the household help is necessary. Or, can they work with the same working conditions since day one? This can be very confusing specifically for the first-time employers. Below is the answer.

As a reference, 'working conditions' refers to the person's working environment including all existing circumstances affecting that particular individual's labor. These conditions include physical aspects, job hours, responsibilities and legal rights.

Yes, the maid's working conditions must be changed

A household is a dynamic environment, and this should be taken into account when outlining the working conditions. Primarily, this forms part of the responsibility of the employers. 

She should list down the duties of the maid and the boundaries within which rendering work must be performed. The same goes with her pre-conditions, if there are any. For instance, the employer may require the maid to wake up at 5am to prepare the needs of the kids going to school. Then, she can rest by 10am and start working again at 2pm. An example of the pre-condition is to raise the salary by Php500 once the maid hit the sixth month mark.

Further, the employer should review the working conditions of the maid and other helpers on a regular basis. It could be every six months or every year or whenever you – the employer – feel necessary. In this way, new emergent needs will be addressed.

One example of this is when the family adds a new member like an elderly who decided to live with the family. Unless the family plans on hiring a caregiver, this will entail additional tasks for the current helpers. Even when a new caregiver is indeed hired, there will surely be additional works for the maid more so when she is the only one there.

Speaking of which, working conditions must be also changed when there are significant changes in the rank and file. Like when a second helper is hired recently, the distribution of tasks and the new arrangements must be reviewed and discussed with the helpers.

The same goes with when the maid herself experience certain changes. For instance, she got pregnant and need to get married. Staying-in would no longer be suitable, but a live-out arrangement is being considered.

Put simply, any new changes introduced within the household will require some changes in the working conditions of the house staffers. These changes may be big or small or may directly or indirectly affect them. Bottom-line, you should consider your people when making decisions about the overall employer-employee relationship.

Better yet, when reviewing working conditions, ask for their opinions and suggestions. After all, it is their conditions we are talking about. If they are hesitant to voice out their concerns, you can always observe. Take note of what work-related things that make them slack or efficient.

In conclusion...

Yes, reviewing the working conditions of the maids is a must. Changes to the conditions should be made if deemed necessary. In essence, there are at least three scenarios when you really have to perform that review – individual, household staff-related, and family-related changes.