OFWs had different experiences while working abroad as employers also had different traits and characters. For domestic helpers who were staying with the employer 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, it was much easier to know what pleases and displeases them so they can easily adjust to their standards.
As such, there are those employers who wanted to feel the authority over their helpers. They would like to give instructions every time they will ask their helper to do something or how they would like a certain task to be done. However, there are those helpers who don’t need instructions to be able to perform their job.
There was once an employer in Hong Kong who complained about their helper named Amalia who had served their family for 20 years already. The 42-year-old Filipina had worked efficiently for the longest time so the female employer had no reasons to reprimand her.
Instead of being happy because of finding a ‘perfect’ helper, the female employer complained that Amalia was like a robot who doesn’t need further instructions from her which made her feel she was useless and she had no control over Amalia. She then requested from her husband to find a replacement for Amalia. Preventing to have an argument with his wife, the male employer heed his wife’s request and scouted for Amalia’s substitute.
But before Amalia was allowed to leave, the male employer had prepared a document which he asked Amalia to sign. At that time, the female employer was unaware of the content of the document which Amalia signed. All that she knew was she’s happy because they will be having a new helper where she can exercise authority which she longed for.
The male employer then put the signed document inside an envelope, sealed it and asked Amalia to take a 3-month vacation and never let the female employer knew about it. He also gave Amalia her full salary and remuneration pay for 20 years of service.
Days had passed by until the couple had found someone to replace Amalia’s post.
After three months, the male employer called Amalia and asked her if she’s still interested to work for them. By the time Amalia arrived, her female employer hugged her tight and was very happy that she had come back for them. She said, she had realized how hard it was giving instructions to the new helper every now and then and it was so tiring and stressful that she can no longer concentrate on her work.
Apparently, the document which Amalia signed was an agreement between her and the couple stating that she was given a vacation for 3 months and if she still decides to come back, her salary for 3 months while on vacation will be paid to her including travel expenses.
At the same time, her tenure of service will not be affected and will be continued. The employers also gave Amalia the assurance that her visa will not be terminated.
