Maids who can’t cook, clean or take care of children are a problem for sponsors in Ajman

Low monthly salaries also means many abscond from their sponsors to seek higher wages, often working illegally.

AJMAN // A lack of cooking and cleaning skills as well as proper childcare training were among the main problems reported by families who employed maids in Ajman.

Low monthly salaries also meant many absconded from their sponsors to seek higher wages, often working illegally, said officials at the emirate’s Directorate General of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, which handles domestic workers.

“Ninety-nine per cent of housemaid problems are due to money because they ask for a higher salary, or some people invite them to work with them for a higher salary that leads them to escape,” said Col Rashid Hilal Al Suwaidi, head of information and follow-up at the department.

On average, housemaids are paid a minimum wage of Dh1,469 a month. It costs about Dh12,500 in recruitment agency fees for Emiratis to hire a maid. Expatriates pay more.

Should a maid run away, her sponsor must inform the police, said Col Al Suwaidi. “If he doesn’t, he has to pay a fine of Dh50,000 and when police arrest the maid working illegally, the person who brought her to work illegally has to pay a fine of Dh50,000 and the maid is deported.”

Brig Mohammed Abdullah Alwan, the department’s director general, urged maids not to abscond.

“They are the biggest loser and escaping is not the solution to their problems. We ask all sponsors to treat their staff in a good way, be patient and teach them. If there is a problem between the maid and sponsor, we ask them to contact us and we are ready to solve the problem.”

Other issues experienced by employers included domestic workers who refused or were not trained to look after a large number of children, said Col Al Suwaidi. “Some maids have a lack of knowledge about managing the house, or don’t know how to cook.”

In such cases the department and the agency that supplied the maid try to find a replacement.

Lubna Abdelaziz, a social media executive, has employed a live-in maid for the past six years. She pays her Dh1,300 and considers her part of the family.

“We need a maid because my sister is disabled and needs someone to do everything for her,” the 25-year-old Egyptian said. “We pay her more because it is hard to find someone who can do all the chores she does.”

Mohammed Rashid, an Egyptian engineer, employed a maid for five years, but his father fired her after she shouted at him.

“There was no problem except she once screamed at my dad, so he got her deported,” the 24-year-old said. “We used to pay her a lot more than others and give her a day off every Friday and take her with us for dinners out. She’d sit at the same table and order her food.”