Premhouse.com JAKARTA | Either you are new in this town or you have been living here, especially those who are moving to Jakarta with spouse and children, maid or servant may become the needs to help you taking care of the house and children. Here is below, a selected article that will be useful for you to take consideration before taking decision.
Servant Registries
BWA maintains a Staff List of available servants, and makes this
available to BWA members at their center to view, or it is accessible by
download from a private BWA members web page. ANZA has some folders of
references for staff available at the front desk.
Another great resource is the Upper Crust's
classifieds. Just ask to be added to their mailing list and you'll be
able to read recommendations straight from previous employers who are
trying to place their household help before they leave Jakarta.
One of the most reliable ways to source staff is from other
helpers' friends and family. It is possible that someone who is working
for a friend of yours may know of someone who is looking for work. Indonesians
normally would not recommend just anyone, as it is seen as a loss of face
if that person does not work out.
What to ask when interviewing a potential servant will depend a great
deal on your own household needs and the duties involved, but perhaps
the most important thing to go by is your own instinct or personal feelings
about the person you are interviewing. Remember that this person will
play a large role in your personal life in Jakarta, and will be spending
a lot of time with both you and your family. Don't hire anyone that you
do not feel comfortable with or trusting of no matter how glowing his
or her references might be. A person's nature is often more important
than his or her skill when you will be living in the same household. With
luck, you may find someone with whom you and your family will establish
a long and warm relationship for years to come.
- Identification and Personal Details. Find out as much as possible about family, children, what village they are from, how long they have been in Jakarta, etc. Ask to see their original KTP (identity card) and driver's license and should you decide to employ them always make a copy of your employee's KTP, or identity card, on the first day of employment and keep this in a secure place.
- Experience. Usually, you will be handed a few letters of reference to read, written by former employers. If possible contact the referee to ensure that they are authentic. These will normally give a description of the length of employment, the duties that were performed, any particular skills, as well as personal attributes. Sometimes these will be glowing, other times more to the point. Ask questions that outline experience specifically; for example, if you are interviewing a cook who tells you that he or she is familiar with preparing Western food, ask him or her to explain some examples of the kinds of dishes prepared. This will give you a better idea of his or her ability.
- Ability to Read. This may or may not be of great importance to you, depending on the position. In the case of a cook, the ability to read a recipe or a shopping list would be important. The ability to read would also be crucial for a babysitter or nanny, particularly if an emergency should occur.
- Living Arrangements. Find out if he or she is looking for a live- in position and would be occupying a room in the household quarters, or living outside the home and commuting. This may have an effect on the hours worked, and on flexibility with regard to hours worked and travel costs, so discuss this carefully.
- Expectations. Identify and explain in detail the duties and responsibilities of the position.
- Ground Rules. Explain again, in detail, what their normal hours would be, whether or not you would need some flexibility with these hours, whether or not visitors would be allowed, phone usage, etc., and make sure that this is mutually acceptable. Most staff employees expect one day off a week and work 12-hour days, which of course includes a lunch hour and periodic breaks for prayers or rest.
- Children. If you are interviewing a babysitter or nanny for your child, clearly outline your expectations, rules and philosophy concerning the care of your children. If you are simply hiring someone to work in the household, find out how they feel about working in a house full of kids (most Indonesians adore children and truly love having them around). Ask the potential employee if they have children themselves, how old they are, and if they would be living in or visiting your home (you must decide ahead of time if this is acceptable to you and if you have enough room).
- Pets. If you own a dog it is of great importance that you mention this at the time of the interview. Many Indonesians, being Muslims, do not wish to care for or even live in the same environment as a dog. This is rarely a problem with household help who have worked for expatriates before, and you will certainly be able to find someone who doesn't mind dogs. Indonesians, for the most part, feel comfortable with many other types of pets, particularly cats and birds, but you should ask to be sure. More information on this in the Pets article.
- Salary. Identify what the starting salary would be, and determine if this is acceptable. It is also important at this time to discuss when and if you would give future raises and what they would be based on, holiday bonuses, and any other extras that you may want to include at this time. Read this article for a Household Staff Salary Survey and specific details on additional compensation issues.
Some additional information and common practices regarding staff include
the following:
- Medical Care. Most Indonesians do not have health insurance and very few have enough money in their savings account to cover their medical and hospital bills. It is common practice for the employer to cover medical and hospital bills in the event that a domestic helper should become sick, and while most employers reimburse all medical expenses it is advisable to set an annual limit in advance. Should your helper exceed his or her limit you can decide at your own discretion if you wish to cover the excess. The equivalent of 1 - 2 months salary is the usual amount agreed upon as a yearly medical reimbursement limit. Should your employee have family or dependents, you should let him or her know whether or not you are prepared to cover family members' medical costs.
- Pre-employment health checks. Some expatriates arrange for a pre-employment medical exam at their own expense. It is recommended that any staff handling food or working with young children be tested for hepatitis, tuberculosis and typhoid before beginning employment. For drivers in particular include a test of eyesight. The health check should be carried out by a reputable medical clinic that gives the results of the tests both to you and the potential employee.
- Keeping Records. It is very important to keep track of salary and bonus payments, medical payments, loans, or any other type of financial transaction between employer and employee. Put everything in writing in a record book, and make sure that each time a transaction occurs, your employee counts his or her money, understands everything, and then signs the book next to each individual transaction. You may also want to keep any medical receipts, and a copy of your employee's KTP, or identity card, and a telephone number where you could reach his / her family in a case of emergency in a book. This book should then be kept in a safe place.
- Security Concerns. It is advisable to keep anything of value, such as jewelry, cash, passports, etc., locked up in a secure place at all times. You may decide to purchase a small safe to keep in your closet for extra peace of mind. Remember that no matter how fond you are of your domestic helpers, and no matter how honest they are, leaving valuables accessible only serves as a great temptation and may invite trouble.
- Courses and Skills. Special courses are available at International SOS that are designed to improve various skills required by household staff. These include courses in swimming pool safety, first aid and CPR, child minder's first aid, and household cleaning. After the course, each student receives a certificate of participation which is beneficial in future job searches.
- Leaving the Country. Most employers provide their household staff with letters of recommendation and help with job placement before departure from Indonesia. This is in addition to the severance pay to which they are entitled.
If you decide to terminate an employee, it is recommended not to give
notice beforehand for security reasons. It is best to simply terminate
the employee in a very calm manner, and ask that he or she prepare to
depart the premises immediately. Once again, for security reasons, you
should supervise this preparation in the company of another person. Avoid
accusations, emotions and angry words. If your employee has worked for
one year or more, he or she should be provided with severance pay equal
to one month's salary per year of service even if they are being terminated.
This should be stipulated in your initial agreement. Make sure that he
or she signs a statement in your record book affirming receipt of this
payment. If your servant is resigning, you are not responsible for severance
pay. However, you should still supervise the departure.
If you have several members of staff it is up to you to decide whether
you prefer to have them take their days off on different days, or whether
you would like them all to take the same day off so that you can have
a "staff-free" day.
It certainly takes some adjustment in getting used to having staff around
your house, but most expatriates will find that the benefits far outweigh
the drawbacks.
Recommended Wages - January 2015*
Head of Staff - Rp 2 to 3+ million Cook - Rp 2 - 3+ million Maid - Rp 1.5 - 2.0 millionGeneral information
*Figured based on Colliers
International survey
The official minimum wage in Jakarta is Rp 3.1 million/month (January
2016). It is adjusted every year and the new rate usually comes into
effect in January. There is no clear direction or decision from the
government as to if this applies equally to domestic helpers as well as
company employees.
For more information on Household Staff, read AWA's Introducing
Indonesia, A Guide to Expatriate Living and Privacy
Issues in Indonesia and how they affect expatriates.
Our thanks to Colliers
International and the AWA for their generous
contribution of information this article!
Overseas Placement of Indonesian Staff
For those foreign nationals that want to hire Indonesians to work in
their homes abroad, please be advised that Indonesian government
regulations forbid the direct hire of Indonesians to work abroad as
domestic help. The Indonesian Agency for the Placement and Protection of
Indonesian Migrant Workers www.bnp2tki.go.id - BNP2TKI is responsible
for the placement of Indonesians abroad. Legal migrant worker will hold a
KTKLN card, issued by the Indonesian government.
The reasons for this policy are various and all involve protecting
the workers from exploitation. Read the ILO's information on the subject
here.
If you want to hire an Indonesian worker, you should contact the
Indonesian embassy in your country of residence and ask what the
approved procedure is and what agency is licensed to place Indonesians
in your country.
Last updated December 22, 2015
Source: Servants Registries | Interviewing Your Prospective Household HelpPhoto courtesy of expatads.com
