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28 March 2024

Trend Watch: Housemaids prefer Westerners

Published
By Shuchita Kapur

It seems a new trend has emerged among housemaids in the UAE: they have a stated preference for Western employers. But before others start asking what’s wrong with working for us, let’s dig a bit deeper to find out the reasons behind this so-called preference.

According to the helpers, the reasons are quite straightforward: comparatively better salary, limited work hours, public holidays in line with the private sector, full amenities in their separate room (which often includes a TV set with channels in their own language), Wi-Fi connection and a grateful attitude of Western employers.

Classified sections of most forums have many adverts posted by housemaids seeking jobs in the country, but they prefer Western nationals and some of them are very particular about it.

“I have six years work experience in Dubai,” says a Filipina housemaid and “it’s been only with a Western family. I am expected to work 9am to 5pm. I clean only alternate days, do not cook at all and keep the children busy. I am paid Dh2,000 per month and get overtime pay if my employer wants me to work beyond these hours,” she told this website.

Most Western employers are more accommodating, say housemaids in the city. Nationals from countries such as Canada, Australia and England do not mind if their housemaid spends an hour or so daily on social media websites like Facebook.

“And, they are very thankful for the work we do. My employer always says thank you for any chore that I do for them and I feel nice about it. The previous family I worked with was never happy and not once did they say thank you to me,” said a Sri Lankan maid working in Dubai’s Meadows area.

A European family living in one of Dubai’s Springs townhouses only requires their maid to work five hours a day and are very happy. “She’s wonderful and she’s the only one we’ve had so there’s nobody to compare her with,” says the employer.

The maids also maintain that most Europeans do participate in doing the daily household chores, like making beds, cooking, bathing the children, cleaning the kitchen counter tops and use the dishwasher to do the dishes.

This leaves the maids with enough free time to rest and do their own things. Many housemaids also have specific preference for their work areas with Umm Suqeim, Jumeirah, Arabian Ranches, The Meadows and The Springs areas being their preferred localities to work in.

“These areas have their own housemaid accommodations, so families don’t mind if my friend comes to have dinner with me. There are also parks and lakes in these communities where I can go and meet my friends. I go for a walk with my friends every evening around the lake,” said a Filipina maid living in the Meadows.