Amy pointed out an interesting editorial about maid service in Lebanon that appeared in the Daily Star.
Strangest of all is how the piece is written entirely in the first person plural (…or whatever you call it when you write from the perspective of “we”).
I’m not sure if I’ve written about it before, but there is definitely an interesting domestic help culture here. Amy has a brief post about it here. When we moved here, I was initially surprised that there was what seemed to be a race-based culture of indentured servitude. While I’ve been somewhat inured to it, I realized when we were in Athens that I was unaccustomed to seeing people of Asian descent who were neither servants nor tourists.
The UN publishes guidelines on how its employees should go about hiring domestic help:
Household help
Lebanese domestic help is very difficult to find. Hired help presently available comes from Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, and India (English speaking) and some from the Mauritius Islands and the Seychelles (French speaking).
Full-time employees frequently live at their employer’s residence; they are provided with food by their employer and are also supplied with working cloths or uniforms. They are usually given one day off each week. Medical expenses of full-time help are normally paid by the employer so it is advisable for international personnel to cover expatriates domestic help by medical and life insurance; premium costs range from $150 to $250 for a maid to $450 for drivers.
A number of agencies can supply domestics. They charge a service fee and an amount of money in advance to secure the domestics’ services and work permits. While the salaries are reasonable, the up-front payments can seem excessive, but they cover a paid vacation and an air ticket home every 22 months. You may also hear of a maid through word of mouth.
Some of the agencies that can supply domestics include:
Voyages Lutece (ph 350375/6, 812403)
A two-year contract for a Filipino maid costs US$3000, which includes a two-year insurance policy by Sitrebs Insurance Co. The contract is renewable, at which time outlay fees are negotiated. The monthly salary is US$200 and the maid will be given a full medical prior to commencement. Costs for other nationalities:
Mauritians – as for Filipinos
Sri Lankans – initial fee US$1700 and monthly salary of US$100Indians – initial fee US$1600 and monthly salary of US$100
Ethiopians – initial fee US$1700 and monthly salary of US$125Spiridon Company
Filipinos – initial fee US$3500 and monthly salary of US$200 with 2 years contract
Ethiopians – initial fee US$1600 and monthly salary of US$125 with 2 years live-in contractSri Lankans – initial fee US$1500 and monthly salary of US$100 with 2 years live-in contract
Mauritians – initial fee US$3500 and monthly salary of US$250 with 2 years live-in contractHowever, all UN international staff, irrespective of level, are allowed to obtain a residence permit for household help with other nationalities free of charge.
Cleanergie Services Company offers temporary domestics as follows:
· 6 days a week, from 07:30 to 14:00, initial fee US$200 as first payment with a monthly payment of US$350
· Part time or casual staff at US$7.50 per hour (if company supplies cleaning materials) or US$5.50 per hour if employers supply materials.
· Daily basis help – US$35 for a 6.5 hours day.
It should be noted that the passport and all personal documents of the full-time maid should be kept in safe place by the employer, As these maids might run away at any time.Wages for cooks range from US$200 upwards per month; from US$200 to US$250 for maids and baby nurses respectively.
Cleaning/washing women can be hired at rates between US$2.50 to US$3.00 per hour.
Government regulations concerning indemnities or social insurance do not apply to domestic help, and their employment conditions are therefore subject only to negotiation on an individual basis.