My relatives here hire an Indonesian girl to care for their grandmother and I found she is poorly treated. She is not allowed to use a fan/AC (to save electricity bill), sleeps on a wooden bed without mattress, and prepares meals for the family despite this being excluded in her contract. My relatives justify this saying if they treat the helper too well then she will develop a bad attitude.
Is this OK in Taiwan?
Also gets just 1 day / month off and no weekends but I understand this is standard.
1 day off per month is standard (I think thatâs âlegally speakingâ, though Iâm not sure)
As for treating her like the family slave, thatâs typical attitude/behavior towards SEA slaves, I mean, helpers, but no, itâs not legal. Their work permits have them looking after old people, of course that doesnât involve cooking for the family or walking the family dog.
I suppose I could report this to government but then what? The girl might lose her job and be sent home. I take she would prefer to keep the job despite these problems.
Yeah the problem is that you accomplish nothing by reporting them. Literally everyone does what you described. The family in question would probably be fined some minuscule amount, then fire her and hire someone else the following day. And she might not be deported, but it would be safe to assume sheâd be blamed for the reporting.
A family memberâs indonesian domestic helper was asked to do excess work (massage for her mother-in-lawâs legs) and the helper complained to some agency and was able to negotiate some extra monthly pay. I forget the amount (less than 1000NT/month) but it seemed very low to me. I donât normally deal with these relatives but 99% of her work seems to be for the âfamilyâ and not for the person she is actually supposed to be caring for.
Now this relative has questionable morals, but is not a vengeful person and actually really likes the helper (ie she is a good worker) so she was quite satisfied to pay some extra money rather than hire a new worker who might not cook as well or might not be as willing to do extra work.
It might depend on your relativeâs attitude and how open they are to training a new helper. But I would not personally report it. You may try to give the helper resources or information on how she might go about getting slightly more money or how she can report it if she so wishes.
Wrong . It is not OK in taiwan! or anywhere. It is, however, common and accepted here. It is absolutely wrong on a moral level. There is no border that defines such things as OK ,simply a border of immoral fucktards that might want to consider outcrossing their DNA a bit more diligently and educating their broods better than themselves.
The only way, if you actualy care, to change the family is cause shame and embarrassment. You will be in the line of fire. Make no mistake. Be sure you speak the families native language, dont expect your spouse to translate what needs to be said accurately. Thats up to you to decide . For me its worth it because i can defend myself and dont have my visa held hostage to those assholes. Not everyone is willing to stand up, but it is admirable to do so.
This reminds me of Alex Tizon and his essay in The Atlantic that caused a stir:
I havenât read the essay yet, but I recall feeling upset with the author for bringing this up and also embarrassed at myself because I could understand his realization that the nanny who cared for him and his siblings throughout his life was â objectively â a slave. Because in the class dominant society when I grew up in Manila, the things I think he writes about is really normal and prevalent. I probably should read that essay.
As far as the OPâs relatives here in Taiwan, the attitude being described says everything about the kind of people they are (insert character quote), and yet, I wouldnât throw stones. While I have heard terrible stories about how migrant workers, especially caregivers, are treated in Taiwan, I have heard many times more in Manila â worse treatment, worse pay. Itâs so normal, that suggesting a better wage and benefits for caregivers and helpers often elicits reactions of disbelief at how foolish and naive one can be for even suggesting such ideas.
So, is this OK in Taiwan? Yes, but it isnât right. That itâs even worse in the Philippines and probably much of the rest of Asia or Southeast Asia should not be relevant, but it does make it understandable. Itâs still objectively wrong to treat those less fortunate this way.
I just started reading the essay. In the second paragraphâŚ
We called her Lola. She was 4 foot 11, with mocha-brown skin and almond eyes that I can still see looking into mineâmy first memory. She was 18 years old when my grandfather gave her to my mother as a gift, and when my family moved to the United States, we brought her with us. No other word but slave encompassed the life she lived. Her days began before everyone else woke and ended after we went to bed. She prepared three meals a day, cleaned the house, waited on my parents, and took care of my four siblings and me. My parents never paid her, and they scolded her constantly. She wasnât kept in leg irons, but she might as well have been.
Not paying her â literally her being a slave â was not what I was referring to when I wrote:
I read that essay at the time and itâs really a totally different situation. That poor woman was not paid, her passport taken, and the situation went on for decades until her death.
Yeah definitely. I told them it is shameful and they wonât have contact with my baby while they treat someone like this. Having a baby (the first boy of this generation) gives you some leverage!
My wifeâs grandmother had an Indonesian helper for about 6 months when she was recovering from surgery. She was actively encouraged to treat her badly by one of my wifeâs aunts, for the same reason given by OP, that otherwise sheâll develop a bad attitude and steal from them. The logic is insane. My MOL tried to help her out by taking her to âworkâ on the family farm, then letting her just take a break and play with her phone. That was until another aunt caught wind, and complained to the grandmother that she should be allowed to use the helper too, as if she was some kind of object/tool.
Have heard variations on on this on treatment of various domestic helpers here. They will be âled astrayâ outside. Mistreatment of caregivers is absolutely rampant. it has gotten worse during covid as many have been isolated and almost held prisoner in their homes for very long periods.
My in-laws have said something similar about their dog (the bad attitude comment ) .
Well this story took a dark turn. Turns out the motivation of one aunt is to get the Indonesian worker to quit so she can commit her mother in law to a retirement home and sell the house. People everywhere are so messed up.
To try and be âopimisticâ, at least this confirms what you already ptetty much knew was true.
If you dont already, i STRONGLY suggest moving as far away as possible from the inlaws. It would be worth a total wage cut and lifestyle chnage to avoid that future divorce causing monster