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Having a maid to help household chores is actually a common practice in Indonesia. Even for middle-class families, it is not a big deal to employ a maid to help in their household needs. The maid’s tasks also vary from cleaning, cooking, to babysitting. Since it might be unfamiliar for you to have a maid, here are some guides to employ an Indonesian maid.
#1 Hire from a reliable provider
Actually, it’s pretty easy to find Indonesian maid in Jakarta since there are a lot of candidates here. However, some may not meet your requirement or unfamiliar with expatriates’ household chores. To make it easier for you, try to join an online forum. Some maid providers also put bulletin board on the public space (usually Hero Kemang Villa or The American Club, Kebayoran Baru). You can also ask your colleagues who are already in Indonesia for a suggestion.
Those methods are safer than if you hire random people. Both online forum and bulletin board come with more detailed and reliable info since they come from fellow expatriates in Indonesia. Always put safety first since the housemaid is the one who will handle your household.
#2 Do a background check
After you get a reliable provider and some candidates, now do the background check. Make sure to check their reference. Never accept old reference since it may no longer relevant. If they have no written reference, ask the provider or previous employer. A little tip from us, pick a candidate who provides his/her reference’s contact. If you can have an interactive reference, it means the candidate leaves a good impression.
Use this chance to know the details about candidates, their past salary, experience, abilities (cooking, cleaning, or driving), and so on. This will help you to decide the salary, living arrangements, and even their needs when they work.
#3 Insist on experience in working with foreigners
Some probably think that hiring a maid in Indonesia is an easy task since the source of manpower is huge here. However, it is a completely different matter. Not all people are qualified to be a household staff, and this also happens in Indonesia. Looking for a household staff for expatriates? It’s more complicated since household in your home country is absolutely different from Indonesia.
Then what should you do? If you can conduct an interview with the candidates, ask for their experience in working with foreigners (you can also look at their references, if any). If you aim to get a household staff who can cook, ask the candidates about cuisines they feel familiar to cook. If you aim to get a household staff to become a nanny, ask them to tell the past stories when taking care of children.
#4 What about salary and health insurance?
Probably this is the most confusing point. Since hiring a maid is uncommon practice in your home country, you’ll surely find it difficult to set the salary. For expatriates who hire Indonesian maid, they usually feel comfortable to match with the UMR (regional minimum wage). Jakarta’s UMR in 2019 is around Rp3,900,000.
For health insurance, Indonesian usually holds a BPJS Kesehatan (national health insurance program). Offer them to pay the bills if they can provide a proof of membership. If they don’t have any, encourage them to join. This method is more efficient and safer from possible fraud with “health reason”.
#5 Ask about living arrangements
You should also ask about living arrangements. Not all Indonesian maids are willing to live-in with the employer. Some prefer to live-out when their tasks are done. Ask your candidates’ preference for this. It will help you later on preparing them.
Their preference for living arrangements will also help you to decide. The live-in household maid will be more helpful since she can help you prepare dinner. On the other side, the live-out household maid will give you more privacy. So, it’s up to you, which one is more convenient?
Employing a maid is probably a huge culture shock for you. As a newcomer in Indonesia, you may feel thrilled with a maid around to take care of your household chores. No need to worry, try to think that you provide help for them and their family members who rely on the income from you. By reading this article, you’re ready to hire an Indonesian maid. Then, how about the residence? Consider Prapanca Apartment. It comes with complete facilities and high-security system; you’ll find a great comfort while living in Jakarta.
