Ethiopian maid/nanny salary

[MaidenScotland]

Originally Posted by rsinner

So their salary should be higher than ours?
I am not being flippant and if I ever get a maid full time they will definitely be paid higher than market (I already spend 2x-3x the price of full time maids on part time maids).

However, what is a fair salary? 5,000? 10,000? 20,000? This is still less than what a lot of expats earn. They would be taking care of my child who is priceless. They work harder than me.

I never said their salary should be higher..I said.... these maids work far harder than we would ever do for a fraction of the money.

[MaidenScotland]

We all know how unfair the wage structure is in the middle east.. the whiter your skin the higher your salary. The OP is Canadian so should be able to afford a decent salary for a maid.

thinking.. how little can I get away with paying is not a nice trait in any nationality.

[Jynxgirl]

After 2 and a half years, forever amazed that people think paying a maid as little as possible is ok....

How much does a live in maid cost at home? How much did you make at home? So you make at least the same amount as you did at home, but you think because there are no real laws requiring minimum wages of any decent sort, you should jump in on the bandwagon of taking advantage as much as possible.... Dubai is a prime example of why the 'trickle down' method will NEVER work anywhere. People will abuse human rights if at all possible for their own gain, even if just means one less 400 brunch for the husband and wife type of gain.......... AK47, are you a jumeirah jane on the woman expat site of dubai??????

OP... if you 'found' this person, I assume you actually went thru a vetting process to find someone who is a bit educated, can communicate with and appears to actually retain information. From the womans site, read the the non stop rant on maids, I highly suggest you to scoop the person up if they are worth it! Most pay as little as possible to anyone who will accept it, and there are a whole BUNCH of threads on the womans site complaining about the outcome of doing that. If you pay peanuts, you attract peanut workers...

[AK47]

Originally Posted by Jynxgirl

.......... AK47, are you a jumeirah jane on the woman expat site of dubai??????

...

No I am a Jumeirah JOCK... My wife is the Jane. Why so hung up on the other site? The OP asked a question, I believe that I answered in my opinion like you have. She is prob sitting and laughing at all of this. When I came to Dubai 2 years ago I interviewed maids and maids were asking about AED2500 I am sure that will be reasonable for you however it did not suit my budget, we all different you see. Teaching assistants in some schools get paid under AED2K/month without housing.

A quick question for you, do you also champion fairness in terms of salaries with your colleges from the sub-continent at your workplace(if you work? if not this does not apply)?

The lowest minimum wage for domestic help is AED 600, I cant see how 2 and a half times of that is exploitation.

[Jynxgirl]

Originally Posted by AK47

A quick question for you, do you also champion fairness in terms of salaries with your colleges from the sub-continent at your workplace(if you work? if not this does not apply)?

Of course I do... You really think my personality is such that I would keep my mouth shut in person?? Nope. My local friends tell me I am cruising for a bruising!

My question to you is that you dont champion fairness in equality of salaries when they are doing the same job as you? If I ever get to that point where I think my usa passport should get me 20k but the indian passport holder should get 12k and be happy because 'its more then they make at home'... then I have lost all sense of decency.

What person is going to come here for 2000 a month and have a maid? That is ridiculous to even try to pull that one. People pay their maids 1000 dirhams because they can, not because they cant afford to pay 2000 most the time.

And is because that site is overall ridiculous.... The 10% of normal woman are drowned out by 90% of jumeirah jane crazies.

[AK47]

Originally Posted by Jynxgirl

bruising!

crazies.

You lost me somewhere between bruising and crazies, however when I grow up I want to be like you. You win

[pamela0810]

Originally Posted by AK47

Does this make sense to you? Or do you think its still exploitation. I have not taken into account the times you decide to give the maid extra compensation for doing a good job etc and and and....?

Monthly Yearly
Visa 5000 5000
Salary 1400 16800
Food 300 3600
Toiletries 200 2400
Flight Home 3650 3650
Bonus + 13 1400 1400
Yearly 32850
Total/month 2737.5

AK47, does your company factor in your visa charges too when they pay you your salary?

At the end of the day, your relationship with your housekeeper should be that of a professional employer/employee one. Do you get compensated each and every time you do a good job at work? If not, then your maid doesn't need to either and I bet you do not give her that extra tip like you mentioned anyway. If you pay her adequately, she will do a good job, not because she has to but because she wants to. The same principle applies to the general workforce.

Would you accept a company offering you a salary based on this calculaiton of your's? I think not! I bet your company does not include your visa fees and your annual air ticket as part of your monthly compensation. So it's a bit ridiculous for you to do so just to prove a point. It really doesn't make any sense. All you have managed to do is come across as an another pompous Western expat who earns 3 times more than what he is actually worth back home but thinks that he deserves it because he is White but the Ethiopian should make do with Dhs 800 because she is a "maid".

[AK47]

Originally Posted by pamela0810

All you have managed to do is come across as an another pompous Western expat who earns 3 times more than what he is actually worth back home but thinks that he deserves it because he is White but the Ethiopian should make do with Dhs 800 because she is a "maid".

So my job is done here than. I'm not White for the record....

[cami]

it's really sad what dubai has done to some expats...

it's tricked those coming from the lower class into believing they are actually middle or upper class only because they are white and their first language is the lingua franca here.

it's convinced some others that the mere mentioning of the letters u, k, s, a, or e should send everyone around them on their knees automatically, probably thanking God the expatriate force who would otherwise be on the breadline in ther not-developed-anymore home countries have decided to grace dubai with their presence.

it's turned many, married women especially, into homemakers who cannot possibly live nowadays without a host of nannies, maids, drivers, cleaners, gardeners, salon assistants while back home they never dreamed of ever doing their nails or going to spas on a weekly basis, and taking care of the kids would be joined resposibility in the family if the father is still around or sober.

it's also sad how many western expats have adopted the system of casts and servitude traditionally kept in the middle east for decades if not centuries because they absolutely love the benefits they are offered, but they keep condemning lack of human rights and violation of individual freedoms.

who would clean your home, wash your clothes, talk with and take care of your children, cook for your family, wash your car, tickle your toes if the "domestic help" one day remember they are not temporary slaves?

scary thought, eh...

[pamela0810]

Originally Posted by AK47

So my job is done here than. I'm not White for the record....

It doesn't matter what the colour of your skin is really. Your passport is quite enough to get you a salary that's at least 3 times more than what you would get paid back home. That to me is unfair in the exact same way it is to pay an Ethiopian maid Dhs 800 a month for putting in more than 12 hours of work each day.