Ask Andreas: Why Silencing your maid is a Bad Idea

Amazingly, there are many employers out there that forbid their maids from speaking with anyone other than the employers themselves. There are even employers who don’t let their two maids talk to each other while working together in the same apartment. Why is this? Are they afraid of the maids comparing notes about their employers? Or do they think a little chat while chopping tomatoes might distract them from doing a good job?

Just like in any workplace – be it a household or an office – employees like to be trusted and listened to when they have ideas, both good and bad. I often find that the more people I speak to, the greater the probability that I will find the solution to a problem. By discussing issues with your maid and by letting her share her ideas with you and others, chances are that you’ll find someone that has been in a similar situation before. It can be something as simple as finding a good recipe for tonight’s dinner, or something more complex like how to handle a child whose friends have been mean to him at school.

If your maid is not a good worker, no amount of restrictions on conversation will improve her performance. Such a person will always find a way to slack off. The way to encourage the less-than-stellar worker is to encourage initiative and to motivate, counting on her to respond by trying to exceed your expectations.

As human beings, we are dependent on social interaction. We need that little chat, that little greeting, that feeling that we are connected to the people around us. If we don’t have it, we become unhappy, and our work performance suffers.

Read more from Andreas by picking up a copy of his indispensible guide, Hiring and Managing Domestic Help from our Sassy Sale shop in Hong Kong right here!