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Some of the horror stories I have read here sounded unreal I thought they
were written by employers with a vivid imagination. Until my new domestic
helper Merri came along. During the short 4 months she has been with us,
several incidents have occurred which make us totally uncomfortable with her
and I am considering letting her go.
- She ruined two of my husband's business suits by washing them in the
washing machine, even though on several occasions she had brought them to
the dry cleaner's before. She never apologised for this but instead blamed
me for asking her to do this dumb thing.
- She quarrelled with a cab driver who was bringing her and the children
home, referring to him as a "bloody stupid taxi driver" in a text message
and later used the same language over the phone.
- She kicked my 8-year old daughter, in the course of getting her to do
her homework. Though it did not hurt, my daughter was understandably upset.
When I told her this type of behaviour was not acceptable, she merely
laughed as if at a joke.
- She raised her voice at 2 ladies at Carrefour when one of them
complained that Merri had hurt her foot with the shopping cart. I had to
intervene and apologise for Merri's embarassing behaviour. After shopping I
asked her to bring home the purchases (lamb, fish, chicken and ham, among
other things) as I was meeting my husband for lunch. The next morning the
lamb smelled bad, as did the fish and the chicken. I suspected that Merri
did not go home immediately. When the weather is hot, even a couple of hours
might cause perishables to go bad. She became aggressive when I asked where
she went from Carrefour.
- One day, when my husband and I went for dinner and came home at about 11
p.m., my children complained that Merri had smacked my 4-year old son. After
repeated questioning, she reluctantly admitted hitting my son but complained
that he was naughty. This was the second time that she had hit my son.
- Last December, I asked Merri not to do any laundry for 3 days after
Christmas, for during this season we did get visitors. Also, the weather was
wet and the laundry would take time to dry. It could be seen from the dining
area and the living room. Merri disregarded my request.
- Merri responds to our kindness by overstepping the bounds of decorum,
describing my daughter Vanessa's classmate's mother as "fat and smelly" and
saying that my son had called me fat, as if driving a wedge between me and
my son.
- Merri repeatedly disregarded our instructions not to enter our study so
that we had to instal a lock on the door, at some inconvenience to
ourselves.
It is not as if we did not explain our likes and dislikes prior to offering
her the job. And we have subsequently on several occasions spoken to her,
patiently explaining what was acceptable and what was not. I have just about
had it and am considering sending her packing.
TooPatient
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