Generally, employers should bear in mind the differences that exist between peoples living in different countries with different customs, beliefs and at different stages of development. Why, some fifty years ago many many Singaporeans had to carry water from a public tap because they had no running water at home! And the home was usually lit by a kerosene lamp!

The newly arrived maid who used to wash clothes by a river is shocked when her employer chides her for being dirty and unhygienic. The bathroom she is asked to clean appears to her spic and spac, a lot cleaner than her living room, if she had any at home. And when the employer shows her new maid a blackened finger she uses to scrape off a coating of dust on a ledge, the maid is understandably stunned. Worse, she thinks madam is a nit picker.

Perhaps in her country children treat her with respect and so when little Ah Johnny pays her no heed (for she is only a maid) or, worse, calls her stupid, she is deeply hurt and wants to go home immediately. Maids, it appears, have feelings, too.

Besides cultural differences, there is the problem of communication. Even native speakers misunderstand each other if they are not from the same country. English spoken by Singaporeans is different from English as she is spoken by Filipinos or Americans. It takes time for both parties to get used to each other's accent. Worse, some words mean different things to different people.

To people from a country with high unemployment, time is not a precious commodity. They are not caught up in the rat race and the newly arrived maid does not understand why her employer appears to her to be constantly in a hurry.

It is in the employer's own interest to be mindful of the differences and be a little patient with the newcomer who is bewildered by a totally different environment. With some encouragement, foreign domestic maids ultimately make the grade. A few hundred thousand in the past have done so, as many employers have found out.

If the adjustment seem so tortuous, try a little kindness. It has been known to work wonders.