Let me share two personal experiences.

About a year ago, I had to repatriate my maid because she was caught stealing money in our home. I had to pay for her airfare home as that was the law.

I could have saved on the repatriation if I had simply transferred her to another employer but I could not foist the problem on an unsuspecting employer.

Recently, I employed a new maid. She was with me for less than three weeks when she had to undergo an emergency operation to remove an ovarian cyst. I had to foot her entire medical bill as the ministry's ruling makes employers solely responsible for all medical and hospitalisation costs incurred by their maids.

She was a total stranger, barely three weeks with us, and I had to pay more than $6,000 in medical bills.

Under normal circumstances, would the employer of any other type of worker be expected to pay severance costs if he catches the worker embezzling funds?

And how many companies will pay the full medical and hospitalisation bills of their employees if such expenses are not covered by the company's insurance?

It is the norm for employees to pay out of their own pockets for whatever is not covered by their company's insurance.

In most cases, there is also an element of co-payment.

So can the mandatory insurance policies for maids that employers must buy cover the full extent of all medical expenses incurred by them?

Also, is it fair to expect so much from and impose so much on employers of maids when the employers themselves do not get the same benefits and privileges as employees?

Maids can seek redress from the ministry. What recourse do employers have?

This is not a level playing field.

Jennifer Chan (Ms)