Finding Staff, Family Guide to Jakarta-balita sehat ceria

Posted: 17 Dec 2010 08:32 AM PST

staff registries & notice boards | uniforms | work contracts
staff health | staff training

Finding Staff

One of the greatest benefits and frustrations of living in Jakarta is having staff. The type of accommodation you select will determine the number of staff you may need. tipbox get domestic help

Terms that will help you find the right people are;

Driver - to most expatriates in Indonesia this person is essential! For more information on employing a driver see our tips here or go to www.expat.or.id/info/hiringadriver.html If you wish to drive yourself, and you may need to if you want to go out on your driver's off day, you will need to get a local license, see www.expat.or.id/info/driverslicense or you can use your International License if you have one.

Pembantu/Maid - this is generally someone who will clean your house, do laundry and ironing and any other general chores that you require help with. This person may also be able to do your food shopping. A maid can live in or live out – explanation of this at www.expat.or.id/hiringhouseholdstaff.html

Nanny - someone to help you look after your children, he/she will only do children related tasks. A nanny can live in or out. We have provided some tips for interviewing a prospective nanny here but also see http://www.expat.or.id/info/childcare.html for more advice.

Cook - someone specifically employed to prepare meals and cook, she can prepare a shopping list and do the shopping for you if required to. If employed as a house keeper she will generally be head of the household staff. Again this person can live in or out.

House Boy – this person may have been living in your house before you were! If your house was empty for a period of time before you moved in, perhaps it was being renovated, the owner probably will have employed someone to stay at the house for security reasons (although this is less likely if your house is in a compound). This person could be very useful to you if you choose not to have day time security staff as he can open/close your gates for you and your visitors, look after the garden, take care of pets (although some will have an aversion to dogs for religious reasons), clean windows and any other heavier work that your pembantu/maid can't do. He may well want to remain living at the house so you need to consider if you have enough staff accommodation.

Gardener – someone to maintain your garden and highly recommended in this climate! Some landlords will already have an agreement with a gardener so you just take over the responsibility for paying them. Some pembantu/cooks work as a couple with their husbands and he can fill this role for you, as well as the role of a house boy. Live in or out.

Pool maintenance – it is possible to train your gardener to look after your pool, information is available at JICC. You will need to employ someone to look after the pool. However, many houses will come with a prearranged contract with a pool maintenance company and this will become your responsibility. Live out.

There are many ways to go about finding staff:

First and foremost ask. Make it known what you want e.g. a maid (pembantu), a driver, a security guard (jaga), a nanny.

Staff registries

Jakarta International Community Centre

JICC has a staff registration system. It is an employment matching service that allows you to meet and interview candidates who are seeking employment. All candidates have at least one year's work experience with expatriate families. Bahasa Indonesia language assistance is available if required.

JICC also run a variety of training courses for staff including First Aid. Please contact them for more details.

Jl. Kemang Dalam X, No.E-6A, Jakarta Selatan 12730 (new address December 2009)
Tel: 021 719 2216 / 021 7179 2813
Fax: 021 719 2216
Email: jicc@cbn.net.id/jicc_online@yahoo.com
www.jicconline.com

• 09:00-17:00 Weekdays
• 09:00-14:00 Sat

Australian & New Zealand Association (ANZA)

All candidates must hold a Jakarta ID card, must have worked for an expat family for at least one year and have a reference letter. Letters are scrutinised for authenticity and cleared monthly.

Tel: 021 7179 3042

email: anza@pacific.net.id

• 09:00-13:00 Mon-Fri

British Women's Association (BWA)

Tel: 021 719 3924

• 09:00-13:00 Mon-Fri

Notice Boards

Notice boards are a good way to find maids, nannies and drivers who have been working for expat employers who are now leaving Indonesia but want to help find new jobs for their staff. Often it is possible to talk to the family they have been working for (if they are still here), rather than having to rely on written references.

American Women's Association (AWA)
Jl. Kemang Dalam VI/H5, Kemang

• 09:00-12:00 Weekdays (Summer: Mon, Weds & Fri only)

HERO Kemang
Jl. Kemang Selatan I, Kemang

Yayasan Balita Sehat
Jl. Haji Naim II No.10, Cipete Utara

• 08:00-17:00 Weekdays

Other sources of finding staff include the forum of this website in the looking for staff & staff recommendations section, word-of-mouth, personal recommendations or someone your own staff might know.

Drivers

Your driver will be one of the most important people in your household. You will come to rely on them for your safety in traffic, as well as for running errands. They may also be the highest paid member of your staff, even if they sit in your garage and smoke all day.

The way cars operate on the roads is quite different from Western countries, and parking is often only designed up for cars with drivers.

Your driver will be in charge of car maintenance. Remember it is still your car and you should follow up on any repairs or services done. Hint: Find a good garage and make the appointment yourself and then follow up with a phone call or pay them yourself.

Your driver is in charge of maintaining your tires. The roads in Indonesia are rough and this is a potential safety hazard. Also make sure you don't buy new tires only to have them replaced by your driver with older tires.

Your driver is in charge of transporting your children. If you can not be in the car with them, send a member of staff with them and the driver.

Your driver may frustrate you from time to time.

HINT: Drivers are surprisingly easy to come by, you do not have to tolerate rudeness, speeding, or unreliability.

REMINDER: Westerners can be targeted if they are involved in a traffic accident. People rarely have insurance, and so at-the-scene negotiations are common. If anyone is injured in the accident, you will be expected to provide them transport to the hospital and probably to pay for their treatment. It is less stressful if you have a driver to assist you in this situation. However, if you feel threatened drive to a Police station immediately.

Nannies

Recommended interview questions:

• How many children have you cared for at one time?
• Did the mother work?
• Did you give the children medicine?
• How old were the children?
• Have you ever watched the children whilst the parents were away overnight?
• Did the children have any allergies?
• What things do you do with a child first thing in the morning when they wake up?
• What things do you do for a child to prepare them for bed?
• The child won't eat his lunch, gets up from the table and goes off to play. What do you do?
• The child falls down and cuts his knee and the bleeding is bad. What do you do?
• The child goes out on the road to step in puddles. What do you do?
• The child wants to have a sweet, but isn't allowed to before dinner. He is crying and crying. What do you do?
• What sort of games do you like to play with children?
• The child wants to have some friends over. What process or action do you take?
• The child wants to go over to a friend's house. What action do you take?
• Can you read books in English to the children?
• Do you know how to make up formula milk (bottles)?
• Have you had any basic first aid training?

Check references for authenticity (poor use of English language? Name photocopied separately from text? ), consistency and dates.

Other important information, which you should discuss with your nanny:

• Emergency phone number list - how to contact you / your doctor / clinic / hospital
• Be sure to tell the nanny of any allergies and what she should do in the event of an allergic reaction. Make sure she fully understands this.
• Make it clear what action you would like her to take in the event of an emergency. Do not assume your nanny will automatically do what you would want.
• Safety guidelines that she must follow e.g. safety belt / baby seat in car, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, pool gate always to be locked / shut.
• Point out any potential danger areas in your house. e.g. slippery floors
• Guidelines covering how you would like your child to be disciplined, whether a dummy may be used etc.

Training for your Nanny
The importance of hand washing is often overlooked in Indonesia. The following is a guide to looking after bottles and it is translated into bahasa indonesia below also.

Making up Bottles

Your bottles, teats and equipment all need to be scrupulously clean to prevent the build up of bacteria. However, there is no need to undertake any special course of action to sterilise your bottles. Stay with the method you have used before and are comfortable with. You can sterilise your bottles and teats by: (a) boiling them for at least 20 minutes; (b) immersing them in chemical sterilizer; (c) putting them in a steam sterilizer; or (d) putting them in a special microwave sterilising unit (never just put them in the microwave).

The basic rule regarding sterilisation of bottles, teats and equipment remains the same worldwide: (a) Wash your hands with soap and warm water; (b) Use sterile baby milk and keep the packet/tin tightly shut and refrigerate after opening; (c) Sterilise everything used for storing, measuring and mixing the milk. Special attention is called to the following: (i) Check expiry dates on tins/packets of formula; (ii) do not use damaged, dented or broken tins/packets; (iii) cool prepared milk quickly by putting it in the refrigerator and do not take it out until feeding time (note, leave the lid of the bottle slightly ajar so that heat can escape); (iv) discard any milk that is not drunk - do not save that bottle for next time; (v) NEVER carry warm milk in a vacuum flask or leave lying around the house or car. Milk, especially tepid milk, is a great breeding ground for bacteria. If you know that you will be needing a bottle while out, try the following: rather than worrying about getting home to feed the baby, put the usual amount of
boiled water into a sterilised baby bottle. Have another sterile container with the required amount of baby formula needed. When the baby is hungry, just mix the formula into the water and shake.

Translation:

Botol-botol susu, karet dot dan alat-alat lainnya haruslah bersih untuk menghindari bersarangnya bakteri. Walaupun begitu, tidaklah perlu untuk melakukan tindakan khusus untuk mensteril botol-botol tersebut. Gunakan saja cara yang anda biasa lakukan. Anda bisa mensteril botol-botol susu beserta putingnya dengan cara: a) merebusnya kira-kira selama 20 menit, b) merendamnya di dalam larutan obat steril, c) membersihkannya dengan cara merebusnya di alat steril; atau (d) menempatkannya di alat microwave khusus yang mempunyai perlengkapan sterilisasi (jangan meletakkannya langsung di microwave).

Peraturan dasar mengenai sterilisasi botol susu, karet dot dan alat-alatnya sama seperti yang dilakukan diseluruh tempat: (a) Cuci tangan anda sebelum menyentuh susu atau alat-alat lainnya; (b) Gunakan susu bayi yang steril dan simpan kantongnya/tempatnya tertutup rapat dan letakkan di tempat lemari pendingin setelah dibuka; (c) Sterilkan semua alat penyimpan, pengukur dan pencampur susu tersebut. Perhatian khusus harap diutamakan kepada: (i) periksa tanggal kadaluwarsa pada kemasan susu tersebut; (ii) jangan digunakan jika rusak, kemasannya berubah bentuk; (iii) dinginkan susu yang sudah disiapkan dengan meletakkannya di lemari pendingin dan jangan mengeluarkannya hingga waktu minumnya tiba (catatan, letakkan tutup botol agak terbuka sehingga udara panasnya dapat keluar; (iv) buang sisa susu yang tidak diminum - jangan menyimpannya sampai nanti; (v) JANGAN membawa susu panas di termos atau dibiarkan di rumah atau di mobil. Susu, terutama susu hangat, adalah tempat yang baik untuk bakteri berkembang biak. Seandainya anda memerlukan botol susu sewaktu-waktu, cobalah yang berikut ini. Bawalah air yang sudah direbus didalam botol susu steril. Sediakan susu bubuknya didalam wadah yang steril juga. Saat dibutuhkan, barulah susu bisa dicampurkan dengan air lalu dikocok.

Uniforms
You may want your staff to wear a uniform. Uniforms can be purchased at Department stores e.g. Carrefour. Alternatively, plain fabric can be bought cheaply and outfits made by a local tailor.

Work Contracts

Contracts should cover the following points:

• Clearly state hours and days of work, when overtime starts and if evening babysitting will be required tipbox staff references
• Time off / holiday leave and Lebaran bonus
• Live in/out (if out, whether transport money will be provided)
• Job description outlining responsibilities
• Basic Salary plus overtime
• Medical benefits
• Uniform
• Severance pay

Staff Health

It is important to have staff that are healthy. Many Indonesians cannot afford proper health care. It is advisable to have a health check up prior to employment, TB is particularly common in Indonesia. Look at our staff health page for more information.

Staff Training

JICC offer a range of courses for staff including First Aid, cooking and pool maintenance.

tipbox Recommended Reading for Nanny

About Us - Foundation for Mother and Child Health - Indonesia, India

Posted: 16 Dec 2010 11:42 PM PST

About Us

News and Project Updates

Three smiling faces The Foundation for Mother and Child Health (FMCH) started its first programmes in Jakarta in 2001. Opening a mother-and-child centre, it provided health, nutrition, education and sustainable skills training programmes for mothers, children and community health workers. Now also providing a mobile health education and small skills training unit that visit other areas within Jakarta, and expanding its programmes to other remote areas of Indonesia such as West Timor, FMCH has established a very successful presence in this country.

In May 2004, Barbara Jayson, Chairwoman of the Foundation for Mother and Child Health, was awarded an MBE for her work in Indonesia.

To learn more about the Foundation for Mother and Child Health, and their local partner Yayasan Balita Sehat, please click here.

In December 2004, the world witnessed the effect of the devastating tsunami in Asia. In response to this disaster, Barbara Jayson, one of the Founding members of FMCH, and her colleague Jenny de Montfort put together a book of recipes donated from well known chefs, cooks and food & wine writers in order to raise funds to help victims of the disaster.

East Meets West cookbook East Meets West became a best seller and won a Special Award of the Jury by the World Gourmand Cookery Book Awards in May 2006.

Funds raised from sales of East Meets West were used to help victims in Sri Lanka and Aceh. In Aceh, proceeds helped the initiative ‘Response to Aceh’ set up preschools in refugee camps, train preschool teachers and community health workers and provided much needed guidance to communities devastated by the tsunami. UNICEF’s long term maternal and child health programmes in Aceh also benefited from funds received from “East meets West”.

Now, with the devastation recently caused by the earthquake in Western Sumatra, the last few remaining books are being sold to raise funds to help with the rebuilding of pre schools in this region.

In 2005, Leena Godiwala-Deubet, a former volunteer with the FMCH mother-and-child centre in Jakarta, moved back to her home city of Mumbai in India. Having witnessed the positive influence the centre was having upon the lives of impoverished mothers and children in Jakarta, she decided to open a branch of the Foundation for Mother and Child Health in Mumbai.

The Foundation for Mother and Child Health, India (FMCHI) or Bal Sehat Kendra as it is known locally, aims to improve pre and post natal care through health, hygiene and nutrition programmes, improve the health and nutrition of infants and children below 5 years of age and educate children through a tri-lingual preschool in English, Marathi and Hindi.

For further details on the activities of the Foundation for Mother and Child Health, India please click here.

In 2008 FMCH started developing programmes that focused on the provision of skills training for refugee women living in Azerbaijan. Women from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Chechnya all have the opportunity to learn new skills such as quilting, pattern making and computing; join micro finance schemes enabling them to become self sufficient and in the next few months mathematics classes are due to begin for those women who missed basic education through war or for political reasons.

The Foundation for Mother and Child Health is a registered UK charity no 1117795 and a private company limited by guarantee no. 05765489 Our Trustees all work on a voluntary basis - only local staff based in Indonesia, India and Azerbaijan receive remuneration. We do not pay for expensive offices in the UK or have expensive marketing and fundraising appeals.

All our donations come from word of mouth, direct appeals, and most importantly, from people such as yourself, looking at this website.

Please help us to keep it this way.