Not being able to announce, not being able to hand over work in time, even being able to contact - the situation of a domestic helper suddenly quitting work for no reason has become quite common, causing many families to fall into a passive position, disrupting daily activities.
Ms. Ha Thuy Linh (Hoang Mai District, Hanoi) said that the maid of her family quit her job on the first day of the week, when the child was about to go to school and his parents -in -law need to go to the doctor. "She asked for permission to go back to her hometown on the weekend, said she would return to Monday morning, but until now she has not been seen and cannot be contacted, making my housework mess, I don't know what to do," Linh said.
Similarly, the family of Mr. Vu Minh Tuan (Hai Duong City) also fell into a situation of "not being able to react" when the maid who had been there for nearly a year suddenly moved out while the whole family was away. He only knew that this person had returned to his hometown when an acquaintance in the same boarding house informed him. "There was no big conflict, I just guessing she was tired, but going without reporting anything would be awkward," said Mr. Tuan.
According to many families who have hired domestic helpers, the cause of sudden resignation is often due to work pressure, living conflicts, unsuitable conditions, or personal reasons such as family matters, health. Some maids also said that they felt "no constraints" so if they needed to take a break, they would take a break right away.
Currently, most domestic helpers and their families only negotiate in words, without signing an official labor contract, leading to a lack of legal basis if an incident occurs. Meanwhile, the brokerage centers often only provide partial replacement support, not always in a timely manner.
Although it is not possible to completely prevent it, being proactive in communication, sharing and having backup plans such as hiring hourly help maids, sharing housework... can help families overcome the period of absence when the maid suddenly leaves.
