Finding Staff FAQ

Driver - to most expatriates in Indonesia this person is essential! 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, 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.

Nanny - someone to help you look after your children, he/she will only do children related tasks. A nanny can live in or out.

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.

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 or many houses will come with a prearranged contract with a pool maintenance company and this will become your responsibility.

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Word of mouth and personal recommendation is obviously the best way to find good staff, but failing that, we have ideas of where to go:

UpperCrust enewsletter - just sign up and you will receive regular emails with classifieds featuring recommendations for staff from families who are leaving.

British Women's Association (BWA) Facebook page

Noticeboard at HERO Kemang, Jl. Kemang Selatan I, Kemang

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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.

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.

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.

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You may decide you need a lot of support looking after children or just a few hours a week.

A nanny's responsibility can include:

• getting children up for school and making breakfast
• taking children from school and picking them up
• looking after them when you are not there during the day
• babysitting i the evenings
• cooking food for your children

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You will have your own requirements, but browse our suggestions below to make sure you have covered everything

• How many children have you cared for at one time?
• Did your previous employer 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?

Checking references is a good idea to hear how things worked before.

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.

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Many families employ staff without a contract, but everyone will have agreed the terms and conditions and will either have a verbal agreement or a written contract.

The agreement will usually include

• Clearly stated hours and days of work, when overtime starts and, for nannyies, if evening babysitting will be required
• 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 and other benefits

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The British Women's Association created a very useful survey that is an excellent guide.

BWA Jakarta Household Staff MAY 2015.