Sunday, January 30, 2011

Daily Task Schedule - Laundry Staff


MAIN TASK

Wash clothing, bed & bath linen, Table linen, house linen (sofa covers, curtains). Send items for dry cleaning, hand wash delicate fabric
CLEANING TASK

Laundry area, staff room, staff kitchen, Collect soiled clothes/linen. Assist house girl daily in cleaning entrance, courtyard - dusting of furniture, wiping glass walls, decors. Clean staff bathroom (Monday, Tuesday)
OTHER TASKS

Wash dishes after family meals, assists in serving at meals
* always be ready to help others when listed tasks is completed.
TIME DAILY SCHEDULE
6:00 Rise. Freshen Up. Wear proper UNIFORM
6:30 Cleaning of assigned area - sweep, vacuum or dust furniture
7:30 Saff Breakfast
8:30 Collect soiled laundry, begin laundry tasks.  
12:00 Staff Lunch. Assist in cleaning up kitchen: wash dishes. Personal Time
3:00 Odd cleaning jobs while laundry is drying. Continue Laundry and Ironing Tasks
6:30 Dinner. Assist in kitchen clean up. 
7:30 Continue Ironing tasks
10:30
Lights Out
LAUNDRY SCHEDULE
DAILY



Collect and sort items to be washed or ironed for the day. Start machine on linen laundry days. Begin laundry following proper laundry procedures.  Handwashing of delicate clothesClean laundry area- dust shelves/cabinets, wipe walls and mop/sanitize floors. Put order in area.

Tues, Thurs, Sat
Ironing days
Wed and Sat

Machine wash Bedlinen (Saturdays) and bath towels (Wed, Sat). Dry and fold
Wednesday
& Sat
Change bath towels
Every Saturday
Wash comforters, bedsheets, pillow cases and fitted sheets
LAUNDRY REMINDERS
Siguraduhing walang laman ang mga bulsa ng mga pantalon at damit bago labhan. Check pockets of clothing articles. 
Tahiin muna ang punit o butas bago ito labhan upang maiwasan ang tuluyang pagkasira nito. Repair torn clothing before washing.
Alisin muna ang mantsa sa tela bago ito labhan. Basahin ang Pagtanggal ng Mantsa. Spot wash stains on clothes before washing.

Sundin ang takdang dami ng sabon panglaba.  Use sufficient / correct amounts of laundry supplies 
Tunawing mabuti ang detergent bago ilagay ang labada upang maiwasan ang mga puting mantsa. Dilute powder detrget in water before use to prevent staining clothes.

Baligtarin paloob ng damit upang maiwasan ang pagkupas ng tela. Wash clothes inside out.

PANATILIING MAAYOS ANG LAUNDRY AREA. KEEP LAUNDRY AREA CLEAN.
Reminders  

Always be clean & neat. Wash hands often. Neatly combed hair, proper uniform at home

SMILE AND BE HAPPY. Always greet Good morning/afternoon/evening. Say thank you, welcome and please
MALASAKIT SA PAMILYA AT SA KAPWA.  Kung may makitang pwedeng gawin,gawin ito kahit wala sa listahan

PAALALA. Ang pagtanggap ng sariling bisita sa kapamahayan ay hindi pinahihintulutan.
DAY OFF is weekly, from 10:00AM

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Daily Task Schedule - Household Cleaning Staff

Here's a sample daily task schedule I use for household cleaning staff. 



 MAIN TASK
Responsible for household cleanliness and order 

 CLEANING TASK
First Floor - Living room, Lanai, Library, Game room and powder room, entrance and powder room, Formal Dining & kitchen, hallways,  guestrooms (3) & bathrooms
Staff room and bath (alternate with other staff)

 OTHER TASKS
Help set and serve dinner table for  lunch and dinner. Clears table after meals. Serve during meals. Attend to door and assist when there are guests.  Check cleaning supplies, prepare cleaning supplies requisition. Lock all doors of 1st floor.


* (Be of help to others when tasks assigned have been completed)

Time
Daily Schedule

5:30
Rise. Wear PROPER UNIFORM
Clean Entrance Powder Room, Lanai area

7:30
STAFF BREAKFAST

8:30
Routine Cleaning - Living room, Guest Bedroom, Library, Game room, Formal dining room, Formal kitchen, Breakfast nook, Toilets (6), Parents & Caregive's room
Laundry Staff -  Dust furniture at entrance, hallways, Parent & Caregiver's

12:00
STAFF LUNCH. FREE TIME

3:00
ODD JOBS/ Periodic cleaning tasks. Stay at first floor to attend to guests. Attend to door. Sweep Lanai 

6:30
STAFF DINNER

7:00
Set up table for dinner. Assist serving at table. 

8:00
Dishwash. Help clean up kitchen.

8:30
Lock all doors on 1st floor


Lights Out


Cleaning Schedule 

General cleaning task - once a week
High dusting, remove cobwebs. Wipe glass sliding doors, glass windows.
Wipe clean electric fans, light switches, power outlets.
Damp wipe, spot clean walls, baseboards.
Dust walls, damp wipe / disinfect/ spot clean doors, walls & baseboards

SCHEDULE OF AREAS
Monday

Mam’s Office, Lanai Area

Tuesday
Living Room, Dining room, Formal kitchen

Wednesday
Library, Game room

Thusday
Guestroom, Parents' & Caregiver's room

Friday

Entrance & courtyard

Weekly, Monthly
Periodic Tasks

15 / 30
Vacuum-  rugs, lampshades, sofa, throw pillows, corners, sides, baseboards

1st Fridays
Chandeliers

2nd Fridays
Clean air con filters

3rd Fridays
Scrub floor groutings


Reminders


1
Always be clean & neat. Wash hands often. Neatly combed hair, proper uniform at home

2
SMILE AND BE HAPPY. Always greet Good morning/afternoon/evening. Say thank you, welcome and please

3
Be of Help.  ( Even with tasks not listed in your task list)

4
 No personal guests will be entertained at work site.

After daily cleaning, turn off lights, close doors, decors/frames upright, doors closed



Wednesday, January 19, 2011

KASAMBAHAY BILL - MANILA DOMESTIC WORKERS BILL

http://webpages.scu.edu/ftp/tclarke/WAGE%20The%20Risk.html
Domestic workers are called a friendly term in Manila "Kasambahay": to emphasize they are part of the household. Below is the bill  that is yet to be signed in Congress to provide legal recognition for the domestic workers and recognize the important role that Kasambahay plays in the building of the family and of society.

The kasambahay has the right to decent work wh


ich includes decent employment and income, humane conditions of work, access to and coverage in social protection schemes, and the opportunity for social dialogue and representation.

Right to Just and Humane Conditions of Work. The kasambahay has the right to a safe and healthy work environment, continuous (sufficient) rest periods, time for recreation and leisure.

Right to Just and Humane Treatment. The Kasambahay is entitled to be treated free from any physical or psychological violence, or any other act which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of the kasambahay as a human being be used upon the latter.

Right against Involuntary Servitude, Debt Bondage and Trafficking. The kasambahay shall have the right to refuse or deny his or her services to work or tasks not stipulated in the employment contract.  In case the kasambahay agrees to work in industrial undertakings and perform  work or task for the service or benefit of another household, he or she shall be entitled to  applicable minimum wage or just compensation respectively.

Right to Social Protection. The kasambahay shall be covered by the Social Security System (SSS) and be entitled to all the benefits provided under Republic Act No. 8282, as amended. The employers of said kasambahay shall pay for the employer's share of the SSS contributions without deducting the same from the monthly compensation of the kasambahay. The kasambahay shall also pay for the employee’s share of the SSS contributions.
All house helpers shall be covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) in accordance with its guidelines and be entitled to all the benefits provided
by law.

Right to Privacy. The kasambahay shall have the right to privacy during his/her rest periods. The kasambahay's right to privacy shall extend to any and all forms of personal communications.

Right to Minimum Wage. The kasambahay shall be entitled to the following minimum wage rates:
(a) TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED PESOS (Php2,500.00) a month for KASAMBAHAY WORKING in the National Capital Region (NCR);
(b) ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED PESOS (Php1,700.00) a month for those WORKING in other chartered cities and first class municipalities; and,
(c) ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED PESOS (Php 1,500.00) a month for those WORKING in other municipalities."

Within one (1) year after the passage of this law, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) shall determine and adjust, from time to time, the appropriate minimum wage rates of kasambahays in accordance with the special wage fixing mechanism.

Right to free board, lodging and medical attendance. The kasambahay has the right to suitable and sanitary living quarters as well as adequate food and medical attendance free of charge.

Right to access educational opportunities. The kasambahay has the right to access opportunities for education and training to upgrade their skills and improve the services they provide to their employers.

Right to self-organization. The kasambahay shall have the right to form or join association or societies for purposes not contrary to law.

Right to redress grievance. The kasambahay shall have the right to redress grievance and to the expeditious settlement of disputes.

All other rights not specified herein but guaranteed by the Constitution are affirmed and shall be equally afforded to the kasambahay.

For the BATAS KASAMBAHAY IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS see,  http://www.homeact.blogspot.com/2013/05/implementing-rules-and-regulations-of.html

Saturday, January 15, 2011

January

Wild January’s storms shall shed their sting, Repelled by sun, as winter spins to spring, 
So kinder, temperate breezes gently blow
To melt the snow, that all the fields can sing                    
by C Richard Miles

New calendar year, 2011!!  Yeah!! bring it on.. let's all start the year right. I am nursing a mild back ache because this past two weeks I have been keeping Christmas decorations in my house, in my clients homes.. Oh yeah, we're back to ordinary times, bye bye holidays.
Activities this January? 
Keep your Christmas hollies and wreaths and lights and trees.. done once a year, prepare your boxes, containers, shelvings and vacuum cleaners to preserve the Christmas decors until next year.
January Quarterly Schedule
Rotate beds - In Spring - spin; in Fall - flip. It is recommended that matresses be rotated regularly- on a qarterly basis -  to achieve maximum usable life. So schedule this month to spin the matress in all your bedrooms so that the headboard part goes to the foot now.  
Send the heavy bedspreads for washing.

By the way, the other week, one of my clients was complaining her lanai sofa cushions look so tired and worn out. Reminder!! the sofa cushions follow the same rule to flip but on a more frequent interval - every week, especially those that are regularly used in the house. One note, be careful not to expose the zipper when you rotate chair cushions.  
Scrub garage floors to remove oil spills and moss - we do this also on a quarterly basis, and make use of a strong alkaline cleaner and high pressure washer to clean tiled garage and driveways. 

And some regular monthly tasks to keep in mind
It is best time to clean up all storage rooms and cabinets - sort items and dispose (sell, donate or dispose)  those that won't be used anymore. Wash your bag cloth covers to prevent molds formation. Re organize and win new space. 
Schedule fumigation and pest control service because it rains in January. We conducted an inspection with our pest control service provider and found some holes to be covered along the perimeter, ants crawling from neighbor's fence and windows and door screens to be replaced.
Clean aircondition and humidifier filters - This is done monthly.  
You have enough in your hands this month. Have I forgotten to mention anything, please feel free to comment. Happy New Year and whoah.. we seem to have a revised astrological signs.. I won't discuss that!





Housekeepers Training Program- Maligaya, Manila

The name Maligaya (the Tagalog word for “joy”) is the motto and spirit that animate the Maligaya School for Culinary Arts and Residential Services (MICARS) brand of training and education, “joy in service”. 

All programs offered by MICARS take a holistic approach. Technical competence is effectively acquired through a work-study scheme wherein the students learn both from theoretical instruction and hands-on training in real work situation. Parallel to culinary, baking and housekeeping skills, the curricula are also designed to guarantee social, ethical and spiritual formation of the students by instilling in them proper values and attitudes through the tutorial system, values education subjects and various school activities. The school building houses the Tahilan student residence which effectively serves as the school's venue for on the job training for its students. 

The six storey building with modern institutional kitchen, baking and laundry facilities, stands in Manila and was put up through the generous assistance from local donors and a grant from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a development cooperation project with Associazione Centro ELIS (ACE).

And starting the end of January 2011,  a 10-session training course for household helpers will be offered by Maligaya School for Culinary Arts. The helpers are taught basic skills from housekeeping, home repairs, laundry, table setting and dining service, basic cooking and baking. 
For more information about the school, you may visit their website http://www.fptiphilippines.com/MALIGAYA/index.html







Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Make Me Up - start the year right..

Here's to young ladies who would like to start the year fab and glam right!! See you there girls..

Monday, January 3, 2011

Details mean a lot...

Home celebrations always evoke strong feelings of both excitement and panic! We look forward to everything we can celebrate and oh boy! we dread all the preparations that go with it.


What makes preparation a sucess? it's not extravagance, it's not abundance, it's not luxurious things - it's DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS..  They usually don't cost much, they can be easy to prepare, they just require a bit of planning and proven time and again,, it brings smile on faces of our loved ones!!



FAMILY CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER  
- These simple home made name cards, the little chocolate candies and the fancy napkin fold made this family christmas dinner so warm.
- The choco bundles also had home printed personal Christmas greetings
- The dinner menu was also printed at home.



FRIEND'S BIRTHDAY JAPANESE DINNER 
- Simple Japanese menu prepared in Bento boxes

- Home made japanese lamps with home printed greetings in japanese characters     
- We also printed Haikus of personal birthday greetings in every cove

Printed Haikus on home made lamps.

Oh, i loved this gift because the wrapping was so nice. It was simple cookies inside.


Sunday, January 2, 2011

Prince William and Kate : We'll manage without butlers or servants

"His father famously employs almost 150 staff to cater for his every need, but Prince William has insisted he and Kate Middleton have no intention of taking on butlers or household staff when they begin married life in April...The couple believe that sharing their home with servants would ruin the intimacy of their relationship". 





   

I am very impressed with the Prince.  I've witnessed big and busy families ably perform the household duties and combine it with their professional and social duties and still have happy family and successful personal lives. It is not impossible. However, it is also just as possible to have a modest staff and enjoy even greater family intimacy..,  but i can't blame the Prince aversion to household staff- many factors we all know too well from their much publicised lives pushed him to make such choice. But may I insist that the idea of having butlers and servants should not be seen as a threat to family intimacy. 

Being a home manager, fostering and protecting family life and intimacy is my first and only duty, from which comes all the hosts of household tasks - preparing great meals, maintaining a clean and cozy home, providing crisp and good smelling linen and clothing on time, making sure the cars have gas and are well maintained.. and keeping the service staff happy so the family experience peace and warmth and privacy of their own homes. My service motto is - "an efficient service experience that is not seen nor heard". It is a disservice to the family when instead of facilitating their lives, we bacome an added problem because of petty squabbles, gossiping, bad service. 

At the end of each day when my client says "Thank you" with a smile on her face gives me so much satisfaction. Its a job well done, tomorrow is another day. 

THANKS 2010, HELLO 2011!!



Thanks to all of you who visit my almost eternally uneventful 2010 blog!!  The positive side of it is that it has been a real busy end of year....   okay, okay - busy looking for something to be busy about hahaha..  Many things to thank the One above..

2011!!  I so look forward to this. Each time I seem to be more prepared and excited about the prospects of the new year -  London Home Management Conference in March, an Australian Home Management Update course probably in March or July, a cleaning expo in Shanghai, a family oriented training program to develop for the domestic workers, a community project to help moms and women of my city.. whew!!  and Yes, a more eventful blogging.

Now let's get to work!! A Happy and Blessed New Year  to all!!