Khalaf Al-Harbi 

Okaz newspaper

IN a matter of a month or two specialized companies responsible of providing domestic labor will be off and running. Recruitment offices that are currently operating will cease to exist. They will no longer be recruiting maids and drivers from Asian and African countries. New workers will no longer suffer waiting at the airport or face difficulties getting through the passport department.



This also means that the phenomenon of runaway maids will end finally. Families will not wait for weeks to get domestic help.



In the eyes of many, these recruitment offices were a network for human trafficking. Also we are at fault for the manner by which we treat our staff. It angers the countries where all these workers are coming from.

The newly formed companies should be the legal and moral exit because they will not use labor for human trafficking; instead they will contract out their services just like companies providing the services of security guards.



These companies will be responsible for the medical insurance of the domestic workers and will also be responsible for replacing them if they are found unsuitable. I recommend that these companies set up reconciliation offices to deal with a host of problems that might arise between domestic workers and their employers.



These companies will also be responsible of guaranteeing the salaries of the workers.



What is important to many families are the fees to rent the services of the helpers, the quality of their services and whether these new recruitment companies remain reliable or not.



There should be strict rules to govern this entities and protect both the employer and the workers, the absence of which would mean that nothing has changed.