I felt so scared the morning I accidentally broke the beautiful candle stand which was a wedding gift for my employers while doing some cleaning. When they woke up I gathered some strength to tell them what happened and showed the smashed candlestand. In the evening when they returned home from work I again said sorry to them. My male employer said it is all right but his wife was really furious and kept nagging me. My male employer just told me to be careful next time. I wanted to replace it but could not find one that is the same as the one I accidentally broke. I told my employer that I will ask my husband to look for one in the Philippines but my employer said it is not necessary. I know my lady employer was angry because it was their wedding gift. I felt so remorseful. Thank God they did not terminate me.
— Natalie Jane Allado
My biggest mistake was throwing away the box my male employer left outside our door and it was too late that I learned that he only left it there for a delivery man to pick it up. I threw away a suit he borrowed from a friend. For this he reprimanded me and next time if I commit the same mistake he will deduct money from my salary. My fault was that I did not ask my employer about the box and just disposed it. I learned a lesson to double check first before throwing anything away.
— Mara Cachapero
I left my then three-months-old ward asleep in the room while I went outside to throw away the garbage. The door got locked and I didn’t have the key inside my pocket. I called my employer and luckily my male employer’s office was near our place. He immediately came home. In the evening they asked how come I had my phone in my pocket but not the key. They asked me not to do that again. They didn’t get angry at me, and my female employer said that it had already happened and to be angry at me was useless. I am thankful that they gave me a chance. I am still working here with them for almost eight years now.
— Maria Angelina Catindig
I forgot to turn off the stove and left the house at 11.30am to bring my youngest ward to school. I could not return home at once as I needed to pick up his second brother from school at 1.00pm and the eldest at 1.20pm. At around 1.10pm my male employer sent a chat message looking for me because the police came to the house to check the source of some smoke from our kitchen. My lady employer also called me up asking me to go home immediately. When I arrived home some police officers were already inside the house. They asked me to sign some papers and left. I felt my strength gone when I saw the kitchen. I am so thankful to God that the damage was not big and it was discovered in the nick of time so the house and our neighborhood was spared from fire. Only the pot, the curtains and the clothes I laundered were burnt. I was really crying. My boss told me luckily the damage was not that big. I am thankful that my employer did not terminate me. They even consoled me and said we were blessed that no one got hurt. But I learned a tough lesson from this incident.
— Editha Guevarra
I washed the business suit of sir which should only be dry-cleaned. He put that suit together in a laundry basket and I did not see the tag that mentioned for dry-cleaning only. When my lady employer saw I hand-washed it, she told me her husband will be angry because that was an expensive suit. True enough for when my male employer saw it, he was furious and even uttered a cursing word. I was afraid that they would terminate me immediately or ask me to pay for it. I kept on saying sorry and could not utter other words because I was really nervous and scared out of my wits. When my employers saw how scared I was, my male employer finally gave me a smile and warned me next time to be careful. Then he told me the price of the suit was 30,000 Hong Kong dollars. I was lucky that they are nice people who would forgive me.
— Elin Lluvido
I have worked with my present employer for 30 years. Our work may look simple and easy but it is in fact hard and tough. Yet I cannot recall a mistake in my work that made my employer really angry. But I think I can share some tips to avoid big mistakes. We have to regard our employer’s home as our own family, and work with love, prayers, and concentration. It is also important to have a good emotional and physical health and not to let personal problems disturb our work. Have a positive mood no matter what happens so that it is easier for you to enjoy your work every day with full energy.
— Beatriz Rodulfa
