Najla Saad Left her Worker Undocumented for 13 Years
Glencia worked for Najla Saad for 18 years. She was undocumented for 13 of those years. She returned home to the Philippines in a coffin.
Glencia
Najla Saad
THE STORY
Glencia (also known as Auntie Ellen), was a Filipino woman who worked for Najla Saad for 18 years starting from 2001. Her salary was $250 per month.
Glencia worked for Najla Saad for 18 years. She was undocumented for 13 of those years. She returned home to the Philippines in a coffin.
Najla’s husband was Mustafa Saad, a well-known political figure in Sidon who had lost his own sight as a result of being attacked during the civil war. He died in 2002. Najla and her husband helped establish a national eye bank, which provides free cornea transplant operations. Najla is well known for her philanthropy, though in this case it seems her charity didn't extend to her longstanding employee.
In late November 2018, Glencia became ill, and was taken to the public hospital, where she stayed for three nights. Three weeks later her symptoms returned.
Glencia was diagnosed as having had a stroke. The hospital discharged her, but she was seriously ill. She subsequently lost control of her bowels, her speech, and her ability to walk.
Glencia had a daughter who also works in Sidon, but throughout this period, Najla allegedly refused to let her daughter visit her very ill mother.
Glencia's daughter took her to Labib Private Hospital, but the hospital allegedly wouldn’t admit her because Najla refused to pay. The daughter then took her back to the public hospital.
After her release from the hospital, Najla reportedly tried to use her connections to get her employee back to the Philippines, but Glencia was refused permission to travel and she was returned to Najla’s house.
Glencia passed away at 6.30am on 8 January, 2019, after her employer of 18 years allegedly refused to pay her medical bills.
Her body was repatriated on 19 January. Her daughters declined to make a video because they are afraid – they are still working in Lebanon.
Maybe if Najla had renewed Glencia’s working documents, she would have had access to better medical treatment and would not have passed away as a result.
She might have been able to travel back to the Philippines. If Glencia’s daughters worked in a country where domestic workers were covered by the labour laws, they would be able to bring a legal case against Najla. But this is Lebanon.
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