Police nabbed a Filipino household service worker (HSW) at a school on Thursday after she had escaped from her employer in Alkhobar. The worker, who had worked as a housemaid and nanny, had been dropped off at the school by a limousine driver.

She had earlier called Arab News for help and was referred to the Philippine Overseas Workers Welfare in the Eastern Region (POLO-ERO).

Labor Attache Alex Padaen told Arab News Wednesday night that POLO’s welfare officers would visit her and that they would get in touch with the HSW’s agency in the Kingdom, but the police arrived at the school ahead of the welfare officers.

“When we arrived at the school, the police had just left with the run-away HSW,” a welfare officer told Arab News over the phone from Alkhobar.

The welfare officer added that the police would call the employer for negotiations between the two parties.

“The HSW won’t be forced to return to her employer and the police would endorse the latter’s case to the Saudi Social Welfare Administration (SWA),” the welfare officer told Arab News on Thursday.

According to the staff of the school, the run-away HSW left her employer because she couldn’t cope with the work at the house.

“She said she had to do everything — from cleaning a three-story house to washing and taking care of a child,” the school staff said. They were also surprised how the police learned that a run-away HSW was in the school premises.

They believed, however, that it was the agency who had informed the police.

The HSW had earlier told this reporter that she had signed a contract for a SR1,500 monthly salary, which is the minimum wage under the new Philippine-Saudi labor agreement. She was also entitled to a day off.

“However, I was not told that I would have to clean the three-story house myself. I also did not have a day off,” she said.

She arrived in the Kingdom only last month and received half of her monthly recently.

The welfare officers said that they’d find her. The HSW, who has a daughter and a husband, had earlier worked in Dubai.