Sorry but this is just not true about the US and help there. Maybe old money generational wealth people will treat their help like crap, but they tend to treat everyone like crap.
I lived out West and would often times get someone to clean my place, because I just don't possess that skill set.
Almost always these were Mexican workers, and sometimes didn't speak english. Almost always they did a great job, or at least were trying to, and I would compensate them accordingly, usually giving twice what they asked for. I always found them extremely appreciative. One woman, from Mexico that barely spoke English would stay through lunch so I would bring her a sub, and I noticed she was not eating it. I'm quite sure she was saving it to take home and share, so I started bringing 2 subs back. What I got in return was her trying to make sure everything was perfect - I begged her not to do my laundry, but at times she would still try, ruining some things, but I knew it was out of effort.
When I had my move out cleaning she stayed there to make sure they couldn't charge me, and I'm sure I was the first one they never charged for something. Right there she saved me several hundred dollars.
Same language difference, from a supposed "similar" culture/country, but totally different response. I never felt that the worker felt they could take more from me because I was being "nice". It's not even nice, just providing a fair exchange.
This stuff is unique to the DR on the scale you see it and with the mentality of lose-lose in every case.
Now that I am back working in the real world and people want to hear about the DR, when I tell them stories, they'll make suggestions as to how I should have tried to motivate. The response is always, tried that, but then they will choose to screw you in this way. I then get that look in the eyes with them realizing not all people are the same in what we thought were universal truths.
I'm not sure what you're referring to - I wasn't talking about help in the US at all. What I said is that those of us [MOST I'm sure] who didn't have full time household employees in the US may have a learning curve in DR.
I'm also not saying to treat your help in DR like crap, not sure where you got that from either. We treat ours very well, which is why they've been with us for YEARS. Many, many years. What we DON'T do is treat them like they're our friends or family. We maintain an employer/employee relationship.