Things To Know In Hiring A Domestic Helper In Singapore

Are you planning to hire a domestic helper? Having a full-time maid to help with various household chores like cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry, ironing and childcare can be a blessing to those families with children. While it seems easy to find someone who can do all the chores at home, there are important things you should know in hiring a foreign domestic helper in Singapore.

The Cost

Some employers only require part-time maids who can work once to twice a week and can be hired independently or through an agency. Mostly, part-time maids are hired by employers who are single or couples who don’t have children and are available for between $10 and $20 per hour.

Other employers prefer to hire full-time, live-in maids for a certain period of time, usually based on the contract. Full-time maids can be hired for as low as $450 per month, although the salary varies depending on the agency or the level of experience. Aside from the monthly salary, employers are also required to pay a monthly levy to the Singaporean government and a security bond of $5,000. Moreover, employers are also responsible for providing accommodation, food, insurance and medical care for their maids, in addition to the hiring costs, transfer costs and annual bonus.

Responsibility Of First-Time Employer

First-time employers should complete an Employer’s Orientation Programme (EOP) by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), which involves taking an online course for $30 or attending in person for $20. The EOP is a 3-hour programme that will help the employers fully understand their role and responsibilities as employers of a foreign domestic helper. First-time employers must complete the programme at least 2 working days prior to submitting the Work Permit application. This programme is also required to employers who have changed workers frequently. First-time employers can check out the website of MOM for more information regarding EOP.

Maid Agencies Help Find Maids

Searching for a domestic helper in Singapore has been made less complicated with the help a maid agency. There are so many maid agencies available right now that can provide qualified candidates and can assist in every process involved in hiring a maid, from the selection to permit application. However, employers should only work with accredited maid agencies that can be found on the website of MOM otherwise, employing a maid through an unlicensed agency may get you in big trouble.

Be sure to select a reputable agency to help you. MOM website provides basic information regarding the agency as well as the important information regarding the service standard of the employment agencies. In some agencies, you can have an initial interview of your desired foreign domestic helper even though she is not yet in Singapore, through a webcam or telephone.

Countries To Employ Maids

Employers can only hire foreign domestic helpers from the MOM approved sources of countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and the Philippines. Filipino and Myanmar maids are two of the popular choices among local employers due to certain reasons. Many employers prefer Filipinos since they can be more fluent in English, which allows them to communicate better. Meanwhile, the greatest benefit of choosing Myanmar maids is the fact that they cost lesser compared to the Filipino.

Rest Days

Employers must provide regular rest days to their maids to ensure that the domestic helper gets enough physical and mental rest. Both employer and maid should mutually agree on which day of the week she can take a rest day. This can be put into a written agreement to avoid disputes.