While for many, maid services may seem like a luxury, but it can be a blessing in disguise, especially when you’re juggling between your job, kids, and household chores. Having an extra pair of hands really helps especially when you have young children, or need to prepare a meal, or keep the house and dust free.
In Singapore, there are nearly 700 maid agencies that place full-time domestic workers to families (part-time cleaning services work differently and are not subject to the same rules). In many cases, employers turn to a maid agency to help them coordinate with a domestic helper and then do the paperwork below. However, a growing trend is that employers are hired directly, thereby saving costs for themselves and their maids.
Hiring maid without going through an agency can be a risky and paperwork-stained process. Luckily, there are maid agencies today who are dedicated to testing trustworthy maids.
However, choosing a maid can be a bit daunting. Therefore, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with some important:
More information about maid agencies?
Maid agencies in Singapore have to be accredited by the Ministry of Labor. The agency must apply for a license to conduct its operation in Singapore. Upon granting a license, employers can review the performance of a work agency on the Ministry’s website.
Any maid agency that violates one of their terms will be given detrimental points. An agency with 12 or more points will be monitored for at least 12 months. If an agency has less than 12 points, its points will be deleted after 12 months. In the case of grave offenses such as maid abuse or illegal placements, your license will be revoked immediately.
Check your credentials
You can check if they have ISO certification or if they are registered with (MOM) in Singapore. Also, go through the website in detail and see how many employees they have, how long they are in operation, whether they have uniforms, etc. – such details can help you determine if they are really experienced. Look for a real physical address with a landline number. If possible, come over.
Beware of the testimonies and reviews they have on their websites. You can search for feedback or use comparison pages in popular forums. Friends and other people in your apartments or condominium for referrals.
What are some of the services they offer
Different maids offer different services. Most of them offer vacuuming, dusting, cleaning, ironing, and laundry. Some offer full-time girls, others offer part-timers, others offer both. You can get maid service daily, weekly or monthly. Many Singapore-based agencies also offer special one-time cleaning services, such as After-parties or for deep cleaning. This is more a spring cleaning than a lighter daily cleaning. You could even get maids for certain one-time tasks like washing windows. Some also send in extra staff to assist you at parties.
Use the service of a Maid Agency
You can use a licensed agency in Singapore. All licensed agencies will receive a license number, which you can access through the MOM website. The cleaning office will clearly inform you about the breakdown of charges and costs.
Select your desired service profile
The agency will give you the bio-data of the maids available for employment. You can browse through their bio-data and select some that you think will best suit your needs. An agency can arrange an interview with your desired foreign workers via webcam or telephone, even if they are not in Singapore. You must make an appointment with the cleaning company to arrange a job interview.
Apply for a work permit for the maid
The cleaning company will process and apply for the required work permit and paperwork with MOM on your behalf. Note that all employers are required to take out accident insurance for their maid. The agency will do all this on your behalf and is usually included in their service packages
Documentation, pick-up of the cleaning lady from the airport and medical examination. This is usually done by the cleaning company. All first maids must attend a one-day orientation program within 3 days of arrival in Singapore. The Settling In Program (SIP) helps educate them about safety precautions and life in Singapore.
Documentation with MOM must be completed within 14 days of arrival, and the fingerprint and photographing must be completed within 7 days of the submission of the work permit card. If all goes well, the maid can pick up her work permit card within a week.
Salary and costs
There are several factors that determine how much you need to pay your domestic helper. These factors include your personal contract with your maid, the maid’s work experience, the tasks to be performed, the presence of children and the elderly, and the size of your home. Hiring a maid in Singapore costs you between $ 200 and $ 500 a month. Although you are reasonably agreed on how much you need to pay your maid, some agencies have suggestions and guidelines for determining payment.
Apart from the salaries, hiring a maid in Singapore would also mean you have to pay several other required fees. The costs you should pay include the levy, the security or insurance, the initial medical exam fees, the maid service charge, and the maid service charge. Agencies may need to charge fees of up to $ 900 to cover everything. Depending on your agreement with your maid, you may also have to pay holiday expenses once a year.
Participation in the employee orientation program
You must take part in a three-hour Employer Orientation Program (EOP) when you hire a maid for the first time. This program helps you to understand your role and responsibility as a maid’s employer. While attending the program online it would cost you $ 40 while the classroom EOP is around $ 28- $ 30.
Why are there differences in the fees for the maid services for employers?
If you would like to involve an office worker to process documents, you will find that different charges apply. There is no fixed price as the market is free and unrestricted. However, service providers’ fees can sometimes be “too good to be true”. It usually costs $ 800 to $ 1,400 to place a helper and process papers in Singapore.
If a maid agency announces an agency fee of less than $ 100, or even free, be aware that the agency must somehow catch up. If you find a particularly cheap package, you’ll find out how much the agency bills the maid, and have in mind that high placement fees can put domestic workers into debt.
How much can maid agencies charge foreign domestic workers?
According to the Singaporean maid agencies, foreign domestic workers are only allowed to pay a monthly salary for a maximum of two years for each year, according to the work permit (ie a maximum of two months’ salary). This fee cap includes all fees paid by the agency used in the helper’s home country.
If the employer terminates the contract, the agency must reimburse part of the fees paid. In the case of a visa extension, the domestic worker should not have to incur any fees because there is no actual “mediation”. The same applies if you hire a helper directly.
Remember that a domestic helper who has to work for months without income is not highly motivated. She’s probably moved to Singapore to take care of her family, and she could be very worried that she will not – especially if her family expects her to send money regularly from home. Especially when agencies charge high fees, a direct hiring is the fairest option for helpers.
Check if you are performing background checks
The great worry of leaving a stranger in your house ensures that he does not disappear with some precious family items. Or, worse, treat your children badly, as has happened many times. Talk to the agency to find out what type of check-ups they have performed on each candidate. Usually, the good maids are thoroughly in the background as they have a good reputation. The fear is when you inspire it and hire a girl alone.
Rules and regulations for any Foreign Domestic Worker in Singapore
-The employer must be at least 21 years old.
-Must not be declared bankrupt.
-You have the intellectual capacity to fully understand and fulfill your responsibilities as an employer.
-Have the financial ability to rent, service and maintain the FDW in acceptable accommodation (pending approval from MOM).
Check what guarantees or conditions they offer
Beware of the maid agencies that run away from their responsibilities. Check with them if they will send a replacement if their maid gets sick or does not show up and how fast. For full-time girls, the agency usually replaces a maid within the contract usually a yearly. If you are satisfied with a part-timer, you should at the same time check whether he can reappoint the same person. Check if they have after sales services- some agencies will call you regularly to make sure you are satisfied with your maid and vice versa.