Living
Domestic Help
It is very common for expats and locals alike to employ a full or part-time maid. The eight approved source countries for foreign domestic workers are Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. There are many maid agencies in Singapore that can provide you with a domestic helper while taking care of the details, including your maid’s work permit, insurance, travel arrangements, medical screening and security bond. The best way to find a maid is to ask for referrals from friends or colleagues for a reliable maid agency. Alternatively, you may be able to take over a maid from someone who no longer requires her services.
Sponsoring a Live-in Maid
Live-in full-time maids are quite common, especially for families with children. The obvious benefit is that your time, that might otherwise have been spent cleaning or minding your children, is freed up. The main drawback is that you will lose a degree of privacy, which isn’t always easy. A maid agency can short-list candidates for you to interview. It’s important to ask about childcare experience, English proficiency, cooking abilities and any other area that is relevant to your personal situation.
Wages for a live-in maid vary but you will probably have to pay a monthly salary of $300-500. In addition to this, you have to pay a monthly $345 levy to the government for hiring a foreign domestic worker. You are also obligated to pay for your maid’s mandatory medical check-up every six months, which costs about $50.
Foreign maids must obtain a work permit from the Ministry of Manpower but your maid agency will look after this. The agency will also provide a contract outlining the employee-employer relationship. As part of the work permit application process, the maid must complete a multiple choice test in English to check her numerical and literary skills. When your maid ceases her employment with you, her work permit will be cancelled and you will have to pay for her trip home. You also need to post a $5,000 bond with MOM, which you forfeit if you fail to pay for your maid’s return home upon the cancellation of her work permit.
Part-Time Domestic Help
If you don’t need a full-time maid you may want a part-time domestic worker to come in once a week or so to clean and do the ironing. Word of mouth is a good option as there are many maids in Singapore who are happy to take on a few extra hours of work per week for about $10 per hour. Ask around among your neighbours, friends and colleagues. Although it’s technically illegal for a live-in maid to be employed outside of her employer’s home, it’s a common practice and unlikely to cause a problem.
There are also many companies that offer part-time maid services on either a regular or ad hoc basis, starting at about $15-20 per person per hour (a company may send more than one person at a time to clean your place). Try Just Relax Home Service, Amahs on Wheels, or Homemaker.
