Employing a Singapore Maid - What You Should Know

Most of us have probably already heard of the practice of Singaporean households of employing a Singapore maid. If you are living in Singapore, you should understand why you need one. You should also know what it will take before you can start employing a Singapore maid.

Reasons for Having a Maid

It is not uncommon for American households not to employ stay-in maids. The circumstances however may be a little different when it comes to Singaporean households.

In Singapore however, the culture and the standard of living will require a little more of your time and effort. Employing a Singapore maid will help ensure that you can focus well on your work and not lose even more energy on house work.

Agencies

Some employers go through the steps of employing a Singapore maid by themselves. It would save you a lot of trouble though if you contact a reputable agency. Licensed agencies have more experience in screening and providing qualified maid candidates.

You would therefore be assured of employing a Singapore maid who is truly qualified and experienced. Aside from this, agencies usually handle all the hassles and details related to insurance, bonds, work permits, travel details and medical check ups.

Where You Can Get a Maid

Employing a Singapore maid from any country is not entirely a valid option. You would have to hire a maid from one of the countries approved by the Ministry of Manpower. The approved countries are Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Malaysia. A licensed maid agency will only be allowed to screen maids from these countries.

Salary and Expenses

There are several factors that will determine how much you need to pay your domestic helper. These factors include your personal contract with your maid, the maid's work experience, duties to be performed, presence of children and the elderly and your home size. Employing a Singapore maid can cost you from $200-$500 a month. Although you have some freedom in agreeing how much you should pay your maid, some agencies have suggestions and guidelines for determining payment.

Aside from salaries, employing a Singapore maid would also mean that you would have to pay for several other required fees. Among the expenses that you would have to pay are the levy, security bond or insurance, initial medical check up fees, maid medical expenses and maid airfare. Agencies may have to charge fees of up to $900 to cover everything. Depending on your agreement with your maid, you might also have to pay for leave expenses once a year.