How Can You Hire a Second Maid in Singapore

 According to the Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM), nearly a quarter of a million households in Singapore hire domestic helpers. Sometimes one maid is not enough. Most households are unique in their needs. Some Singaporeans may need only one maid to take care of their household chores, while other households may need two domestic helpers to look after their young children or elderly parents as well as daily chores.

It is easy to hire a domestic helper through the best maid agency in Singapore. However, MOM approves an employer’s application to hire a helper. Your application will be accepted only if you meet certain requirements, such as you must be at least 21 years old, a resident of Singapore, must not be a bankrupt, and must possess a steady income.

Can you hire a second FDW?

Taking care of children, elderly parents, or people with disabilities is a 24/7 job. If you and your spouse are working full-time, you need a second maid to give an extra pair of hands to your first maid when it comes to housework. A domestic helper needs to work almost all the time to look after the daily needs of an aged family member or children. A helper cannot take care of household chores and elderly parents or children at the same time. She needs to rest and recharge. Two helpers are suitable when you have someone over 60 years of age living with you or if you have two or more children under 18 years of age.

In Singapore, you can apply for a second foreign domestic worker (FDW) and send the application to MOM. Your application will be assessed on your financial ability to hire, maintain, and keep more than one FDW.

Eligibility to hire a second FDW

You can hire a second maid if you have one of the followings:

• At least 2 children below 18 years old living with you.

• A parent or parent-in-law aged 60 years and above.

How to apply for a second FDW?

Engaging a maid agency in Singapore is the best way to hire another helper for your needs. An employment agency (EA) can help you select the right fit for your caring needs. You will save some time and can avoid all the troubles that come with hiring paperwork. Ask your maid agency in Singapore to submit a Work Permit application on your behalf and provide the EA the following documents:

• A copy of the children's birth certificates.

• A copy of the parent's or parent-in-law's identity cards and the employer's or spouse's birth certificate.

Conclusion

Hiring a domestic helper should be contemplated carefully. If you are financially stable, meet the eligibility criteria, and really need two maids for your household, you can easily hire a second FDW. Contact the best maid agency in Singapore to get started. Interview maids for your needs, finalise one maid, and ask the agency to acquire the work permit of your domestic worker by providing necessary documents.

How to Save Money When Hiring a Maid in Singapore

 In Singapore, there are 255,800 foreign domestic workers (FDWs) being employed by expats and Singaporeans. This means one in five households in the country hires a domestic helper. Hiring a maid is costly if you add up the expenses, from agency fee, placement fee, maid salary, levy, insurance to living costs. In this blog, we will tell you a few tips to save money when hiring a domestic worker.

1. Contact a reliable maid agency
Working with a reliable maid agency will actually help you save money in the entire process. A trustworthy agency will provide you the best maid based on your needs and budget. The agency will take care of everything, from scheduling interviews, paperwork, to selecting the best insurance for your maid. If your maid agency is not able to match you with the best maid as per your requirements, you will end up paying early termination and rehiring costs. You must select the most reputed maid agency, and to do that, check for the employment agency’s (EA) track record and licence number in the EA directory at the Ministry of Manpower website.

2. Check for levy concession
Employers are required to pay maid levy for employing one FDW. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) uses this pricing mechanism to regulate the number of FDWs coming to Singapore. As a Singapore citizen, you are eligible for levy concession if you have a young child below the age of 16 years, an elderly person who is at least 67 years old, or a person with a disability (PWD) at your home. The concessionary rate for one helper is SGD 60 per month if the employer meets the above criteria. You may qualify for a Home Care giving Grant of SGD 200 if you have a PWD who needs assistance for 3 or more activities of daily living (ADL).

3. Hire a transfer maid
Transfer maids have experience working in Singapore. They have the necessary skills, expertise, and experience that you need in a helper. Hiring a new maid involves a long and costly process. Also, they don't have any experience working in Singaporean households. The cost of hiring a transfer maid is cheaper than a new maid. Hiring a new maid involves work permit fees, transportation fees, fees for mandatory MOM courses, and other expenses. If you want to save money, hire a transfer maid in Singapore.

4. Foreign maid levy relief
Married women, divorcees, and widows with school-going children are given foreign domestic worker levy relief. They can claim twice the foreign domestic worker levy paid in the previous year. This scheme has been introduced to encourage women to continue working. Single women and married men are not eligible for this tax relief.

Conclusion
Whether you will be hiring a maid in Singapore for the first time or looking to change your current maid, the above-mentioned tips will help you save costs during and after the hiring process. Hire a transfer maid through a good agency and claim for levy concession and levy relief if you are eligible. 

If you need to hire a maid now, contact Best Housekeeper for a more quick and fuss-free experience.

Hiring a Maid in Singapore: Jobs That You Can Ask Her To Do

Singapore is a country that offers a high level of employment to foreign domestic workers. There are many families where both partners work and they need an extra hand to help them with their daily chores or take care of children. Hiring a maid in Singapore is the best option if you and your spouse are working professionals and don’t have enough time to take care of your house. If you’re hiring a domestic helper for the first, work with the best maid agency to know the employment laws and rules and regulations you need to follow as an employer. Check out below to know the jobs a maid can do at your home.

Employment laws for hiring a maid

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has introduced the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA) that sets the conditions for employing a maid in Singapore, employer’s responsibilities and obligations, maid salary, rest day entitlement, upkeep and maintenance costs, insurance coverage, medical treatment as well as the scope of maids’ duties.

Understanding the scope of maid’s duties

• A maid is allowed to work at the address mentioned in her Work Permit. She is not allowed to work at any other location or for any other person.

• As an employer, you should not allow your maid to work part-time for anyone. You will be held responsible if your helper is found to be involved in part-time work. Employers are penalised or barred from future applications for a domestic maid.

• A maid can only do household work and take care of your children or elderly parents. She can do cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, grocery shopping, and taking care of children, elderly parents or pets.

• FDWs are not allowed to perform car washing, gardening, tutoring kids, and repairing work.

• Employers must not engage maids in their business. Helpers can only work at your house and do your household chores.

• Employers should provide training and enroll their maids in cooking, medical training, or similar classes if they want her to improve her skills.

• An employer must work with the best maid agency to prepare an employment contract that mentions the duties a maid is responsible for. The contract should also mention her salary, rest days, notice period, and other details.

Conclusion

Hiring a maid in Singapore is the perfect solution for saving yourself some time from tiring household duties. Understanding the scope of a maid’s duties and your responsibilities as an employer will help you create a better relationship with your helper. You must foster two-way communication to understand the needs of your maid and provide her a safe working condition.