Paying Salary to Your Foreign Domestic Worker: When and How

In today’s busy lifestyles and changing needs, the majority of Singaporean families hire foreign domestic workers to help them with their household chores or take care of their children or elderly parents. Hiring a domestic worker through the best maid agency is a convenient way to complete the hiring process quickly and easily. If you’re hiring a maid for the first time, you must know the maid salary regulations in Singapore to avoid issues in the future. Read this blog to know when and how to pay your maid.

What to consider when deciding on a salary

When deciding on an appropriate salary, employers must follow the minimum wage set by your domestic helper’s home country.

 

Country of Origin	Minimum Salary
Indonesia	$550
Philippines	$570
Myanmar	$450
Sri Lanka	$450

 

 

Apart from the minimum salary for a helper, living expenses should also be considered to decide if you can afford to hire a maid. If you hire a transfer maid in Singapore or an experienced candidate who has a specialised set of skills, you may have to pay more than a first-timer.

 As an employer, you must declare the salary amount to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and mention it on the employment contract. Explain everything to the maid and get the contract signed by her. Keep a signed copy of the contract with you and give one copy to your maid.

 When to pay salary to your domestic worker

Employers must credit the maid salary every month on the date specified in the agreement. The salary should not be less than what you declared to MOM. Maid salary should be credited directly to her bank, no later than 7 days from the specified salary date mentioned in the contract.

 How to pay salary to your domestic worker

Employers must help their domestic worker to open a bank account in Singapore, but they cannot open a joint account with the maid. MOM encourages employers to pay salary to their maid’s bank account directly. You can also pay via direct bank transfer if your maid requests you to do so.

 You can pay her salary in cash, but do keep a signed copy of the salary payment record, which you can produce to MOM when requested.

 As an employer, you cannot keep your maid’s bank book or bank card. You also cannot keep her money (or cash salary) with you, even if she asks you.

Things to know about maid’s salary raise

Employers should consider raising the salary of their domestic helpers on a periodic basis as a reward for their hard work and loyalty. The incentive you would provide to your maid will motivate her and help her to work even better.

Conclusion

Hiring a transfer maid in Singapore or a first-time maid is easy with the availability of MOM-approved maid agencies. Work with the best maid agency to hire a domestic worker and keep the aforementioned points in mind while deciding and paying salary to your maid.