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.

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.

Domestic Helper Eligibility in Singapore: What Employers Need to Know

 Are you looking for a new domestic helper? Or do you want to hire a transfer maid? The employment of foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Singapore is regulated by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The ministry has set strict regulations regarding hiring a maid as well as eligibility criteria for employers before they can hire one. As an employer, you must be 21 years old or above and not be bankrupt. You must understand and discharge your responsibilities as an employer. First-time employers must attend an Employer Orientation Programme before applying for a helper. MOM has listed some requirements that determine who is eligible to work as a foreign domestic worker in the country. So if you are thinking about hiring a maid, you must know if your maid is eligible to work in Singapore.

Domestic Helper Eligibility in Singapore

A domestic worker is given a work permit in Singapore only when:

• The maid is female and between 23 and 50 years old at the time of applying for a Work Permit.

• The maid is a citizen of approved countries, including the Philippines, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand.

• The maid has at least eight years of formal education and proof to show it

First-Time Domestic Workers

• MOM considers first-time domestic workers as the persons who have no FDW employment record with Work Pass Division.

• Or they have an FDW employment record with MOM but they didn’t come to work in Singapore.

• First-time FDWs need to attend MOM’s Settling-In Programme for work permit approval.

Employers MUST NOT Hire Domestic Workers Who Are:

• Employers cannot hire domestic workers who are on a tourist visa. If you hire a maid who is working in Singapore on a tourist visa, you will have to pay a fine of S$5,000 to S$30,000, undergo imprisonment of up to 1 year, or both.

• You cannot employ workers whose work permit is sponsored by another employer. The penalties and punishment are the same as mentioned above.

• You could be liable to heavy penalties if you hire a maid who has overstayed in Singapore after her work permit expired.

Additional Things You Must Know

Whether you hire a maid through a domestic helper agency or directly, the FDW should be employed at your registered home address (as stated in the National Registration Identity Card) and she should not be related to you. The maid should not be in Singapore when applying for the work permit. The maid arrives in Singapore when you get the in-principle approval and buy a S$5,000 security bond. Your helper must not work on a part-time basis somewhere else when being employed at your home.

Conclusion

The best way to hire an eligible maid without any hassle is to contact the best maid agency in Singapore. When you hire a maid through a domestic helper agency, you don’t have to worry about eligibility, paperwork, and other factors. The agency takes care of everything for you and helps you hire the best one for your needs.

Contact the best maid agency to make hiring an eligible maid easier for you.

Top 5 Benefits of Hiring a Domestic Helper

Many people think twice before they hire a maid or cleaning agency for their household chores. You have so many things to take care of and you may not be able to clean your house everyday and maintain it the way you would want. But if you hire a helping hand for you and divide your task with them, you can enjoy a clean and organized house. Here are some benefits of hiring a maid:

• You get some extra time for yourself which you can spend with your friends or family members or just relax and grab a sound sleep. You can use that time to go out and pamper yourself, play with your kids or pursue that hobby that you always wanted to do to make yourself feel happy. If you are lucky enough to get the best maid agency, then you would not need to supervise everything as they train professionals to serve you with the best.

• You can create schedules with the helper for all the jobs to be completed so that you accomplish all your tasks in a timely manner. You can share your job expectations with the domestic helper agency to avoid any future disputes.

• You do not need to arrange for cleaning equipment or supplies to clean your toilets, bathrooms, kitchen shelves etc. The domestic helper agency you hire would arrange for the best cleaners and equipment for completing the service. If you are hiring a full-time helper, then opt for a trained professional as he/she comes equipped with all the skills and knowledge that is required to complete the job timely. They have trained and qualified professionals to clean your house. They exactly know how to perform their job and in the most efficient manner.

• The best part of hiring a cleaning agency is that you pay only for the services you need. You can select from their packages or customize and create your own cleaning plan. This not only saves a lot of money but also helps you to plan your expenses in advance.

• If you are lucky and you have partnered with the best maid agency, then you can breathe worry-free even in emergence situations. These professionals will help to take care of your child if they fall sick and you are required to attend an important meet at work. They can take care of things to ensure your kid’s safety, maintain health and hygiene at your home, or even arrange things for your family member or elders while you are away. They can be a source of emotional support and sigh of relief when you feel tied up in your work schedules.

Explore the web to know more about benefits of hiring house help and why it is important to have one!