Guide to Hiring Domestic Helpers/Maids in Singapore

Need domestic help? Where do we begin?

Yeah I finally put an end to my procrastination and completed the e-learning course on Foreign Domestic Worker Employer's Orientation Program. (you may apply and take the course here, will cost you about $30: http://www.sp.edu.sg)

In case you are wondering what that is, it is a compulsory course/certification that first time employers in Singapore have to go through before being allowed to hire a foreign domestic helper. You would need to do this before you can even apply a work permit for your helper.

After much consideration and debate, my husband and I decided to engage a helper to look after the baby when I return to work from my maternity leave. I will list the pros and cons of different childcare options in another post.

Anyway below is my version of  "Engaging Helpers for Dummies in Singapore":

1. Look for a reliable maid agency. (drop me a note if you want to know mine.)
Once you decided to engage a helper, look for a reliable agency. The easiest way is to ask friends and family who are currently having a helper and are happy with both agency and their domestic help.

2. Know what you want in a helper.
Go down to the maid agency and brief your agent on your requirements for the helper. She will then pass you a couple of resumes that match your criteria. Upon selection, she will arrange for interviews with your shortlisted candidates.

For our case, my husband and I want a helper who is married, aged above 30 and have children. We also want her to have a couple years of working experience and be able to speak english well.

3. Interview prospective helpers.
When interviewing the helpers, list down your priorities and see how each candidate reacts. Be very specific on what is important to you.

For our case, our priorities are a.taking care of newborn baby b.cooking c.domestic chores. We also asked the helpers on their willingness to wake up in the middle of the night to look after the baby in case I can't cope. Some helpers flinched at the thought of waking up at night, some were concerned about the cooking, etc. We are also willing to give our helper a day off weekly.

4. Make your final choice.
Once you interviewed a multiple of helpers, you would have fancy one or two among all the rest. Choose carefully and both parties( helper and yourself) should raise any concerns before proceeding. Let your agent know your choice and she will compile all the paper work that you have to sign or submit.

Now you are wondering, what's the cost of engaging a helper?
Monthly Salary Range: $400 - $600
Helpers without experience usually start at $400-$450 while helpers with experience can range from $500 onwards.
Monthly Levy: $265 (normal), $170 (concession, for e.g: if your child is Singaporean and below 12)
One-time Agency Fee: About $680 ~
Helper's Insurance: $241- $321 (last for 2 years and varies depending on package)

Additional Fees(Avg) for Hiring New MaidsIndonesian: 
Bond/Loan- Approx 2.2K (this is the amount your new maid owns you)
Agency Fee- Approx 1.6 k (paid by employer)
Philipinos:
Bond/Loan- Approx 2.8k - 3k (this is the amount your new maid owns you)
Agency Fee- Approx $788 (paid by employer)

The documents required for processing of application for the helper are :

(x) Photocopy of employer and spouse's I/C

(x) Children's birth cert

(x) Current or previous year Income tax's notice of assessment from IRAS

My Hiring Outcome
So after interviewing both Filipina and Indonesian helpers, we settled on a 37 years old Indonesian helper who has two children of her own and 9 years of working experience. She is able to communicate in English well and confident in cooking Asian/Chinese dishes. She doesn't mind waking up in the middle of the night and is also flexible in her weekly day off (not necessarily Sunday).

Meanwhile, one mother from a forum recommends this site for reference:
http://singaporemaid.blogspot.sg/2007/07/selecting-maid.html

Side Note
Here's also an example of our house rules- you may want to have your own version and run through it with your new employee. We think it is good to set the expectations right from the start.