How to select a maid in Singapore

A maid is supposed to be a helper. However, if you do not choose carefully, the maid can become a headache instead of becoming a helper.

If cost is the top priority, then you may want to go for myanmar maid as the minimum salary of myanmar maid is the lowest among three popuplar choice - myanmar maid, indonesian maid and filipino maid. In one example that i know, the employer just pay $500 a month to get a myanmar maid who also works on weekend without any rest.

Of course, basic salary is just one part of the cost. As a employer, you will have to pay for the food, utility, air tickets to and from their home countries, accomodation and toiletry. 

For Filipino maid, the cost will be much higher, the current minimum salary is $550 with 4 rest day in a week.

For some employers, health condition of the maid is very important for a few reasons. First, in many households, maid will be asked to take care of elderly who may wake up at the night and need some form of help in the wee hours. The maid needs to in good health condition to handle the situation.

Furthermore, it is expensive to see doctor in Singapore if the maid is sick or hospitalized, the cost will be incurred by the employer. Although there is insurance to help, employer may still be needed to pay a significant amount.

Lastly, many maids are required to handle baby who have a week immune system. If the maid is not healthy, the maid may pass the disease to the baby.

Some parents have highlighted that some of the maid have dental issue. This has cost many employers hundred or thousands of dollars as this part is usually not covered by insurance. 

Language is also a problem. It is important for maid to understand employer’s expectation and what employer want. If the employer cannot understand it, conflict may arise. In many situation, this is the root cause of abuse of maid that occurred in Singapore. 

In general, filipino maid may be better in communicating in English. A check on wikipedia shows that the percentage of population in the Philippine that is able to communicate in English is much higher than the other two countries Myanmar and Indonesia.

Lastly, family status of a maid is also a factor to be considered. For us who needs the maid to look after our children, we select a maid who is married with children. We need someone who has the experience in handling the children. 

Source: how to select a maid