Singapore Maid

Singapore maid - finding the right Singapore maid for your family may not be so easy due to the nature of the industry. However, if you do find the right maid for your family, it is really something to cheer about!

A maid in Singapore is what is commonly called an "ah-mah", "amah" or a domestic helper or a nanny. Many of them come from the Philippines and Indonesia to work in Singapore as a live-in domestic helper. Other countries of origin include Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. At the point of writing this article, there are about 150,000 maids working in Singapore.

If you have employed a maid in Singapore before, you probably don't have a very good experience with them. And, if you are a first-time employer, you probably heard a lot of "horror" stories from your friends and relatives.

Generally, people will blame the maid for not being able to perform their job well or that the Singapore maid agency did not do a good job in screening the candidates. But, if you really look into the matter, you will realize that the maid, the maid agency and you really want the whole matter to work out for everybody, don't you?

3 Main Singapore Maid Problems 

Based on my and other people's experience, Singapore maid problems are basically broken into 3 categories - miscommunication, character, and knowledge.

Sometimes, a Singapore maid cannot understand what are your needs. This is particularly so for Indonesian maids who tend to be weaker in English. And thus, they are unable to fulfil your needs. It is not that they cannot do so, but that they cannot understand exactly what you want.

On the other hand, there may be maids who simply refuse to listen to you and choose to do things their way. They generally have very strong character, and are not willing to change to your way of working. Conversely, there are other Singapore maids who are so quiet that a chatty employer may find it un-nerving.

Lastly, there are maids who are inexperienced in performing their assigned tasks. For instance, some of them may not be good with dogs, but are good with cleaning the house; or there are yet others who are very good in cooking, but are simply hopeless with the baby. In such a case, the employer would probably have to prioritize her needs.

The Worst Maid of All 

Oh yes, there can be another scenario - the worst of them all ;-) - they can't communicate, have an attitude problem and don't know a thing!

Sometimes, some employers are so frustrated with the maid, they decide not to employ a maid. But then, they realize that it is very difficult to have a good lifestyle without some help. Having to juggle work and take care of the children and their elderly parents at the same time is definitely not an easy task.

Having a maid makes life difficult, and not having one also makes life difficult - this situation is like the proverbial "between the devil and the deep blue sea".

The 2 Main Categories of Singapore Maids 

Here's a possible consideration: first, understand that there are fundamentally two categories of Singapore maids - new and transfer.

New maids are defined as maids who have never worked in Singapore before. Under the Singapore Ministry of Manpower ("MOM") regulations, such maids must be 23 years old and above, and they must have a minimum of 8 years of formal education. In addition, they must undergo a written test in English and they must also pass a medical examination before they qualify to work in Singapore.

Transfer maids are maids who are currently working in Singapore. They are termed transfer maids as they are transferring from one employer to another employer for various reasons (perhaps, they want a change of environment, or their employers are leaving Singapore, etc.). They are typically more experienced compared to the new maids. And, some of them may have worked in Singapore for 15 years or longer!

Considerations in Choosing a Singapore Maid 

Another consideration in choosing your maid include the following…

Typical new Singapore maids are generally stationed at the Singapore maid agency's overseas training center (be it in the Philippines or Indonesia or some other countries). As a result of this, you cannot interview them face to face. However, you can make a choice based on your evaluation of their bio-data. Nevertheless, certain agencies may allow a phone interview or a conversation over the Internet.

As for the transfer Singapore maids, you can typically interview them face to face. Some Singapore maid agencies will even encourage you to talk to their ex-employers so that you can check references.

Ultimately, getting the right Singapore maid for your family depends on your needs, and there are certainly some trade-offs.

New Singapore maids are typically harder to teach since they are inexperienced. The positive point is that they are likely to be less demanding in terms of their employment package, and they generally don't require day offs. (Note that under the new Singapore Ministry of Manpower regulations you would have to compensate them for their day-offs if they are working on those days.)

Transfer Singapore maids are likely to be easier to teach since they are experienced helpers. However, they would tend to demand all Sundays off and a higher monthly salary. Some of them may be "too smart for their own good" since they are experienced.

In conclusion, getting the best Singapore maid for your family requires much consideration and decision making. First, decide on your needs, and then, match the right Singapore maid to your needs.

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