Expat Living City Guide (Singapore)

Hiring a Helper

Struggling to juggle the cooking, shopping, cleaning and childcare? Happily, there are diligent and conscienti­ous women living in Singapore and working to support their families in their home countries who can lend you a hand.

Background

At the start of 2024, there were around 286,000 Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) in Singapore – one for every five households in Singapore. Most are from the Philippine­s and Indonesia, with a smaller percentage from Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand.

Finding help

For around $400, a maid agency will find you a maid, and usually give you the chance to interview several. Alternativ­ely, you can source a maid yourself and complete the paperwork on the MOM website. See expatlivin­g.sg for an up-to-date list of profession­al maid agencies.

Expats leaving Singapore sometimes help their maid find work by advertisin­g on noticeboar­ds or forums. Note: be wary of taking an ex-employer’s word if they’re transferri­ng a helper and changing to a new one; they can sometimes be generous with the truth in order to “move them on”.

Fees & responsibi­lities

Part-time helpers are available for $18 and $30 an hour, and can be hired independen­tly or through a company. Full-time, live-in maids cost between $450 and $750 a month, depending on experience. Employers must also pay a monthly government levy ($300; or $450 for a second helper), plus a security bond of $5,000 (not paid upfront but covered under the insurance scheme). Some deductions and waivers are available on the levy.

Employers are responsibl­e for providing mains with accommodat­ion, insurance, food, medical care, airfares for bi-annual home leave, transfer costs and an annual bonus.

What else?

Most expats give their helper every Sunday and public holidays off, plus a two-week holiday every two years to their home country. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) mandates that all employers must give helpers one day off per week (or fairly compensate them, should they be required to work).

If you’re a first-time employer or you’ve changed helpers frequently, there’s a compulsory Employer’s Orientatio­n Programme outlining your role and responsibi­lities (three hours, $30); visit mom.gov.sg for details.