FAQ

Most maid agencies provide comprehensive services to assist you in employing a maid. A maid agency usually takes all the hassles of Work Permit application, security bond, insurance, travel arrangement, medical screening, etc. away from you. However, please check with individual maid agency for their pricing, service package and details.

The most updated list of license maid agencies in Singapore is maintained by MOM (Ministry of Manpower)

Employers are required to purchase personal accident insurance coverage for the maid, the minimum sum insured is $10,000. You can purchase such insurance with various options at the following:

Augaries Insurance 116 Lavender Street #02-05 Pek Chuan Building Singapore 338730 Tel: 6293-6232

Anda Insurance Agencies Pte Ltd 60 Eu Tong Sen Street #01-13/14 Furama Hotel & Shopping Centre Singapore 059804 Tel: 6534-2288

NTUC Income Insurance Cooperative Ltd 75 Bras Basah Road NTUC Income Centre Singapore 189557 Tel: 6336-3322

Offenses committed by Employers (Extracted from MOM Guide)

In March 2002, an employer received a five-year jail term for abusing her19-year-old FDW. For over 20 days, the employer scalded the FDW with boiling water, poked her thighs with a pair of scissors and hit the back of her head with the back of a chopper.

In July 2002, an employer who physically abused his FDW and caused her death was sentenced to 18 years in prison and 12 lashes of the cane. At her death, the FDW was found to have multiple scars and injuries.

In July 2006, an employer was fined $2,000 for asking her FDW to climb and prune a 6-metre mango tree in her yard.

In October 2004, an employer who failed to pay her FDW for almost two years was fined $3,000. She was also ordered by the court to pay her FDW the outstanding salary owed to her, which amounted to $3,580.

In September 2006, an employer instructed her FDW to climb out of the window of her 18th storey apartment and stand on a narrow ledge to clean the windows. The employer was convicted for breach of the Work Permit Conditions and fined $3,500.

In September 2005, an employer deployed her FDW to help out at her food stall from 10am to 6pm from Monday to Friday. The FDW’s duties at the stall included serving customers, collecting money from customers and packing food. The employer was charged for illegal deployment and fined $3,000. Her security deposit of $5,000 was also forfeited.

In February 2006, an FDW fell eight stories to her death when hanging laundry on a narrow ledge. The employer claimed that it was her mother-in-law who had instructed the FDW to climb onto the ledge. The court rejected her claim and ruled that as the legal employer, she should bear the “ultimate responsibility” for the FDW’s safety. The employer was sentenced to two weeks in jail.

Please visit MOM website.

Currently, PSB Corporation and Singapore Polytechnic conduct the Programme. Singapore Polytechnic also offers an on-line version of the Programme.

Only if you have valid reasons, for example, medical reason or disability. In this case, you must submit a form to exempt from taking the Programme.

In general, if you have not employed a maid before, you must attend a 4-hour Employers’ Orientation Programme before you submit your Work Permit application for your maid.

Yes, as an Employer, you are required to bear the full cost of the medical care, including hospitalization. It is advisable to have insurance coverage for hospitalization expenses for your maid. Depending on the options you choose when purchasing personal accident insurance coverage, it may have been included. If not, you can always contact the following insurance companies like Anda, or NTUC Income.

Within 14 days of your maid arrival to Singapore, she must undergo a medical examination, and certified fit. Thereafter, the maid is required to undergo six-monthly medical screening, for VDRL, pregnancy, and HIV

Yes, you can purchase an insurance policy with various options from Anda, NTUC Income, and others to avoid making the $5,000 deposit. However, you may (depending on the insurance package and options you purchase) still be liable for the $5,000 if you fail to repatriate the maid.

Employer is responsible for the repatriation of the maid. You are required to post a security deposit (bond) of $5,000 per maid with the Work Permit Department, MOM. If you fail to repatriate the maid after cancellation of her work permit, you risk losing the $5,000 security deposit (bond).

No, you can only employ maid from MOM (Ministry of Manpower) approved source of countries for FDW (Foreign Domestic Workers). The countries are: Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.

Your maid would like to send her monthly salary back to her family regularly. Click here to find out who can provide remittance services.

It depends on the employment contract the maid had with you. The normal practice is: Home leave is no-pay leave.

Yes, you can get refund for the maid-levy paid for the period your maid is not in Singapore. You can go to any CPF branch, and produce your maid’s passport to support your claim for refund.

The Levy is $265 per month. However, if your have children aged less than 12 years old or live with elderly persons aged 65 years old and above, the levy is reduced to $120 per month. CPF Board, as the collection agent, collects the Levy on behalf of MOM. For further details on whether you qualify for levy concession, click here.

A first-time FDW is one who:

Has no employment record with MOM’s Work Pass Division; or Has Work Permit records with MOM but did not collect her Work Permit cards previously. This includes Foreign Domestic Workers who have worked in Singapore for brief periods in the past, or who have applied for Work Permits but did not eventually work in Singapore.

No. From 1 May 2012, all first-time FDWs in Singapore will attend the SIP. The SIP will replace the Entry Test, and the SAC will be subsumed under the SIP.

Registration for the SIP must be done before the arrival of the FDW into Singapore. Registration can be done online at either one of the two accredited training providers’ websites:

Grace Management & Consultancy Services Pte Ltd (GMCS), working in partnership with the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Skills Training ECON Careskill Training Centre (ECTC) Pte Ltd

If your FDW is a first-time FDW in Singapore, she is required to attend the SIP. A first-time FDW is one who:

Has no employment record with MOM’s Work Pass Division; or Has Work Permit records with MOM but did not collect her Work Permit cards previously. This includes Foreign Domestic Workers who have worked in Singapore for brief periods in the past, or who have applied for Work Permits but did not eventually work in Singapore.

The SIP is focused on adapting FDWs to working and living in a foreign environment, especially on observing work safety. FDWs will also learn about their rights and responsibilities while working in Singapore, as well as relationship and stress management. The SIP will help FDWs be better oriented and adjusted when starting work at your household, which can help reduce conflicts and accidents at the workplace.

FDWs who fail to attend the SIP within three working days of arrival in Singapore, excluding the day of arrival, will not be issued their Work Permits and will be repatriated.

Working days are Monday to Saturday, excluding Sunday and Public holiday.

All first-time FDWs are required to attend the mandatory SIP within the first three working days of arrival in Singapore, excluding the day of arrival.Working days are from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sunday and Public holiday. A first-time FDW is one who:

Has no employment record with MOM’s Work Pass Division; or Has Work Permit records with MOM but did not collect her Work Permit cards previously. This includes Foreign Domestic Workers who have worked in Singapore for brief periods in the past, or who have applied for Work Permits but did not eventually work in Singapore.

As the SIP is a mandatory programme, no first-time FDWs will be exempted. The SIP is focused on adapting FDWs to working and living in a foreign environment, especially on observing work safety. FDWs will also learn about their rights and responsibilities while working in Singapore, as well as relationship and stress management. The SIP will help FDWs be better oriented and adjusted when starting work at your household, which can help reduce conflicts and accidents at the workplace.

The SIP is conducted in the FDWs’ native languages, such as Bahasa Indonesia, Myanmese and Tagalog. SIP will also be conducted in English. You may wish to check with the training providers on the schedules for the SIP classes.

The Work Permit system keeps a record of employers and their employment history. The system will identify which Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) are new to Singapore. Employers and Employment Agencies (Eas) will be informed of this requirement in the ‘Letter of Notification to bring FDW into Singapore’. Employers can check if their FDW is required to attend the SIP via WP Online.

The Ministry of Manpower has accredited two training providers to conduct the SIP, and they are: Grace Management And Consultancy Services Pte Ltd (GMCS), working in partnership with the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Skills Training; and ECON Careskill Training Centre (ECTC) Pte Ltd, part of the ECON Healthcare Group

The details of the respective training providers are as follows: Grace Management And Consultancy Services Pte Ltd (GMCS), working in partnership with the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Skills Training

Venue 231 Mountbatten Road Block A #03-00 Singapore 397999 (Enter via Guillemard Crescent) Tel: (65) 6299 4333 Email: gracemgt@gmcs.com.sg Webpage: http://gmcs.com.sg/etsac

ECON Careskill Training Centre (ECTC) Pte Ltd Venue: 451 Yio Chu Kang Road Singapore 805947 Tel: (65) 6853 3727 Email: enquiry@econcareskill.com Webpage: http://www.econcareskill.com/SIP

The SIP costs $75 (including GST) per FDW. The cost of the SIP will be borne by the FDW employer.

The SIP will better orientate first-time FDWs by equipping them with basic knowledge about living and working in Singapore. This will include modules on how to manage stress and adapt to working in a foreign, urban environment. These will help FDWs adapt better to working in local households and foster better working relationships with their employers. First-time FDWs must attend the SIP within three working days of their arrival in Singapore, excluding the day of arrival. Working days are Monday to Saturday, excluding Sunday and Public holiday.

The SIP is a mandatory one day programme for all first-time FDWs, prior to deployment. The SIP aims to better orientate and equip FDWs with basic knowledge about living and working in Singapore. It includes modules on:

Conditions of employment; Safety at home Safety in other areas; and Relationship and stress management Relationship and stress management

The Safety Awareness Course will be subsumed under the SIP. The SIP will be conducted in the FDW’s native language, to maximize understanding and retention.

A first-time FDW is one who: Has no employment record with MOM’s Work Pass Division; or Has Work Permit records with MOM but did not collect her Work Permit cards previously. This includes Foreign Domestic Workers who have worked in Singapore for brief periods in the past, or who have applied for Work Permits but did not eventually work in Singapore.