Disagreements between employers and workers are common in any industry, and domestic work is no exception. Given the challenges that come with hiring a foreign domestic worker, disputes can be difficult to handle, particularly since they can also involve employment agencies. While domestic work is not regulated under Singapore’s Employment Act, there are legal avenues that one can follow if a dispute cannot be resolved at home. Full-time domestic helpers come from ...
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From 1 January 2019, employers of foreign domestic workers (FDW) in Singapore are no longer allowed to safe keep any money belonging to their maid including the salary in order to protect both parties from money-related disputes. Therefore, opening a bank account for your maid will be one of the best ways for both you and the maid to manage her money. Benefits of maids having a bank account Avoiding salary-related disputes Employers ...
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As with any profession, ensuring a safe working environment is of the utmost importance when employing a domestic helper. The safety and wellbeing of maids is the responsibility of their employers, who ultimately have to cover costs associated with medical care and insurance. The Ministry of Manpower provides easily-accessible guidelines on domestic helper employment, which include rules and recommendations on workplace safety. This issue should be discussed with your helper during ...
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Hiring a foreign domestic worker (FDW) is often thought to be the only solution to get extra hands to help around in the household. While FDWs play an extremely valuable role in many Singaporean and expat households – particularly by making it possible for breadwinners to strike a balance between their career and their personal life – they are hardly the only option. Hiring a FDW should not be taken lightly. ...
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Despite progress, including greater awareness of the rights of domestic helpers, maids are sometimes poorly treated in Singapore and other parts of Asia. Since this worker group remains vulnerable to exploitation, the government of Singapore says it imposes severe penalties on those who abuse foreign maids. Employers should be aware of helpers’ rights, and discuss these during on-the-job orientation and training, and ensure that expected duties remain legal and ethical. Unfortunately, ...
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It is important to offer your domestic helper a proper living quarter so that she can gain enough rest after a long day working. But things get a tad more complicated when it comes to the accommodation arrangement as foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong or Singapore are required to live with their employers. HelperChoice investigated the most common living arrangements for domestic helpers in Hong Kong. The survey exposes that ...
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When employing a domestic helper, the first thing that comes to mind is how to create a healthy relationship by clearly defining house rules such as setting up a work schedule. But after a few weeks or months, you might realize that respecting each other’s personal privacy is also a key factor to a harmonious home. There are over 370,000 foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong living with their employers. The majority ...
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Needless to say that speaking the same language as your conversation partner greatly simplifies things – the same applies to your domestic worker. Allowing time for your helper to develop her language skills is essential in order to avoid miscommunication and thus reduce any tensions that might strain the helper-employer relationship. Surely, mastering another language also opens doors to learning from and understanding new cultures. On top of that, improving her ...
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Entrusting someone with the care of our children is in itself a pretty big leap of faith. Part of the job of being a parent is to make sure that our little ones are safe and always well taken care of. No matter how much we trust our domestic helpers, it is natural to worry – especially when we are away most of the day – and wonder whether our ...
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Since elderly care centres may not provide the best service, a lot of people would rather let their aged parents stay with them or stay alone. In that case, especially when there are only the elderly in the house for most of the day, people tend to opt for hiring a full-time, live-in domestic worker. However, a lot of complications can arise from this! While hiring Hiring a domestic helper to take ...
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