In today’s modern and busy lifestyles, a quarter of a million households in Singapore have hired foreign domestic helpers. The duties of a maid in Singapore include cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, and taking care of kids or elderly parents. Depending on your needs, you can easily hire a helper in Singapore with the help of a maid agency.
Hiring a Maid and the Employment Contract in Singapore
Hiring a foreign maid or a helper comes with responsibilities on part of the employer, such as paying salary on time, providing one rest day in a week, respecting the maid, providing accommodation and food, and meeting her basic necessities. Foreign domestic workers in Singapore are not covered by the Employment Act. That’s why the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) encourages employers and their domestic maids to sign an employment contract. The important conditions that must be mentioned in the employment agreement are:
• The maid’s salary
• Payment date and method
• Living arrangements
• Working hours
• Number of leaves she can take
• Rest day arrangement
• Expected duties
• Provisions regarding illness
• Termination arrangement
• Medical benefits
• Insurance taken
The employment contract must contain as much relevant information as possible to ensure it covers all the rights and obligations of both parties. Having clear terms and conditions and mentioning all important aspects in the contract will help both employers and maids to build a strong foundation and trust in their employer-maid relationship.
Your helper agency in Singapore will help you create the employment agreement once you finalise a maid for your house. Make sure that you and your maid understand each term in the contract before signing it.
The Safety Agreement
Employers are also required to sign a safety agreement when they hire first-time helpers in Singapore or transfer maids. Your helper agency in Singapore will arrange the safety agreement which contains the restrictions and regulations related to cleaning of the exterior of windows and includes the FDW’s acknowledgement of employer’s window cleaning requirements. This agreement must be signed by the employer, maid, and helper agency.
Conclusion
MOM encourages employers to sign an employment contract with their domestic workers to avoid disputes. If you’re hiring a maid or planning to hire one soon, contact a maid agency and ask the agency to craft a standardised employment contract for you. The agency will help you complete all the processes involved in hiring a maid easily and quickly.
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