All About Full-Time Maids

[Estéema]

SHAWNN\" post_id=\"1937068\" time=\"1569384899\" user_id=\"181229:

The reason I am asking if forum people allow their maids annual home paid leave cos just want to understand is it based on exceptional performance of the maid and hence, the employers give this benefit.

Esteema - do u allow them to go back yearly ? lol

I do not.

I’ve shared in earlier posting in reply - Sporeans families do not typically offer yearly paid leave. Those who provides are usually families taking long holidays to visit relatives in M’sia, long holidays or expat families. These had caused problems for Sporean families when maids shared & compared on their off-days, esp to families who cannot afford to hv them go every year. In fact, one of frd’s maid was offered that but when they hit back Indo maid never returned & they had to grabble with their own housekeeping & washing before they hire a replacement.

Pls refer to the MOM provisions for hiring FDW. You’re obliged to provide a 14 days home leave for every 2 year contract, provided the FDW willing to take the equivalent of air-fare in cash. Best eyers take written consent to avoid any disputes.

[starlight1968sg]

Related to FDW Grant:

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/monthly-cash-payout-for-home-caregivers-from-october-and-shorter-waiting-period-for

[Estéema]

starlight1968sg\" post_id=\"1937170\" time=\"1569404115\" user_id=\"14025:

Related to FDW Grant:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/monthly-cash-payout-for-home-caregivers-from-october-and-shorter-waiting-period-for

This is good move to alleviate the elderly’s needs for financial support to homecare.

But I think not many KSP families will benefit due to means testing - salary, size of housing, etc

[SHAWNN]

Hi Esteema,


I read through MOM’s website but can’t find anything about providing FDW 14 days home leave for completion EVERY 2 year contract. Are you able to direct me to the link please ?

Thank you.

[Estéema]

SHAWNN\" post_id=\"1937648\" time=\"1569551017\" user_id=\"181229:

Hi Esteema,

I read through MOM's website but can't find anything about providing FDW 14 days home leave for completion EVERY 2 year contract. Are you able to direct me to the link please ?

Thank you.

SHAWNN,

At the MOM website, you will not find the common practice of 14 days‘ home leave. The wordings are left for you to work our with your maid and best worded into your contract. In fact, the minimum required seemed to be only 7 days before you qualify for waiver of levy and not exceeding 60 days.

“To qualify for levy waiver, the overseas leave must be at least 7 consecutive days and the waiver period is capped at a maximum of 60 calendar days per calendar year.”

As far as I’m aware, majority of Spore eyers provide 2 weeks’ homeleave (a little more generous than what MOM indicates as min), tho as I indicated there were eyers who were more generous mainlybout of convenience when they go on holidays (without considerations for rocking the majority practice & these pino helpers use that as bargaining chips).

There were much earlier discussion on this topic esp for Pino maids.

https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=87549

I will not comment further than to share that I find pino helpers hard to manage bcoz of their attitudes and hv long moved on to Indo and then Mynmar helped for the last 6 years.

You shld make your own decision. It’s really a learning journey managing a non-family member within our household & exploring different nationalities to fit our culture.

[starlight1968sg]

2 wks paid home leave is the norm?

[Estéema]

I’ve given my helpers 2 weeks for each completion of homeleave. You don’t need to pay for those days she was not working in SG & can apply for waiver of levy for those days only after maid returns. It’s a regulation to pay for their air-tic back to her home country (if she prefers cash pls get that in writing and not anywhere else) and pls ensure the FDW Insurance is valid during & upon her return to protect both parties as anything can happen.

[SHAWNN]

Estéema - thank you for sharing all the valuable advise and pointing to the discussion on pinoy maid leave. It’s really unfair to enforce SG to adopt Phil laws!

[starlight1968sg]

Esteema

Mine may be paid home leave …
Well, maybe I still can save on the levy part

[Estéema]

SHAWNN\" post_id=\"1937816\" time=\"1569565624\" user_id=\"181229:

Estéema - thank you for sharing all the valuable advise and pointing to the discussion on pinoy maid leave. It's really unfair to enforce SG to adopt Phil laws!

So, tho the phi govt can lay conditions/regulations those can only be dictated in their own country. Same with Indo govt requiring eyers to provide S$XXX in terms of security bonds.

What we as SG eyers need to comply with are SG MOM’ stipulated regulations and laws. Everything else is for you to nego with the Foreign Domestic Worker. A practice that is common becomes possibly enforceable in favour for helpers. Hence, please DO NOT be overly generous bcoz the helpers will definitely use it to advance their WANTS.

HELP the SG eyers not to escalate costs or wants that’ll become a burden to family’s costs. Not every family can afford to provide frequent homeleave as some families need the help of maids to care for the elderly or young kids. Elderlies will also not likely to be able to afford yearly homeleave air tickets. Imagine some of them are so weak, they don’t even go for yearly holidays.

Costs has been pushed upwards by their own respective govt by their determination of minimum wage. For experienced pino maids, many hv shot beyond $650 (even those with nearly 2 years asking for at least $600-650 and some don’t even know how to cook). Many pino maids & increasingly now Indo girls only wants expat eyers. I know pino maids who hit 4 years start asking for $1K salary. Indo maids who are alr drawing $900 with 4 years experience. My heart goes to the elderlies and families with special needs kids who can’t afford these rates.

So, for us not to hv sth more enforced on us to pay, then don’t pay thinking they request shld give. Be firm. You are the paymaster with your limited resources. Rmbr tt we will grow old & hv less resources in future but the salary rates will just climb!

I’ve found it increasingly difficult to manage pino maids as they’re usually very vocal & if u’re not the firm type, then they’re happy to hv won the game. I’ve learnt to be firm fr being a mousy person & form w/o terrifying any of them. Most imptly, i spell them out very clearly in my empymt contract.

With Indo helpers, they wld want u to send them to Batam. I don’t mind if they’ve been honest & hardworking. I’ll point to those who had been liars & thieves that MOM rule is for us to send them back to their original home country & embarkation point. I do that mainly to make them realized tho they can find ano eyer to return SG, they had better behave & value the next opportunity & not do anything illegal or criminal.

I DO NOT send any errant helpers back to employment agencies as I don’t want to transfer my problem to burden ano fellow SG family. Most SG families who need to engage helpers are alr usually having enuf on their hands to handle - FTWP with young kids, families with elderlies need help to support weak elderlies, etc

Just my way of being social considerate & hope I don’t get problematic helpers passed to me unknowingly too. Many empymt agencies will not tell the next eyer of errant helper & stimes wld even make claims on abilities the maid do not possess. Headache.