All About Full-Time Maids
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lee_yl\" post_id=\"2012038\" time=\"1610579695\" user_id=\"17023:
It is very expensive to get a new maid nowadays, especially with Indonesia disallowing maids to bear agency costs, SHN and all. Not to mention the wait time involved. Transfer maids are in high demand I think.
During this period, I would rather offer a bit more than to get a new maid. If you engage a new maid, you are liable to pay for her SHN of approx $1400. I think an increase of $50 to $100 is a reasonable amountstarlight1968sg\" post_id=\"2012012\" time=\"1610548778\" user_id=\"14025:
After 2 years of service, if continue with the same helper, do u give a payrise and how much? Tks.
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doodbug\" post_id=\"2012066\" time=\"1610594903\" user_id=\"13281:
It is very expensive to get a new maid nowadays, especially with Indonesia disallowing maids to bear agency costs, SHN and all. Not to mention the wait time involved. Transfer maids are in high demand I think.[/quote]Yes, and those you mentioned are probably not the worst nightmare.
During this period, I would rather offer a bit more than to get a new maid. If you engage a new maid, you are liable to pay for her SHN of approx $1400. I think an increase of $50 to $100 is a reasonable amountlee_yl\" post_id=\"2012038\" time=\"1610579695\" user_id=\"17023:
[quote=starlight1968sg post_id=2012012 time=1610548778 user_id=14025]After 2 years of service, if continue with the same helper, do u give a payrise and how much? Tks.
I booked a new maid in February 2020, and only until 9th or 10th Jan 2021, my new helper finally arrived in Singapore!
The agency did ask me to just randomly pick one from his pool of transfer maids but I am worried not all transfer maids are good. My MIL had dementia then and if I picked a problematic one, my life would be even more miserable isn’t it?
Initially, govt waived the cost of my new helper’s SHN but the whole thing dragged and dragged and starting this year, govt decided to only waive for the low income families and now we are suddenly $1400 poorer, lol.
Now I pray hard that my new helper’s swab test can pass on her 14th day of SHN, which is sometime next week... -
Actually, I’ve only had two helpers since my kids were born.
The 1st one worked with me for nearly ten years. And when she left, I wanted one ASAP, so I took a transfer maid, who has been with me for four years now. She is super grateful to us as she transferred out of an employer who did not feed her enough and did not pay her wages promptly. My helper gets access to all food in my fridge (all fruits, cakes, anything she wants, seafood etc), and she has put on so much weight she is the biggest person in the household now!
All helpers seem to go through periods of ‘need money for family emergencies’ - we have seen and heard tons of examples. My current helper borrowed money from us once in the past four years - still acceptable to me. But I won’t entertain frequent requests for salary advances.
The advantage of transfer maids is that you can see, speak to them etc, to decide whether or not they are suitable. I much prefer those who have working experience in Singapore and I don’t have to teach things ground up from MRT station to bus stop, to NTUC to provision shop and what not. No time and no patience, and I don’t know what they don’t know. So I prefer someone who can hit the ground running. I guess I am not particularly fussy. -
starlight1968sg\" post_id=\"2012037\" time=\"1610578054\" user_id=\"14025:
@ Starlight
Tks sky minecrafter for sharing.
My current one is a Filipino, getting $650 and 2 off days per month. She looks after my father who has limited mobility.
I do hope she can continue with this pay, after all any payrise has an impact on our finances (siblings are sharing the cost ...)
For a relatively new girl, she is expensive! Typical for Filipinos.
I had one replacement after discovered Indo maid was not just lazy, can’t cook, lying & don't want to learn basic housekeeping duties & looking back, I guess I was fortunate. She stayed with my family for 3 contract terms. She was grateful & applied herself well after being ‘rescued’ fr a family of 9 adults & her previous eyer got her out of home to avoid in-laws friction only returning home past dinner, rendering her having to clean house & laundry till late into the nite. So, it worked for both my family & herself coz we treated her like family.
Thereafter, had changes after changes of helper fr both Indo & Philippines - stealing, self-entitlement, can’t take instructions & poor communication.
Eventually, fr my mission trip to Mynmar, I decided to help girls fr orphanage who can’t go beyond their studies to find work in SG. My family need them, so I figure as our society age, we’ll need them too. Managed to learn which State in Mynmar typically can find suitable ones. It seems CHIN State hv a regulation for kids to compulsory study both Burmese & English. Most fr this state are either Christian or Catholics. I’ve mobilized one girl fr Irrawaddy for a frd and my Mynmar helper inform that those fr this area hv not much exposure to modern living & poor without good living condition so will not know the need to keep clean floor or bring in clothings fr the rain, etc. everyday we learn.
I’ve Mynmar helpers for last 10+ years. Similarly sponsored each of my previous Mynmar helpers for haircutting courses & one to take her A Level exams & she left to do Uni in Mandalay. We did hv one Mynmarese who cldnt fit into the family & ive nvr offered anything to help upgrade her. Current one lives cooking, tho she had nvr stepped out of her country when she first came to SG & our household. She had nvr lift a finger to cook when she lived with her mum. My family very blessed with her culinary skills & she knows what dishes MIL likes & will dish out. We sponsored her weekly haircutting course hopefully to provide her with a skill for her future. She’s been with us for 2 contracts now under $600 with weekly off-days & hv no wish to return home for now. Yes, we gave her year-end bonus as she had applied herself well & also trying to provide her pay aligned with those pinos’ pay. Glad I don’t hv to handle attitude & entitlement problems. -
doodbug\" post_id=\"2012082\" time=\"1610598862\" user_id=\"13281:
I don’t have maids problems so far, because staying with my MIL was more tricky, lol.
Actually, I've only had two helpers since my kids were born.
The 1st one worked with me for nearly ten years. And when she left, I wanted one ASAP, so I took a transfer maid, who has been with me for four years now. She is super grateful to us as she transferred out of an employer who did not feed her enough and did not pay her wages promptly. My helper gets access to all food in my fridge (all fruits, cakes, anything she wants, seafood etc), and she has put on so much weight she is the biggest person in the household now!
All helpers seem to go through periods of 'need money for family emergencies' - we have seen and heard tons of examples. My current helper borrowed money from us once in the past four years - still acceptable to me. But I won't entertain frequent requests for salary advances.
The advantage of transfer maids is that you can see, speak to them etc, to decide whether or not they are suitable. I much prefer those who have working experience in Singapore and I don't have to teach things ground up from MRT station to bus stop, to NTUC to provision shop and what not. No time and no patience, and I don't know what they don't know. So I prefer someone who can hit the ground running. I guess I am not particularly fussy.
I am not saying all transfer maids must be bad, just that my MIL had dementia and paranoid disorder. She had accused our last helper of stealing her stuff etc. Our ex helper was very kind and honest and we know her well so we always sided the helper. If just grab any transfer maid and MIL were to tell us that maid hit her, very likely we would side with the new maid which may not be fair to my MIL. So in the end, I rather had no maid then get a transfer maid in a rush.
Have been engaging maids on and off since the birth of DD1, till date, DH insisted no CCTV, he said as long as we are good to the helper, helper will reciprocate, lol. -
Estéema\" post_id=\"2012090\" time=\"1610604056\" user_id=\"66413:
Hi Esteema, saw your posts getting Myanmar helpers direct without going through agent. Could u share ur contact with me please?
@ Starlightstarlight1968sg\" post_id=\"2012037\" time=\"1610578054\" user_id=\"14025:
Tks sky minecrafter for sharing.
My current one is a Filipino, getting $650 and 2 off days per month. She looks after my father who has limited mobility.
I do hope she can continue with this pay, after all any payrise has an impact on our finances (siblings are sharing the cost ...)
For a relatively new girl, she is expensive! Typical for Filipinos.
I had one replacement after discovered Indo maid was not just lazy, can’t cook, lying & don't want to learn basic housekeeping duties & looking back, I guess I was fortunate. She stayed with my family for 3 contract terms. She was grateful & applied herself well after being ‘rescued’ fr a family of 9 adults & her previous eyer got her out of home to avoid in-laws friction only returning home past dinner, rendering her having to clean house & laundry till late into the nite. So, it worked for both my family & herself coz we treated her like family.
Thereafter, had changes after changes of helper fr both Indo & Philippines - stealing, self-entitlement, can’t take instructions & poor communication.
Eventually, fr my mission trip to Mynmar, I decided to help girls fr orphanage who can’t go beyond their studies to find work in SG. My family need them, so I figure as our society age, we’ll need them too. Managed to learn which State in Mynmar typically can find suitable ones. It seems CHIN State hv a regulation for kids to compulsory study both Burmese & English. Most fr this state are either Christian or Catholics. I’ve mobilized one girl fr Irrawaddy for a frd and my Mynmar helper inform that those fr this area hv not much exposure to modern living & poor without good living condition so will not know the need to keep clean floor or bring in clothings fr the rain, etc. everyday we learn.
I’ve Mynmar helpers for last 10+ years. Similarly sponsored each of my previous Mynmar helpers for haircutting courses & one to take her A Level exams & she left to do Uni in Mandalay. We did hv one Mynmarese who cldnt fit into the family & ive nvr offered anything to help upgrade her. Current one lives cooking, tho she had nvr stepped out of her country when she first came to SG & our household. She had nvr lift a finger to cook when she lived with her mum. My family very blessed with her culinary skills & she knows what dishes MIL likes & will dish out. We sponsored her weekly haircutting course hopefully to provide her with a skill for her future. She’s been with us for 2 contracts now under $600 with weekly off-days & hv no wish to return home for now. Yes, we gave her year-end bonus as she had applied herself well & also trying to provide her pay aligned with those pinos’ pay. Glad I don’t hv to handle attitude & entitlement problems. -
Hello all, my family helper went home and i need extra helping hand urgently. I have 2 kids and I am expecting my 3rd baby. I need someone who is familiar with children and their diets. I also have a dog. Either part time or full time is ok. I need someone trustable and will stay with our family for long... Pls pm me if you have any recommendation..Thank you!!!
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Work Permit no: 028143656
FIN number: G8905441P
Full name: Je2yl Sim@n @l@ndria
I would like to feedback regarding this domestic worker that I had during the covid season. I hire her as she seems calm and looks gentle on her appearance. However, it was quite a mistake to decide based on the statement she gave and her appearance. We have interviewed her and had everything lay out regarding where she will sleep etc. and these was also written on her contract.
To my surprise, she was quite a princess when she came; she does her things very slow and was very persistent of doing the things in her own pace and ways- her stubbornness was extreme. As it was covid & also we thought it was normal for someone new. We tolerated her and continue to patiently train her and even reduce a lot of our expectations towards her due to her very slow pace of work and even her extreme stubbornness. I have to do a lot of things by myself.
She was a person full of grievance, right after 1 month- she wrote a long list of complaints to the agency- saying about she is very tired, she cannot finish her work, she dint sleep well etc, We actually told her to wake up at 630am and sleep at 1030pm in the evening. She would drag her work late, especially when she has her phone- she will purposely drag her work and talk on phone till midnight. We tolerated that and make a lot of adjustment for her and was extremely nice to her as we realised she has some mental issues over some time. We bought her a radio for her to use so that she could listen to music to boost her up, we allow her to fold and iron clothes and watch TV, we gave her a chair for her to sit during ironing, I cleared a room for her to sleep and even bought her a new thicker mattress and pillows so that she could sleep more comfortably, we bought her new clothes, shoes and even had a virtual birthday celebrations with her family for her. We even had monetary & gifts for her during Christmas and other celebrations/occasions, we even purchase extra share for her even if we buy supper. However, she was still doesn’t seems satisfied and she continue her grievances.
During the bad time of COVID and she was new; I told her if she can try to rest at home / in the room as we had a young kid and an elderly at home which we do not want to pose the danger to. Some days she rested, some days she says she wants to go nearby to run errands; I trusted her, to my horror she was posting a lot of photos on her FB (she did not know I had her FB) of her meeting up with friends and cousin and went all over Singapore! When I confronted her, she gave us a very bad attitude and even argue with us why we could still let my elderly go hospital, cut hair and she can’t! My dad goes for doctor appointment at hospital and its unavoidable and he cut his hair at a nearby salon. I was in surprise she returns me a very bad and harsh attitude. I forgive her and as usual, it was due to the extra cost of COVID and expose risk, we tolerate!!!
Thereafter, she started to purposely slag on her work by stop wiping the rooms; stop doing much ironing and folding of clothes and slowly she stags them up to my entire storeroom. I must plead her to do them before she is willing to. Everything works fine for the next few months and we decide to do some stuffs ourselves etc and try not to bother her.
We receive a call that she and her family make a false accusation towards us saying that she is in poor working condition and that we did not pay her etc. to her embassy. I called the agent and we all have to talk to her to ask her what is going on? I even told the agent, please feel free to come down my place and investigate. Thereafter she was supposed to write a letter stating that that was a false accusation, making her way down to embassy etc to make clear of things. I was at the verge of making a report of her making false accusation on us, really. She even pretends to go into a panic attack when we were checking out what was that she is unhappy about, we had to call an ambulance to send her to hospital and pick her an hour later while the doctor say she was perfectly alright and just gave her some painkillers.
We still offer to give her a chance whether she wants to continue, she decided to go back. We let her as we feel that it was the biggest mistake to have her and we have really tolerated enough of her nonsense, it was really disappointing for me as we are really nice to her but yet she was so ungrateful and unappreciative.
Having her is as good as having a bomb at home, unsure of what she is up to next. She is a person full of grievance and definitely someone who is not suitable as a helper at home; she gave more troubles than help. Definitely a good pretender. She wasn’t good care taker for children and elderly too. -
Parenter
A horrible experience!
We give our sincerity and heart to others but they may not do the same to us. -
starlight1968sg\" post_id=\"2014042\" time=\"1612334734\" user_id=\"14025:
parenter,
Parenter
A horrible experience!
We give our sincerity and heart to others but they may not do the same to us.
I understand your horrible experience. we treat helpers with respect, HOPING they will work well. but they take things for granted.
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