All About Full-Time Maids

[Coolkidsrock2]

starlight1968sg\" post_id=\"2093531\" time=\"1672132316\" user_id=\"14025:

In short, with an ageing population, having a helper is no longer a luxury but a necessity.

Even if not aging, an extra pair of hands is always helpful to unlock time. Just become more essential if there are dependents.

[Estéema]

I can’t do away with helper coz my fingernails just ‘melt-away’ & frays badly. Now even worst, I can’t stoop too long nor can I lift my head or arms o’wise dizziness sets in. No choice.

[Coolkidsrock2]

Estéema\" post_id=\"2093536\" time=\"1672137644\" user_id=\"66413:

I can’t do away with helper coz my fingernails just ‘melt-away’ & frays badly. Now even worst, I can’t stoop too long nor can I lift my head or arms o’wise dizziness sets in. No choice.

Please take good care of yourself.

Understand what you mean on no choice. Skin on my hands got badly inflammed when I had to handle cleaning of raw food and joints also hurt from inflammation if excessive cleaning.

Am dependent on gadgets for cleaning but have to make big compromise food-wise in terms of having unprocessed food eg home-made tofu, fish balls, fish cake, ....

[Estéema]

Coolkidsrock2\" post_id=\"2093573\" time=\"1672191480\" user_id=\"48901:

Please take good care of yourself.

Understand what you mean on no choice. Skin on my hands got badly inflammed when I had to handle cleaning of raw food and joints also hurt from inflammation if excessive cleaning.

Am dependent on gadgets for cleaning but have to make big compromise food-wise in terms of having unprocessed food eg home-made tofu, fish balls, fish cake, ....

You take care too. I know what u mean with inflamed skin and the feeling. I get that once the nails split or tears and the sides & cracks also gets infected. I can’t take the pain if I hv to do dishes daily.

Had been having helpers for so long, I almost forgotten but now recall back in my early years of marriage, I used to enjoy cooking & DH wld do the dishes before & after meals. Really appreciate his involvement. Now whenever we bake, it’s always the helper clean up. Also thankful for her help.

[starlight1968sg]

Helper from P has yet to confirm if she wants to return for home leave.

If she returns, she said she has to go to the embassy to pay some taxes too. Is employer responsible for this bill?

My view on if Helper returns for home leave (mine is 15 days):
1) i will pay for return airfare (usually is Manila but she would like Clarke International; I don’t know if there are flights from Spore to Clarke)
2) I am not planning to pay 15 days of leave in cash
3) if she returns home say 1 Ocr to 15 Oct, then I will pay salary from 16 Oct.
4) Depending on how much the airfare, if not too expensive, I may help out a bit on the taxes she needs to pay to her govt.

I will explain to Helper that during her absence, I will need to source for a nursing home or care facility to look after my dad until she returns. I don’t know how much and the procedure of application too.

[doodbug]

starlight1968sg\" post_id=\"2094626\" time=\"1673313384\" user_id=\"14025:

Helper from P has yet to confirm if she wants to return for home leave.
If she returns, she said she has to go to the embassy to pay some taxes too. Is employer responsible for this bill?

My view on if Helper returns for home leave (mine is 15 days):
1) i will pay for return airfare (usually is Manila but she would like Clarke International; I don't know if there are flights from Spore to Clarke)
2) I am not planning to pay 15 days of leave in cash
3) if she returns home say 1 Ocr to 15 Oct, then I will pay salary from 16 Oct.
4) Depending on how much the airfare, if not too expensive, I may help out a bit on the taxes she needs to pay to her govt.

I will explain to Helper that during her absence, I will need to source for a nursing home or care facility to look after my dad until she returns. I don't know how much and the procedure of application too.

The paperwork at the various depts at Philippines Embassy for home leave can be extremely troublesome and difficult for some (which is why some of us end up doing the renewals via an agent). Do check with your employment contract and/or agencies on who is responsible for bearing the costs. Apart from the verified contract from the embassy, she also needs to get the OEC from POEA. All these take a lot of time and require specific appointment slots.

My helper went back for 3 weeks in Nov to Dec period.

[starlight1968sg]

doodbug\" post_id=\"2094632\" time=\"1673315831\" user_id=\"13281:

The paperwork at the various depts at Philippines Embassy for home leave can be extremely troublesome and difficult for some (which is why some of us end up doing the renewals via an agent). Do check with your employment contract and/or agencies on who is responsible for bearing the costs. Apart from the verified contract from the embassy, she also needs to get the OEC from POEA. All these take a lot of time and require specific appointment slots.

My helper went back for 3 weeks in Nov to Dec period.

Thanks for sharing.
Ours is DIY contract ie the current is a 2nd contract. She is in the 4th year with us.
In your case, besides paying for the return airfare, did you pay the salary for those 3 wks when she was not with you ie if she left for her home on 1 Nov and returned on 21 Nov, for her Nov salary, did you pay salary for 1 to 30 Nov?
Thank you.

[doodbug]

starlight1968sg\" post_id=\"2094637\" time=\"1673320738\" user_id=\"14025:

Thanks for sharing.
Ours is DIY contract ie the current is a 2nd contract. She is in the 4th year with us.
In your case, besides paying for the return airfare, did you pay the salary for those 3 wks when she was not with you ie if she left for her home on 1 Nov and returned on 21 Nov, for her Nov salary, did you pay salary for 1 to 30 Nov?
Thank you.

Mine too, was a DIY contract. She has finished 6 years with us, and is on her 7th currently. The rules have changed dramatically since the earlier years, when home leave entailed far less paperwork and I had NEVER engaged an agent before, until this time round. Also in part because my helper had problems with the POEA online system due to multiple people sharing her same names.

I did pay her salary from 1 to 21 Nov though I am not sure if I am obligated to or not. But I think our way of managing helpers is not the conventional way in Singapore. Perhaps because we have lived overseas before with kids without helpers, that we realize the great relief and help that helpers bring. From 16 years ago, all my helpers (2 to date, 1st one was with us for 10 years and it is our second helper now) had every Sunday off and we had always paid them bonuses, and they all have unlimited access to wifi and handphone. We are perhaps a bit more 'ang moh' in helper management. That said, my helper's salary is not considered high considering her number of years of work experience. I also always take transfer maids - my current one was working for an employer who did not give her enough to eat so she is super appreciative of us as she has free access to the fridge and pantry at my place. (In fact, the helper is the one who put on most weight and is the biggest size of us all in the family haha).

[starlight1968sg]

doodbug

May I ask how much did you pay to engage an agent to settle the paperwork related to Home Trip, pls?

Mine put on much weight and I even teased her to watch her weight bec whatever my dad eats, she eats. She is just part of the family. We treat her well to hope that she will treat my dad well bec they live under the same roof.

Having said that, I need to budget on how much to spend if she returns home.

Ok, noted that besides paying for return airfare, it may be better to pay her salary for the 15 days despite she isnt in Spore.

I am more worried about the "taxes" she has to pay for returning home.

[doodbug]

starlight1968sg\" post_id=\"2094643\" time=\"1673324185\" user_id=\"14025:

doodbug
May I ask how much did you pay to engage an agent to settle the paperwork related to Home Trip, pls?

Mine put on much weight and I even teased her to watch her weight bec whatever my dad eats, she eats. She is just part of the family. We treat her well to hope that she will treat my dad well bec they live under the same roof.

Having said that, I need to budget on how much to spend if she returns home.

Ok, noted that besides paying for return airfare, it may be better to pay her salary for the 15 days despite she isnt in Spore.

I am more worried about the \"taxes\" she has to pay for returning home.

Hi Starlight,

Do check with Dan Services (danservices.com) on the breakdown of all the charges that are involved, including the agency fee, to sort out the paperwork. I believe it is $4xx inclusive of all the charges levied by the Philippines bodies - the charges are to obtain the documentation for maid to exit the country to return to Singapore to work - there are no charges levied on them to go home. So if your maid is returning to Philippines permanently, there is no charge and no paperwork. It's the documents that are required for her to be allowed to exit to return to Singapore to work that is problematic. I engaged Dan Services halfway cos my maid had sorted out half the documentation when we attempted to DIY (so it was about $290 for me), and the other half, she just could not. My sister's maid managed to sort out her documentation entirely DIY (it will involve multiple trips to the Embassy). So it really depends whether you and your maid can navigate the system smoothly to obtain the Verified Contract and the OEC and the POLO registrations and what not.