All About Full-Time Maids

[Busymom]

peapot:

Even very experienced maid can still do things that is not right. For eg, my maid who has 6 years experience can still heat food up using stainless steel plate in a microwave. She can still damaged my blouse and leave a hole in it. So with every maid it's still best to do a spot check once in a while to make sure the maid are on the right track.

But 6 years is quite long to still make this kind of mistake... one reason why I am wary of having a microwave at home.

[Busymom]

jtoh:

I don't think you should heat food up in a plastic bag. Even if the plastic doesn't melt, it just doesn't sound safe.

Exactly! Whether food heated up this way in a plastic bag is still safe to consume was my first concern. Hence I said that had I not found out at night, they could still have given the bun to me in the morning, and I would be eating it unknowingly...

jtoh:

My maids used to keep food overnight in the rice cooker too. I think it's acceptable in their culture bec that's what they've been doing for generations and no one's gotten sick. The difference is that their stomachs may be used to the bacteria that breed overnight while our stomachs aren't. Even if the rice is for their own consumption I don't like the idea of my rice cooker not being washed.

:hi5: That was the reason why I previously wanted them to scoop the rice to keep in fridge and wash the pot. Guess I was too soft. Now I have decided to insist... afterall if they use the leftover rice to cook fried rice, my DD could well end up eating it too... :scared:

[jtoh]

Does anyone know how I can bring in a maid from the Philippines directly without going through an agency?

[jtoh]

Anyone knows how long it will take to direct hire a maid from the Philippines now? 3 weeks or much longer with the new regulations in the philippines? Thanks.

[moom]

jtoh:

Does anyone know how I can bring in a maid from the Philippines directly without going through an agency?

Jtoh, I think the maid comes in through tourist visa n you have to get her a round trip ticket.. Unfortunately, she might get 'tekan' at airport by immigration.. Have read of some maids breaking down n crying n in the end, didn't get to leave country, money n time wasted. You will also have to go through the philippine embassy here to get a permission letter etc.

I considered this option but thought it too risky n leh cheh, so I went thru agent instead.

If you go ahead on your own, do let us know how it turned out.
Good luck !!

[peapot]

I think for direct hire, indonesian maid’s seems easier than Philip maid. I may try direct hire this November for my Indonesia maid.

[bigfoot]

I have experience for direct hire of Indonesian maids. The only problem I can think of is at the immigration. When the officer see a one way ticket and no documentation with the maid, they will not allow her to proceed unless she paid some tax. Can't remember how much was it. But it was not alot. If you trust your maid, u can send her the money. If you did not wish to do that and she also don't have money to pay the tax, then she might not be allow to leave. For my maids, I trusted them because they were relatives of my out-going home. So I sent the money over without hesitation. As the tax was imposed on the maid and not us, the employer, the maid will have to return the money to us. They usually would not mind because this option save them a lot of money.


I was thinking whether getting a two-way ticket will solve the problem. Or the maid may still be taxed when she return? I spoke with the immigration officer and he told me that it is a standard fee which all outgoing maid must pay before they are allowed to leave the country.

peapot:

I think for direct hire, indonesian maid's seems easier than Philip maid. I may try direct hire this November for my Indonesia maid.

[mrswongtuition]

bigfoot:

I have experience for direct hire of Indonesian maids. The only problem I can think of is at the immigration. When the officer see a one way ticket and no documentation with the maid, they will not allow her to proceed unless she paid some tax. Can't remember how much was it. But it was not alot. If you trust your maid, u can send her the money. If you did not wish to do that and she also don't have money to pay the tax, then she might not be allow to leave. For my maids, I trusted them because they were relatives of my out-going home. So I sent the money over without hesitation. As the tax was imposed on the maid and not us, the employer, the maid will have to return the money to us. They usually would not mind because this option save them a lot of money.


I was thinking whether getting a two-way ticket will solve the problem. Or the maid may still be taxed when she return? I spoke with the immigration officer and he told me that it is a standard fee which all outgoing maid must pay before they are allowed to leave the country.

peapot:

I think for direct hire, indonesian maid's seems easier than Philip maid. I may try direct hire this November for my Indonesia maid.

This is true. To avoid them getting taxed (for maids on home leave), they will need to produce proof of employment in Singapore. This proof of employment can be obtained from Indonesian Embassy, needs 3 working days.

I rmb my ex-maid told me it's around a million rupiah.

[peapot]

Do the maid need to produce KNTL card at their immigration?

[moom]

Is it the norm nowadays for maids who have just arrived at the household to be given off day just one week into the job? My maid came last week n tells me her 2 other friends that came on same flight ( one fresh n one ex-sg) are already getting off this/ next weekend?


Thought used to be off-day only when salary reduction complete? After abt 6 months plus? Or am I out of date with ‘current’ expectations?