All About Full-Time Maids

[POA Teacher]

moonee:

I notice the older maids are referred in by other maids who hv worked in spore for a few years and the agent does not do a proper check by rely on the maids recommendation, wonder if this is the right thing to do.

I think that for ALL new maids coming in, the agent here do not do any checking at all. They just rely on the agents on the other side to supply them the bodies.

[Karl12]

Can I know what is the market rate for agency fees now?

My $1,500 agency claim that there is hardly any $388 agency now and even ask me if i heard it very long time ago.
I told them i have, in fact went to $388 agencies before them.
They are very skeptical that such agencies exist! (as if I am lying to them!)
They say now, all major agencies have already increased their fees to 1K or more.
And even send me this link to convince me
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1198034/1/.html

Is that the same for big ones like Nation?
Their agency fees also cost 1.5K with no deductions to the maid's salary? As in, on top of the 1.5K agency fee, the maid will get her full salary on her first month?
If that is so, its really costly to get maids nowadays.

On her first month, i already paid $2321 for her!
Agency fees - 1500
Insurance - 321
Salary - 500

This can easily be anyone's one month take home pay...heartache....

[Saraca Tuition]

Hi Karl12, just go to Bt Timah Shopping Center. That place is a maid heaven. Got my maid last sept. The agency fees was less than $500. Nation is not a good agency. Visit MOM website to find out more.

[moonee]

POA Teacher:

moonee:

I notice the older maids are referred in by other maids who hv worked in spore for a few years and the agent does not do a proper check by rely on the maids recommendation, wonder if this is the right thing to do.

I think that for ALL new maids coming in, the agent here do not do any checking at all. They just rely on the agents on the other side to supply them the bodies.

yup agree fully, just bring in the bodies and hope for the best and that does nt come cheap though. Well I still think its best nt to take maids that are too old and with no overseas experience, really majority are hard to train and rather stubborn, i guess if a maid has been in their country too long like 30 plus years, their old habits are hard to break and mentality too shallow, too provincial. err... swa koo

[DesertWind]

LOLMum:

DesertWind:

For reliable agency go to NATIONS.

Yo madam....you forgot to include 'I am not a staff, not the boss, no shares in this company' ......

I must confess they will give SGD50/= referral fee if you refer a customer to them and they get a maid from them. Please quote my name should you decide to follow my recommendation. :evil:

[DesertWind]

POA Teacher:

DesertWind:

For reliable agency go to NATIONS.

They are all the same.
All have some crappy maids, some good maids, some so-so maids.
All depends on your luck.

I mean they are pro-employers should you encounter any problems with your maid. So far our family has gotten 4 maids through them and the maids are quite good. We have not found the need to change any of these maids yet.

[DesertWind]

Hi Karl2,


Please be aware that wef 1 June 2012, the rules has changed. For Indonesian maids, the fees has been increased by the agency and new fees would be between SGD1200 to SGD2K. Why? Because new ruling that maids no longer need to bear so many months of loans to pay to their Indo. agency. Before, maid pays about 6-8 months of their pay to their Indonesian agency. So SG agency only charge for their services which for Nation is about SGD550 thereabout.

Under the new ruling, since maid will now only bear about 1/2 of the Indo. agency cost, the remaining half is being shoved to the employer. Therefore factor in SGD550 agency fees plus another roughly SGD1 to 1K of Indo. agency fee and you get the total of about SGD1.5K already. Yes, it is now very expensive for employer to get a maid!

[Angelight]

Yes, employing full time maids is going to get more and more costly. And that is no guarantee you will get a good maid. That’s why I don’t intend to get a new maid once my current one finishes her contract. I rather get a part-time help, don’t need to pay thru the nose, or be responsible for her welfare, or even see her ‘black face’ or bad attitude.


Of cos it also means I will have to do more house chores apart from taking care of my kid and cooking. But I think it’s worth it, rather than paying so much yet still be stressed by a FT maid.

[POA Teacher]

Me too, Angelight. Gonna go without one when current one goes home.

Only when the time comes when really really need one, will I subject myself to the stress of getting a new one.

[sad citizen]

yesterday I went to a small agency in Jurong East Central.

Was told $450 Indo, no off, agency fee $588, exclude loan
Filipino $450, one off, agency fee $688, exclude loan

I guess some agencies just want to take this opportunity to get higher agency fee. If employers give in, it will also cause more people to believe paying above $1k is a reasonable price, a norm, resulting the usual $388 becomes history.