15 Best Maid Agencies, Maid Insurance (& new MOM maid rules 2023)

Hiring a helper does not only mean you are forking out money for their salary, but much more than that.

Domestic helpers are essential to many households, but what do you need to consider when looking for a good agency that can help find you the ideal maid?

Go through this complete guide to hiring a domestic helper in Singapore before you take the leap.

Content

• 15 Best Maid Agencies in Singapore
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Maid Rules 2023
• Should I hire a maid? 7 Things to consider
• Hire a maid cost in Singapore
• How much should I earn to afford a helper?
• 8 Best Maid Insurance in Singapore
• Maid Insurance: What can I claim?
• Should my maid live in my house?
• Maid Abuse Cases in Singapore

15 Best Maid Agencies in Singapore

How to choose a good maid agency? You should be looking for one that has bene around for many years (experience), retention rate, transfer help rate, placement volume.

Too complicated? Well, they should generally have good reviews online, promptness in their replies, and accredited on the MOM Employment Agency (EA) Directory.

Here are some of the best maid agencies in Singapore that have been well reviewed over the past decade:

Remember, prices don't vary that much between each agency. After all, the minimum salary for each domestic helper depends on their country of origin, years of experience, and other soft skills such as language, early childhood care, senior and medical care.

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Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Maid Rules

Before you hire a domestic helper for your household, know that (and explain to your elderly parents or grandparents) that the Singaporean government has pretty strict rules about domestic workers' eligibility and welfare.

No, you cannot hit them or abuse them because they are your "maid". In the eyes of the law, they are employed workers, not someone you can bully.

• Females only
• Minimum age: 23 years old
• Approved countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand
• Must have 8 years of education. Education certificate must be recognised by Singapore

After your helper has arrived in Singapore, you must pay for her $5,000 security bond, and apply for their In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter, and attend MOM's Settling-In Programme (SIP).

• Minimum contract length: 2 years
• Must have maid insurance
• You must pay for maid levy: $60, $300, or $450 per month

You must also attend MOM's Employer's Orientation Programme (EOP), a three-hour course that will cost you $35 to $60.

Maid's Off Day (Update Jan 1, 2023)

You must give your maid one day or rest every week. The day of rest must be mutually agreed on.

What if your maid prefers to work seven days a week to earn more money?

From Jan 1, 2023, all maids must have one off-day per month at minimum. On this day, she is allowed to go out or choose to rest at home. If she's resting at home, you shouldn't make her work.

If your helper agrees to work on her other rest days in the month, you must pay her with additional one day's salary.

Like all companies, helpers have their own "HR" website too. You need to update your helper's off-days status on the MOM FDW eService website.

Maid's Room

According to MOM, you must provide your helper with a safe place to live and rest. The requirements are:

• Your helper should have her own room or private space to rest, and it must shelter her from the sun, rain, strong winds
• You must provide your helper with mattress, pillow, blanket, bathroom amenities, toiletries, soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste
• She must have sufficient ventilation such as natural wind or fan
• She cannot sleep near dangerous equipments or structures
• She cannot sleep in the same room as a male or teenage male
• She must be informed of all CCTVs and recording devices
• There must be no CCTVs that could compromise her privacy or modesty

Do I pay for my maid's food?

Yes, according to MOM, "you must provide your MDW with 3 meals a day".

There are strict guidelines for the bare minimum food you should be providing. No, you cannot force your helper to eat foods that she doesn't feel comfortable eating, or is against her religious beliefs to consume.

Do I pay for my maid's medical bills?

Yes, you have to pay, and are responsible for your helper's medical bills, insurance, and needs.

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Should I Hire A Maid? 7 Things to consider

1. Do you need full-time help?

Whether it’s for housekeeping or child-, pet- or eldercare, employing a live-in Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) is deemed a “necessity” for many busy folks in Singapore. But, letting a stranger live with you requires a good amount of trust and giving up some of your privacy and personal space.

First, educate yourself about the legal requirements on the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Work Permit online page.

Then, find a maid via a site like Anisya or through word-of-mouth recos for “transfer” maids (hired directly from a current employer) from Facebook groups or friends. Or, leave the background checks and paperwork to a reputable maid agency.

Tip: Make sure the agency is rated highly by customers on the MOM’s online Employment Agency (EA) Directory.

2. Maid Salary Minimum

Singapore doesn’t impose a minimum monthly salary for helpers, as this is mandated by the helper’s country of origin:

• Indonesia: $505
• Sri Lanka: $497
• Myanmar: $450
• Philippines: $570

Also, take note of these typical monthly expenses you will need to pay:

• MOM levy: $265
• Bond and maid insurance: $350
• Toiletries and food: $200
• EZ-Link card
• Mobile phone bill
• Medical costs

The real average cost of employing a helper each month? It starts at $1,200 and up.

3. Where will your maid sleep?

MOM’s minimum standards for a maid's housing arrangement include:

• Adequate shelter with protection from the elements and proper ventilation
• Safety (no dangerous equipment or unsafe structures
• Modesty – meaning, she should not share a room with a male teenager or adult
• Employers should provide helpers with their own rooms, such as a bomb shelter, maid’s room or a full bedroom

That said, a 2016 survey by nonprofit Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) found that 40 percent of helpers in Singapore share a room.

4. Full-time vs Part-time maid

If you realise you only need help with regular cleaning or spring cleaning, or house-sitting, pet-walking or occasional babysitting, there are a variety of ways to book an experienced professional online or via free apps from companies.

Read More: 17 Best Spring Cleaning Services in Singapore

5. Is this maid suitable for my family?

This is a tough question to answer. Hiring a helper is often similar to a marriage: If it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t work out. But there are things you can do to help increase the "click" factor between you and your helper.

Firstly, meet and interview the helper in person: Ask about her character, her hobbies and what she does on her days off. Ask her also what a typical work day is like with her current employer. Her answers should give you a good idea of whether she’s the right fit for your family. 

Additionally, let her know what her job scope will be if she is hired, and what will be expected of her in your home, so that she can decide if this is what she’s really looking for.

Ask her about her expectations for the new job – salary, curfew time and how she wants issues to be resolved – and share your house rules with her. It’s important to keep the channels of communication open always, so you won’t have any misunderstandings.

6. Should I find a domestic helper and handle the paperwork on my own? 

If you can find a helper who is highly recommended by a trusted friend, it may be a good idea to employ that helper.

However, there have been cases where the friend over-sold the helper’s skills just to be rid of her. There is also the possibility that the helper may fit in with your friend’s family but not with yours.

Still, it is a good idea to give the recommended helper a chance to work with your family and see how it goes. If it works out, great! If it doesn’t, at least both of you gave it a shot. If you’d like to save on agency fees, then filing the application on your own is fine.

However, there is a lot that needs to be done before the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) approves the application, such as getting written consent from the helper’s current employer and ensuring that she has undergone a medical examination.

Detailed instructions, employer guidelines and the necessary application forms can be downloaded from the MOM website.

7. How do I know if my maid agency is legit?

Where do all these maid agencies source their maids from? Many maid agencies have their own international partners who supply to various countries as well as to agencies in Singapore. Some agencies source their helpers locally. These helpers are generally trained in the overseas centres. 

Whether the helper is “good” is dependent upon her experience, and whether her character matches your needs and requirements. Even so, you will still need to train your helper once she’s working with you, so she will know exactly how you want things done.

Finally, to check if you maid agency is legit, run the agency's name through the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)'s Employment Agencies and Personnel Search, also called the EA Directory.

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Hire A Maid Cost in Singapore

246,800. That’s the number of maids or foreign domestic helpers in Singapore as of 31^st December, 2017, according to the Ministry of Manpower. And with the Singaporean lifestyle growing ever increasingly hectic, the figure seems set to rise even further. With the increase in demand for domestic help, the cost of hiring a maid is also getting more expensive.

According to our research, it costs about $1,400 in one-time fees just to hire a maid foreign domestic worker. Most households hiring a helper for the first time usually go through maid agencies as they take care of all the paperwork and can also help out with mediation if things do not work out between you and your new FDW.

Hiring a helper on your own is definitely cheaper, but you have to be prepared to handle the application process and might have no recourse in case you need to change the hired help.

• Maid Agency Fee: $1,100
• Work Permit Application: $30
• Work Permit: $30
• Settling in Progamme: $75
• Employer's Orientation: $32.25
• Initial Medical Examination: $80
• Inoculation (Optional): $73.87
• Total: $1,421.12

Typically, you can expect to spend another $1,200 per month on various things like salary, insurance and living expenses. Usually, a FDW's salary is pegged to her nationality with certain countries stipulating a minimum monthly salary for hiring FDWs from them. In fact, the median salary for new workers is actually quite close to the minimum requirement.

• Monthly Salary: $500 to $1,000 per month

However, a FDW’s salary can also vary depending on their experience, and can increase to up to $1,000 per month in some cases. Also, hiring new helpers often requires a up-front payment in the form of placement fee, which is usually equivalent to 2 to 5 months of FDW's salary.

However, this fee is subsequently deducted from the maid’s salary in monthly instalments for the agreed time period. Also, Singaporeans who live with an elderly person, a child or a person with special needs can apply for a concessional rate of FDW levy at $60 per month in case, which will reduce your cost to $1,000 per month and $12,000 per annum.

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How Much Should I Earn to Afford a Helper in Singapore?

Given the relatively high cost, how much money do you actually have to earn to afford hiring a foreign domestic worker? According to our analysis, your net income after CPF contribution should be about $6,000-$7,000 per month to sufficiently afford a full-time domestic helper.

Families with two working adults should be able to afford hiring a domestic help with some financial buffer to spare.

• Household Expenses Monthly: $4,839 (food, transport, education, clothes and entertainment)
• Helper's Salary Monthly: $1,000
• Savings: $900
• Your Salary Should Be: $6,739

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8 Best Maid Insurance in Singapore

Many households in Singapore hire live-in domestic helpers to help out with household chores, cooking, elderly care etc.

Of these households, recent market research conducted by insurance company FWD found that 68 per cent of employees bought foreign domestic worker insurance through a maid agency. Yet, 70 per cent of them said they would buy it online directly from an insurer in the future.

*Price listed is based on Philippines maid, new to Singapore, as of 12 January 2023

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Maid Insurance in Singapore: What Can I Claim?

News of domestic helper mishaps often spread quickly not just because of their shocking nature—the victims of these stories also end up with exorbitant medical or liability costs.

In most cases, your full-time domestic helper's toothaches, flu or other minor ailments can be addressed with relatively low costs.

But what happens when an emergency happens? Will you be liable to pay out thousands of dollars in medical bills for your domestic helper if she breaks a bone from falling or gets cancer?

6 Things you can claim from maid insurance

Below, we explore different types of maid emergencies and whether or not it will be covered by your insurance.

My Maid Committed a Crime Against Me

It's unfortunate when your domestic helper turns out to be less trustworthy than you thought.

If you return home one day to find your belongings missing, or if you get into a spat and your helper spitefully hurts your child(ren) or elderly relatives in retaliation, the psychological stress and associated medical and replacement costs can end up being very high.

The good news is that depending on who your insurance company is, your domestic helper insurance can cover all of these scenarios.

This includes coverage for:

• items lost or damaged by fire or theft
• damages to children, handicapped or elderly family relatives

If you have proof (such as a home CCTV system) of any of theses events, you must report the incident to the police, your insurer and the Ministry of Manpower.

However, you may not be able to claim repatriation expenses, re-hiring or termination expenses as these are usually only claimable due to severe medical reasons or death.

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My Helper Fell While Cleaning

The Ministry of Manpower makes the Settling-In Programme necessary for a reason—it is their way of letting your domestic helper know what is proper work protocol and how to prevent unnecessary injury.

In this case, your maid insurance should cover you if you claim under their personal accident section. Your insurance company will pay out a prorated sum depending on the severity of the injury.

Some insurance plans even offer outpatient expenses to continue the treatment for the injured worker.

If you decide to keep your domestic worker after the incident, your insurance will also cover your domestic worker's wages while she's in the hospital and, in some cases, wages for temporary alternative help.

If the injuries are severe enough or you want to send your worker back home, your insurance will pay for repatriation expenses, termination expenses and re-hiring expenses.

Maid Pregnant in Singapore

There are only around 100 cases of domestic helper pregnancies per year in Singapore.

Nonetheless, the risk is still high enough for insurance companies to refuse coverage for anything related to your domestic worker's pregnancy.

This includes pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage and abortion expenses.

In this case, it is highly unlikely you will be responsible for your domestic worker's medical bills at this point since she will be breaching her work permit.

However, you will be instead be responsible for repatriation and re-hiring costs as your insurance will only cover these things if your domestic worker cannot continue due to medical conditions besides pregnancy.

Maid Ran Away Singapore

According to the most recent statistics, around 4,000 domestic helpers run away per year.

If your domestic worker ran away, you should report the incident to the police and Ministry of Manpower immediately.

Unfortunately, in this case your insurance can't help you much.

If you can't find your domestic worker, half of your security bond will be forefeited to help pay for her repatriation and other related costs.

Your maid insurance can only help recover some of the bond only if you had purchased the optional waiver of counter indemnity benefit. This waiver can reduce your bond liability to $250 instead of $2,500.

However, your insurance company must have evidence that you were not at fault of breaching the bond (i.e. you did not abuse your maid to the point where she ran away).

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Maid Diagnosed with Cancer in Singapore

There have been several cases of domestic helpers suffering from terminal illnesses that ended up costing their employers thousands of dollars in medical fees.

Thankfully, the minimum $15,000 of hospitalisation coverage that your maid insurance provides should be sufficient for most hospitalisation and medical cases.

However, if your bills amount to greater thanS$15,000, you will be liable to pay the remainder of the bill.

However, if the illness is due to a pre-existing condition, you will not be able to claim from your maid insurance.

• Your domestic helper must be placed in a Class C or B2 hospital ward
• Not all diseases are covered: Common terminal illnesses like cancer, strokes and heart attacks are covered
• Other medical conditions such as venereal, mental or congenital diseases won't be covered

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Maid got into an Accident on Family Holiday

If your domestic helper has to travel with you on your family vacations, your maid insurer will automatically extend their coverage to wherever you are going.

However, there are exclusions to the coverage, including injuries or accidents due to sports and other adventurous activity, as well as bodily harm due to force majeure.

Thus, if you are planning on having your domestic helper participate in common winter or water sports, you can consider including her in your travel insurance policy.

You should keep in mind that in the event something does happen, you can only claim your domestic helper's illness or accident under one policy or the other.

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Should my maid live in my house?

Maid Employers remain on the fence over the issue of whether it's better for maids to stay in or out of the home. This was prompted by the announcement of plans by Indonesia to stop sending new "live-in" maids overseas in 2017.

The change, meant to "better protect" its helpers from being exploited, was set to kick in in 2018, an Indonesian Manpower Ministry official said. However, in 2017, the country decided to continue sending domestic helpers abroad for work lest women turn to human trafficking routes instead.

Here are some pros and cons of a live-in maid, and a live-out maid:

• Maid Lives Elsewhere: Extra costs of food, lodging and transport. Privacy for homeowners. Lower stress for helper, scheduled free time.
• Live-In Maid: Accommodates irregular work schedules, round the clock childcare, prevents maid from falling into bad company. Higher stress for helper, lesser free time.

Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, foreign domestic workers must live with their employers at the addresses stated on their work permits. A spokesman for Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said "exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis when the employer is temporarily not in Singapore", but added that "such requests are rare".

Employers are allowed to house their maids in a temporary dormitory when they go on holiday.

Mr Tay Khoon Beng, who owns Best Home Employment Agency, runs a 250-bed facility called Well Care Home in Woodlands for trainee maids, those who are being transferred, and those whose employers are on holiday. "The place is really meant for short stays," he said, noting that the dormitory is always full.

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Maid Abuse Cases in Singapore

With the increase in the number of maids working in Singapore, there are also more reports of alleged abuse.

Here are several unfortunate and tragic high profile maid abuse cases in Singapore that shook the nation.

(Trigger warning: Violence, death, & domestic abuse)

Gaiyathiri Murugayan & Prema S. Naraynasamy: Myanmar Maid Abuse (2016)

A 41-year-old housewife who starved, tortured and ultimately killed her domestic worker from Myanmar stared blankly into space as she was sentenced on Tuesday (June 22) to 30 years in prison - the longest jail term meted out here in a maid abuse case.

In sentencing Gaiyathiri Murugayan, High Court judge See Kee Oon said: "Words cannot adequately describe the abject cruelty of the accused's appalling conduct."

He described the case as "among the worst cases of culpable homicide", noting that the victim was made to endure agonising physical and psychological harm for a long time before she died.

The victim, 24-year-old Piang Ngaih Don, who weighed 39kg when she started working for the family on May 28, 2015, weighed a mere 24 kg when she died on July 26, 2016, from the final assault.

On Jan 9, 2023, mother Prema S. Naraynasamy, who joined her daughter in torturing a maid from Myanmar to death was sentenced to 14 years’ jail.

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Tan Lee Hoon (2018)

A 56-year-old woman who lives in a multi-million-dollar property in Sentosa Cove is contesting claims that she abused two of her domestic helpers.

Tan Lee Hoon was in court on Dec 8, 2020 at the start of a trial in which she is facing eight counts of voluntarily causing hurt to the Filipino nationals.

Both victims were employed by Tan's husband, 59-year-old Sim Guan Huat, who is currently facing charges involving the illegal employment of foreign nationals, including one of the maids - Ms Joan Lozares Lizardo, 33.

Tan allegedly pinched Ms Arangote in the stomach, arm, thigh and chest on various occasions in September 2018 in her home.

She is also said to have kicked Ms Lizardo in the chest and hit her head in October 2018, and also struck her torso with a stick in another instance that year.

Court documents state that Tan's alleged acts of abuse came to light after Ms Arangote's friend, another maid, called the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), which in turn informed the police on Oct 17, 2018.

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Deepakala Chandra Secharan (2020)

On Jan 11 2023, District Judge Ow Yong Tuck Leong convicted Deepakala Chandra Secharan, 38 years old, of three counts of assault involving Ms Eni following a trial.

In their submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutors Yang Ziliang and Chong Ee Hsiun said Ms Eni started working at Deepakala’s Woodlands flat on Dec 9, 2019.

She was abused 16 days later after she mixed up some cutlery while placing the items in a kitchen drawer. Deepakala became angry when she saw this and repeatedly poked Ms Eni’s forehead with her index finger, causing a scratch.

On April 23, 2020, she used a wooden clothes hanger to hit Ms Eni until it broke. The next day, Deepakala flew into a rage when the maid could not find masking tape.

The prosecutors said: “The accused then took a nearly depleted roll of masking tape... and hit the victim’s forehead with it.”

She then asked Ms Eni how long it would take her to clean a pathway in the flat. When the maid replied it would take her 30 minutes, Deepakala got angry and slapped Ms Eni’s cheeks multiple times.

She stopped only after her husband separated the pair. Deepakala later hit the maid’s right arm and back with a stick.

On April 25, 2020, Ms Eni was hanging laundry from the kitchen window on the eighth storey when another maid in a lower unit saw her.

The DPPs said the other maid gestured to ask why Ms Eni had bruises on her face, and Ms Eni replied by demonstrating a motion of hitting oneself to indicate her employer had hit her.

The other maid used a “calling gesture” to suggest alerting the authorities for help. After some hesitation, Ms Eni nodded her head in agreement.

The other maid called the Centre for Domestic Employees, which alerted the police, and officers arrived at Deepakala’s flat later that day.

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Suzanna Bong Maid Abuse (2020)

In a 2020 maid abuse case, a woman who punched her maid in the face whenever she became angry, leaving her almost blind, was jailed for a year and eight months on Aug 29, 2020.

Singaporean Suzanna Bong Sim Swan, then 46, also forced Myanmar national Than Than Soe to sleep on the floor, refused to pay her and did not give her any days off in her employment of more than 18 months, a court heard.

The maid became blind in her left eye due to injuries, including retinal detachment. She also suffered severe injuries to the right eye, the court heard.

The court heard that after being employed by Bong in May 2013, the maid - who was 27 at the time - was not given any days off.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Tang Shangjun and Chong Kee En said in their submissions: "In addition to the physical abuse that she suffered, the victim was also exploited, as she was forced to work without pay… The victim testified that she had never been paid a salary throughout the two years that she was working for the accused. It was only after MOM (Ministry of Manpower) intervened that the victim was paid her salary in full."

During the trial, Ms Than Than Soe testified that Bong started finding fault with her work four months after she started work in the Yishun flat belonging to Bong's parents. Initially, Bong just scolded the maid but this slowly escalated into physical abuse.

The prosecutors said: "The accused would… generally inflict physical abuse on the victim about 'two to three times a week', with such attacks being concentrated on the victim's face. Such attacks often comprised the victim being punched in her eyes."

The abuse became worse after Ms Than Than Soe moved into Bong's Sengkang flat in early 2015, the court heard.

The maid said she would not be given dinner about three times a week, and occasionally lunch too. She was also not given a mattress and had to sleep on her sarong on the floor.

The court heard that Bong would punch her maid in the eyes every time she became angry - and it happened as frequently as three times a week. The DPPs said that as a result of these attacks, Ms Than Than Soe, who used have perfect eyesight, began to experience blurred vision around January 2014.

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This story was first published on The Finder, ValueChampion, The Straits Times.