Employing maid

Mof2kk

Member
Thanks for your info, Ping26. I'm just like jaybaobei...I also heard from my aunt that new Indo maids are now around $450 as she's getting a new one.
 

pipilili

Member
My mum's Indon maid is SGD 380 and she has started working with my mum. So far so good.


My Indon maid is SGD 420, but has not arrived yet. I hope its at least abv avg too.


SGD 450 - 500 for Indon maid is abit too much.


Even a Fillipino maid cost only SGD 400 w/o off day. SGD 380 with off day. My friend who just hired one told me about it when we recently met up.
 

maneo0302

Active Member
I just selected a 26 yrs old fresh Filipino maid. Her salary is $360 with one off day per month. Agency fee is $388.
 

pipilili

Member
I am just thinking if the reporter will follow up on the 16 agency who are found to have increase maid's pay. I would be very interested to find out who are the guilty agencies??


If there is anyone who are working in maid agencies, what if we have hired a maid thru these 16 agencies?

What are our rights as consumers if the maid has not arrived yet?

Can we demand to decrease maid's wages?
 

Carlisle

Member
Have you asked your mother or your mother-in-law or a relative perhaps to help you take care of your newborn baby? I think it will be much safer than hiring a maid and not to mention the money spent on them, so costly.
 

pipilili

Member
Yep my mum is helping to 'look after' the bb but my mum is old(and is suffering from achy arms and on medication daily) so need to get a maid to help her with household chores + cooking + marketing.


But I am hiring another Indon maid to take care of bb full time even with my mum's help. My maid's responsibility is to make sure bb is fed (plus night feed), cleaned, changed, bathed with supervision of my mum.


If my mum is younger, and have energy, I would love to have my mum solely taking care of the bb but I am a old mummy so no choice.


Regarding the maid pay hike - I have emailed to respective ministries to find out what are consumer rights if we have gotten our maid thru the 16 agencies. Maybe some ppl think I am money pincher but what I feel is as biz men, you have every right to earn from consumers, but it must be in an ethical manner. (ie: Just like doctors also need to have doctor's ethics). I also think there are many ppl like me who has signed up w these agencies and is wondering what they can do.



 

pipilili

Member
Pinkliciouz,

Nowadays these maid agencies very cunning one. Once their license gets revoked, they will use another person's name and set up a new agency with almost similar name. I have been looking at MOM website and cross check with some agencies, you can see minor changes to the name. (the main name will not be changed only)

Example: Countryside Maids International Pte Ltd, changed to, Countryside Maids Placement Pte Ltd.

I think government ministries should look into such matter where there should be 2 stakeholders (owners) egister for the company. If there are X # of complaints, the 2 owners will not be able to re-gister a new company under new business. Or else, there is no difference, they just need to close down the previous maid agencies (which kenna complain)and reopen new ones under new names.

They are not directly being punished cos the unethical practices are still loitering in the market. This is similar to renovation contractors...many of them have their license revoked but they are still operating under diff names. So the bad practices and short cut/shoddy work are still happening. (ie: leaking to neighbours ceiling, poorly done cornice, un-licensed/approved shower panes)



 

Pinkliciouz

Member
Pinkliciouz,

Nowadays these maid agencies very cunning one. Once their license gets revoked, they will use another person's name and set up a new agency with almost similar name. I have been looking at MOM website and cross check with some agencies, you can see minor changes to the name. (the main name will not be changed only)

Example: Countryside Maids International Pte Ltd, changed to, Countryside Maids Placement Pte Ltd.

I think government ministries should look into such matter where there should be 2 stakeholders (owners) egister for the company. If there are X # of complaints, the 2 owners will not be able to re-gister a new company under new business. Or else, there is no difference, they just need to close down the previous maid agencies (which kenna complain)and reopen new ones under new names.

They are not directly being punished cos the unethical practices are still loitering in the market. This is similar to renovation contractors...many of them have their license revoked but they are still operating under diff names. So the bad practices and short cut/shoddy work are still happening. (ie: leaking to neighbours ceiling, poorly done cornice, un-licensed/approved shower panes)



I know my maid agency, the boss of the agency actually has several maid agencies. When there are transfer maid, they will swap here and there. There was once I waited for 2 months and no maid, and they don't want to give me transfer maid. I was so upset, my husband and me went down to the shop to scream at the girls, demanding a refund. We made a very hoohaa, and the next day, they told me they have a maid for us to use for the time being while waiting for the maid of my choice to come from Phillipine.

That time, I was about to due anytime and without a maid, no one is going to help me with the household chores and the baby. I was so stress, I was crying already. With the baby about to due and no help, and the agency keep promising to deliver and never deliver, I was in depression... I live in a double storey house so w/o a maid is not a joke lor... These people at the agencies, when you are very nasty, then they will try to speed things up for you. If you are nice to them, they will jiak gao gao(eat your meat and chew your bones)...

The agency that I went to: Singapore Maid Agencies Reviews: Greatlink Employment Agency


 

pipilili

Member
Pinkliciouz,

The maid I hired is from one of those 16 agencies which were fined. I am very interested to find out who are the guilty ones and what are the rights of consumers who have purchased the maid from them.

I personally has already written to CASE to find out about consumer rights, if the 16 agencies are found guilty. What can consumers do, turn to for help?

I also written to Straits Times reporter who reported on the case to ask her to follow up on the matter as I think many mtbs hired maid. I dun think we should be paying more to those maid agencies bosses who live in bungalow, drive a sports car, cheating our hard-earned money. (Maybe some of us really have an easy life, but we need to spare a thought for majority of the singaporeans who are only in the middle class family, esp young families)

 

Pinkliciouz

Member
Ohh... What was CASE's reply?

Maid agencies is a very lucrative market, that's why you see a lot of people going into that business... Do you know they not only make money from us, but also from the maid. They charge the maid over 2K as their loan, when the agencies only paid for their air-fare and their lodging in Singapore during the waiting time for the employer to pick them up. If the maid don't have a employer, they don't even bring the maid in, so they don't hold any risk actually. If the maid don't have money to go to Manila airport, they have to borrow from friends... So the agency is only paying like 100+ for the air-ticket, and charge the maid 2K+... Here, you can see how ör xim" they are already...
 

pipilili

Member
CASE has not replied to me yet cos the 16 agencies have up to 27 Jun to write in if they are not guilty. I am waiting for 27 Jun.

Straits Time reporter already replied and said she will follow up on the matter and it will be in the news again nearing 27 Jun. Let's keep ourselves in the loop.

I just hope those who are hiring maids read about the news nearing 27 Jun so that they know what to do and is not helpless. Unless you super rich, dun mind paying SGD 500 for a maid type...else, I think everyone who has a maid should be concern over the matter.

I also think that maid agencies earn a high profit margin, cos recently just around our small estate, we have 3 maid agencies which has opened up!!!! I am not even counting those in town centre yet...Reminds me of those reno companies who suddenly open up ard neighbourhood areas a few years back. I think govt shd QC these companies...tsk tsk tsk...so many unethical ones ard. Hopefully ppl(maid agencies) will be scared after these 16 BIG maid agencies kenna.
 

Pinkliciouz

Member
CASE has not replied to me yet cos the 16 agencies have up to 27 Jun to write in if they are not guilty. I am waiting for 27 Jun.

Straits Time reporter already replied and said she will follow up on the matter and it will be in the news again nearing 27 Jun. Let's keep ourselves in the loop.

I just hope those who are hiring maids read about the news nearing 27 Jun so that they know what to do and is not helpless. Unless you super rich, dun mind paying SGD 500 for a maid type...else, I think everyone who has a maid should be concern over the matter.

I also think that maid agencies earn a high profit margin, cos recently just around our small estate, we have 3 maid agencies which has opened up!!!! I am not even counting those in town centre yet...Reminds me of those reno companies who suddenly open up ard neighbourhood areas a few years back. I think govt shd QC these companies...tsk tsk tsk...so many unethical ones ard. Hopefully ppl(maid agencies) will be scared after these 16 BIG maid agencies kenna.

I believe some of these agencies is out to cheat money lah... Renovation companies have to be very careful, some out to cheat money 1. You know my customer tell me, last time there is this syndicate, out to cheat money. They ride in bikes from Msia, and advertise in Singapore newspaper to sell those doors or furniture related stuffs. They don't collect full payment, they only tell you to put down a deposit, after which when they finish installing, then you pay up the remaining amount. The prices they quote is damn cheap, so a lot of people buy from them lah. Let's say deposit is only $500 for 1 family, imagine in a week you can collect 10 deposits (which 10 is very little already), is 5k already... After they collect the deposit, they cancel their mobile number. Customers cannot find them at all becuase they are already back in Msia. Then next time, they ask another group come out and work the same way. They very professional 1, invoice and namecards and stuffs...Cos print in Msia cheap lor!

Maid agencies can also work that way. Agencies collect agency fees from us, they collect a lot, but bank into another company and let the current company account bleed. Then suddenly close shop, say company is making lose. There's nothing we can do also. So at many times, we are at the losing end.

Please post the reply from CASE when you receive cos I am also employing maid, I almost fell into the scham also leh...
 

pipilili

Member
CASE replied already but I dun think I can post reply in forum.

The summary is:

1. Wait for 27 Jun before they can check who are the guilty ones.
2. Private negotiation if you want 1-2-1 xchg for cheaper maid/lower maid's wages if agency found guilty.



 

Angelmum

Moderator
I was told those maids hired at $450 wouldn't agree to take a pay cut. Agencies usually will claim by trying to pay them lesser, the maid you've will leave or be unhappy. In order to make them happy, $450 is sealed. As long as MOM doesn't step in and declare a clear and fair guideline on salary and benefits - for experience and inexperience maids, we're at losing ends.

Unlikely to get any fair terms if MOM continues to side agencies and maids. If this $450 + levy $170 (subsidized) is meant for experienced maid like those in HK (cost $540/mth), I don't mind paying but too bad, we're in Spore, where we are forced by MOM to train maids, provide everything, cry but nobody wants to hear our grievances .....
 

pipilili

Member
I gathered more info on this whole maid employment thingee. Actually not all agency's charges start from $450. I think the big ones charges at $450, cos maybe they all agreed with each other since they are the big brothers in this industry.


Some agency has good maids starting at $400. I managed to source one at $400.

Just wish govt step in regarding this whole maid hiring thingee..the price keeps going up. Maid salary also go up, but how come our salary nvr go up so fast! Bloody hell, with inflation kicking in, I feel I am UNDER PAID!
 

Angelmum

Moderator
Tharman - Finance & new MOM minister (Cabinet Appt)


Maybe more of you send email to him to reflect how much we're suffering under current unfair system. Guess they see my name, my emails all auto enter into waste bin....
Email: tharman_s@mof.gov.sg
cc your own zone (List of Constituencies | PARLIAMENT OF SINGAPORE)


Personally, I feel the MOM feedback email is useless. I encountered many times my questions were not answered, they merely copied and paste from standard messages... irrelevant. Those people handling feedback, do they have maids? Are they locals?


Found one email reply re: providing protection to FDW's employer faced with runaway maid, this is MOM's reply ... I cut and paste (got proof) :tlaugh:


"Concerning your query on how you can protect yourself as an employer, we
are of the view that each employer has different methods of exercising
control and proper supervision over their workers. Generally, the employer
should ensure the worker's welfare and interests are well looked after.
These include non-statutory requirements such as proper orientation,
medical care, hospitalization expenses and providing for the worker's
social and recreational needs.

As an employer, it is your prerogative to resolve any employment-related
disputes with the worker amicably."



If you were me, receiving such reply, won't you be angry? Didn't mention how we're protected but reminded me to take good care of maid. :weno::wemad::we2wacko:
 
Last edited:

pipilili

Member
I know some families are pretty nasty to their maids(ie: scold them everyday, give them little food, make them wake up v early and sleep v late)....but what about normal families who doesn't ill treat maids? How would we feel if we are marginalized! Damn it.

Actually regarding off days, if the govt really want to put in pl a day off for maids, I think many ppl will complain. Nowadays the maids are not the type we get in the past...they want hp, they want FB, I wonder they come here to work or come here to FB and tok on HP. I think it's reasonable that employers let their maid have a more relaxing day (Sat/Sun) and make them work lesser. Ie: They can wake up at 10am, no need to take care of children/no need to do housework on Sun...instead of going out. I am v scared when maid wants off day cos Ive seen many maids going out w Bangala. Imagine your maid takes care of infant and contracted HIV and is taking care of infant. *FAINTZ*

Actually what I am truely concern with is the COST OF MAIDS, AGENCY COST these days. Why are their salary increasing faster than inflation rate? Is that right? The govt did provide us various options to take care of infants/children/ elderly etc... which is v good. But the bad thing is they just give you w/o doing QC. (ie: childcare are not cheap to send your infant or children to these days. Heard from my friends they inc sch fees like half yearly sometimes. And nursing home - the recent saga tells us alot about QC standards of nursing homes, as for maids - we have problems w maids too, esp when we need to blend them into our family culture + at the same time make sure they are mentally sound. Sometimes SG also need to learn from other countries - see what others are doing, and take in the good practice and dump the lousy practices.
 

Angelmum

Moderator
Actually regarding off days, if the govt really want to put in pl a day off for maids, I think many ppl will complain. Nowadays the maids are not the type we get in the past...they want hp, they want facebook, I wonder they come here to work or come here to facebook and tok on HP.

I am very scared when maid wants off day cos Ive seen many maids going out w Bangala. Imagine your maid takes care of infant and contracted HIV and is taking care of infant. *FAINTZ*

Actually what I am truely concern with is the COST OF MAIDS, AGENCY COST these days. Why are their salary increasing faster than inflation rate? Is that right?

Now I'm giving myself false hopes. I hope PAP really heard us but can't do anything as Parliament dissolved. Let's wait for Parliament to begin its session and see how much we mean to PAP.
 
Top