The cost of living in Singapore is high - highest all over the world to be exact. It’s the reason why, whatever social class a family is in, everyone who is capable of working and earning money in a household should do so. It often means that both parents have to work hand-in-hand to provide for their kids.
It’s this reason why the demand for domestic helpers is ever-growing. Over the years, foreign domestic workers in Singapore are increasing in numbers and have technically become an essential part of the majority of the households in the city-state.
One can’t simply deny the relief of knowing you have a pair of extra hands to get the household going on a daily basis.
Hiring can, however, prove to be difficult. Nevertheless, you have two primary options as to how you can hire one: through an agency or directly hiring them yourselves. Either way, each has its own benefits and drawbacks and in this article, allow us to enlighten you further about the things involved in hiring a domestic worker.
Direct Hire
Overseeing the recruitment process without the help of an agency offers its own benefits. For one, it affords you full control over the process as well as the costs involved with hiring help.
The only downside is that direct hire also involves doing all the labour on your own from scouting for a helper from one job boards to another and reviewing profiles of helpers who are seeking employment in Singapore.
It’s undeniably a long and tedious process and adds to your long list of to-dos is the task of interviewing candidates and once you find your match, you will also have to process the documents yourself - and the process itself can incur expenses in the long run.
Nevertheless, it pays to know that the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) has an e-service platform that allows employers to apply online for a work permit in behalf of the candidate and without the assistance of a maid agency.
Agency Hire
As you can see, hiring a helper can be time-consuming and not to mention - costly. In certain cases, using the help of an agency is rather more preferable as they handle all the necessary paperwork needed when hiring a domestic worker.
Jack Focus, for instance, is a Singapore-based Myanmar maid agency that has a pool of talents that are professionally-trained to provide aid to Singaporean households. Resorting to an agency as such can be a smart move as recruitment agencies have the ability to find you the one that matches your needs and requirements.
Whether you’re hiring from an agency or not, it’s crucial that you weigh in the benefits and drawbacks of each option and consider which factors matter to you most.
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