The use of a part time maid has increased in Singapore as more households seek the convenience of a part time arrangement. The maid comes and does her duties and then she leaves. This gives the household their privacy. Furthermore, it also allows the family to maintain their privacy. This is a good arrangement for any family that is seeking to hire a maid but would still like to maintain the privacy of their home.
Why do I need to check if part time maid is legal?
The employment of part time maids is subject to legal rules and oversight. There are labor laws that have been put into place to assist employers to create safe and legal working conditions. It is important that the employer makes sure that they are working with a legal part time maid as this ensures that both parties are legally protected.
The job market for part time maids attracts a high number of both locals and foreigners. Some of the foreigners are legally in Singapore to seek an income for themselves and their families. The problem is that there are also a number of illegal immigrants who want to take up these jobs. Under the immigration and labor laws, these persons should not be hired, as they have not been certified to work in the country. In order for an employer to ensure that he does not make a mistake in hiring a part time maid it is therefore necessary that he or she performs a check to determine the legality of the person in question.
How to go about checking for legality
The Ministry of Manpower is in charge of issuing work permits for any foreigner that is seeking to work in the country. The challenge for part time maids is that since they are not restricted in where they can work, it is the preferred working arrangement for illegal immigrants. The Ministry of Manpower has therefore come up with a set of strict rules to ensure that the laws that are in place are enforced.
Ask to see the permit cards of the person you are considering employing as a part time maid. The permit cards are important as they enable you to determine whether they have been issued with a working permit. If all they have is a visitors pass it will be necessary for you to apply for a work permit in order to legalize the domestic services that you would wish to contract them to provide.
If you have any doubts as to the legality of the work permits that they have produced, it is advisable that you confirm these with the Ministry of Manpower. It is important to remember that hiring an illegal part time maid will have consequences for the employer as well as the maid. The Ministry of Manpower will levy a fine on you if they catch you flouting their rules.
How to ensure that the part time maid you get is legal
The best way to ensure that you get legal part time maid services is to use companies that provide these services. There are companies that provide part time maid workers to any household that needs them. These companies will usually undertake the challenge of ensuring that all of their employees are legal. Furthermore, they understand the process of getting work permits for foreigners much better than you do.
Additionally, even where you are dealing with a service provider as an intermediary in setting up the working arrangement, it is always advisable that you insist on confirming the work permit. This is because while most companies that provide part time maids from foreign countries will make sure that they meet legal requirements, there are rogue companies. These will seek to skirt the rules and you may therefore find yourself in trouble with the authorities.
It is advisable that you refrain from sourcing the foreigners to work as part time maids personally. This is because there is little guarantee that you will be able to identify a good foreigner with the right skill set and the proper working papers. Use a professional part time maid service and give yourself the peace of mind that comes from competence. Lastly, if for any reason you doubt the legality of the maid you hired or the company, it is important that you report to the authorities as soon as possible.
