Singapore plays host to over 2 million foreign workers, many of whom hold high positions there. While they may be blessed with big disposable incomes, the downside is that they work long hours, leaving little time for household chores. They resort to hiring a maid, some opting for a full-time maid, while others choose to pay for part time maid service. A common question among newly-arrived expats is which option is better. While having a full-time help sounds tempting, experience has taught these expats that there are more advantages to a part time maid service:

Less Paperwork
One of the benefits of working in Singapore is the availability of domestic workers, better known as maids. Most of them come from the Philippines or Indonesia, and therefore need permit to work in the country as such. If you want a full-time maid, make sure that she has a work permit from the Department of Manpower, otherwise, both of you will be slapped with penalties. If she has none, you can process the permit yourself or hire an agency to do it for you. Either way, you will have to be mindful of the legalities involved. On the other hand, if you just hire a part time maid service from an agency, it is the agency who will deal with this bureaucratic headache. 

Cheaper
The average monthly salary of a full time maid is about $500. At first blush, this may sound cheaper than the $10/per hour rate of part time maid service. But aside from the costs of the work permit, employers have to shell out $265 as monthly levy to be paid to the government if you hire a full time maid. You will also be required to post a security bond and provide insurance for her. For part time maids, all of these are shouldered by their agency. So you add up and compare your expenses, you will find that you will spend less if you just pay for the services of a part time maid.


Security
One of the concerns of welcoming a domestic worker into one’s home is security. You really don’t know this person, and if you want your peace of mind, you should do your own background check. But chances are, investigating is not your forte, so you may miss something which can be fatal to you or your family. You can of course, hire directly from an agency, but this will surely costs a little more. On the other hand, most if not all, cleaning services in Singapore will do their own background check on their employees. They do not want to ruin their good name by hiring a criminal. And if something does happen, you can always run after the agency. 

Privacy
Having a full time maid around can be trying especially for those who like their privacy. Boundaries are hard to set with people who share your roof. This is not a problem with part time maids. They are there only at a time that has been previously agreed upon. If you are entertaining, you can schedule them before to ensure that your house is ready to receive guests. If you have sensitive documents, you can always put them away before they come to service your place. At the same time, there is always a third party who knows that someone is in your house, so part time maids will think twice before doing anything illegal. 

Less Hassle
You will have to train your full time maid if you want to have an efficiently run household. Part time maids are trained by their agency so they come prepared to your home. Any training needed are minor and mostly, household-specific. This spares you the hassle of training them. It also saves you the trouble of supervising them so that they are up to your standard every time. At the end of a long and tiring work day, all you really want is to spend time and unwind at home. You don’t want to go home to an unkempt house. A part time maid service can make sure that get what you want. With the added bonus that there is no sign that another person actually made this possible for you. If you want to have it all, then hire a part time maid service.