4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring a Helper in Singapore

Hiring a full-time helper to assist you in household work and in caring for the members of your family offers numerous benefits. For one, you get to come home to a clean house with warm food on the table after a tiring day at work. You can spend quality time with your little ones and tuck them to bed at night without worrying about other domestic chores. You will also have time to focus on your other priorities, to socialise with your friends, and pursue your hobbies. Essentially, you can experience peace of mind and live a more balanced life with a reliable live-in maid around.

Embarking on the journey of finding and hiring a domestic helper can seem daunting – should I use a maid agency or can I hire a helper myself? Perhaps you have been searching “domestic helper Singapore” online because you want an extra pair of hands to help you manage the home. If so, you may want to pause for a while to think about this decision more carefully. Keep in mind that hiring a foreign domestic worker entails a lot of responsibilities. That said, you may want to ask yourself the following questions first before deciding to hire a live-in maid.

Is My Family Amenable to the Idea?

Without a doubt, your home life will never be the same once you employ a domestic helper. On the upside, your home will always be clean, somebody will always be available to pick up the kids from school, and you don’t have to shoulder all the household chores by yourself. However, to experience all these things, you need to welcome a non-family member into your home. Your helper will live with you, eat your food, interact with your family, and stay in your home for some time. That is why you need to ensure that your family is open to the idea of having a foreigner in the house before you consider hiring a maid.

Although you and your family will eventually get used to having a helper at home, the transition period can be challenging, especially if your family values privacy. Sharing your personal space, conversations, habits, and daily life is inevitable if you have a maid. If you feel uncomfortable with the thought of someone other than your family entering your bedroom to clean when you are not around, you may want to reconsider hiring a domestic helper.

Can I Afford Hiring a Helper?

Besides looking at the changes in your living situation, you should also ask yourself if you can afford to hire a domestic helper. Think about it. Even if you employ a transfer maid directly instead of hiring someone fresh from overseas, the total cost of hire would  still be pretty steep. You may need to pay over SGD7,000 at the minimum for work permit application, placement fee, security bond, and insurance.

Besides the one-off costs, you should also consider your maid’s monthly salary and the increase in your food and utility bills to understand the financial implication of hiring a helper. Once you have a rough estimate of the costs, take a look at your budget and overall finances to know whether employing a helper is reasonable. For instance, if you still have outstanding loans or debts, you may want to pay them off first before hiring a maid.

Am I Ready to Shoulder the Responsibilities of Employing a Foreign Domestic Worker?

Employing a maid is not easy. After all, you will become responsible for a foreign domestic worker. Besides shouldering the monetary costs, you also need to ensure that your helper adjusts well in your home and in Singapore in general. That means you and your family may need to make a few adjustments to help your maid settle in your home. For example, you need to allocate a particular area where your helper can sleep comfortably and privately.

You may also need to exert time and effort to teach your helper how to go around the city, perform her duties, and adapt to a fast-paced lifestyle, especially if you plan to hire a new helper. More importantly, you have to learn how to accept and understand your maid’s culture, beliefs, and traditions so you can get along well. Be sure to think about all these things before making a decision. Otherwise, you may feel burdened and overwhelmed.

Do I Really Need a Maid?

One of the most important things you need to ascertain before hiring a maid is its necessity. Do you  actually need a helper, or do you just need better time management? Perhaps you will have more time for other priorities and enjoy quality “me” time if you adjust your schedule accordingly or let other family members shoulder some of the household work. Nonetheless, if you think you’re spreading yourself too thin that it’s beginning to affect your physical and mental health, hiring an extra pair of hands can be the right decision for your family.

Although hiring a domestic helper can assist you to focus on many other equally essential aspects of your life, it is a decision you should never take lightly. Make sure to do your research and ask yourself the questions above so that you can consider the implications of having a maid live in your home. And if you do choose to go ahead and employ a helper, take the time and effort to find someone reliable, experienced, and trustworthy.