The Singaporean Ministry of Manpower has endeavored to provide a practical guide that can help people in the country find and hire the best Bangladeshi maids.

However, there are important questions that you need to ask before you hire anyone:

• Are you ready to comply with all the legal responsibilities that come with the employment of an FDW? - Hiring an FDW or foreign domestic worker comes with a number of legal and financial responsibilities. As an employer, you will need to cater for the salary of the Bangladeshi maid. You will also need to pay her upkeep and maintenance costs, cater for her medical care, the accommodation and the food. There are also other onetime costs including the air tickets, the agency fees, and fees for work pass applications. When you do the math, you will realize that this is not a small undertaking and before you do it, make sure you are ready to shoulder the financial and legal responsibilities as an employer.
• What does your family think about this? When you bring in a foreign domestic worker, it’s very likely that they will be living with you for the duration of time that they will be offering their services. If you have a family, they need to be comfortable with the idea of having another person live with them.
• Do you have some time for orientation? A maid from Bangladesh may not know Singapore that well, she may lack the knowledge to fit in into the society and besides this might be her first domestic job. As an employer, you will have to facilitate the maid’s transition from her own country to Singapore and train her on her duties before you can finally give her the responsibility.

Your maid may lack the knowledge to operate modern household appliances. It’s likely that the maid will have no experience in working or living in high rise buildings and this may affect their productivity. Your maid may also not be able to offer the level of care you expected for your kids or elderly. It’s always advisable to at least coach the maid and communicate clearly what you expect from her as far as taking care of your kids and elderly goes. It’s also likely that the maid may not have the capacity or the ability to do the job you’ve assigned to her.

It’s always better to be patient with your maid. If you can teach her and coach her on the roles she will be playing at home, she will soon start to help you.

General fees guide

*Fees for Transfer Bangladeshi Maids

* Above fees and price is a general guide. Each maid agency fees and charges are different.