SINGAPORE EXPATS FORUM
Singapore Expat Forum and Message Board for Expats in Singapore & Expatriates Relocating to Singapore

Our helper makes breakfast for us on Sundays before she leaves. When she comes home she does any dishes left there before she goes to bed. We've told her she doesn't have to do those things, but she likes to do them anyway.

daneland, you could always ask to meet her relatives. Our helper sleeps over at her relative's or friend's house a few times a year, usually during Christmas or another public holiday. I've discussed with my helper that her time off is her time off to do what she pleases, but she cannot do anything ...

thanks. 450 - 600? wow thats allot! i wasnt expecting to pay that much, is it a case of you pay for what you get? If you cannot afford, or don't think a live-in helper's daily work is worth that monthly salary, then perhaps you could consider weekly part time cleaners instead or do the work yourself.

My helper was charged $102 by the Philippine embassy for her passport last week. ex-pat, there are more documents involved with the home leave. The contract has to be validated by the embassy and there are some other documents given by the embassy too, so it works out to just under $70 for all of th...

I think the new passport fee at the Philippine embassy is $102. Significant price increase! The agencies have quite the racket going with their inflated fee for processing passports. But they know there is a market for it, because some employers don't want their helpers to have any contact with thei...

Is it true that some maid agencies provide passport renewal services for helpers with expiring passports? Why would anyone use that service when the helper can just go to the embassy and renew their own passport just like the rest of do for our own passports, and it would cost at fraction of the pri...

Well, I just think it is a tough situation all around. The disease has to be treated in the helper and anyone exposed to her who tests positive. Singapore has very good health care, so very lucky the TB can be treated here. The helper came to Singapore to work and send money home, and she may have a...

I found a news article dated April 2010 that says that foreign workers are eligible for free TB treatment from the Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association (sata CommHealth)

sata CommHealth website - http://www.sata.com.sg/

Doc, who have you called for advice? Have you called the agency, embassy, MOM or HOME yet? I'm puzzled as to why the hospital did not admit your helper. What exactly did the hospital say about her condition and her treatment? They are the medical experts, so only they can advise on the risk to your ...

Yes, I'm sure she can get the best TB treatment, especially if she has multiple drug resistant TB, in her village in Indonesia/Philippines/Sri Lanka...

So kind of them to pass this "income tax" burden to the foreign domestic worker instead of the employer who is in more of a position to pay, and in many cases is the one holding citizenship or pr in Singapore.

Doc, it is great that you are looking after your helper and allowing her to get crucial treatment instead of sending her home. She must be feeling pretty sick. I hope she will be feeling better soon! My fingers are crossed that you and those who had most contact with your helper haven't contracted T...

Supposedly the levy is in place to help control the numbers of domestic foreign workers, but why don' t they set a high legal minimum wage and reduce the levy or remove it completely? The agencies here are unfair and provide terrible service to the maids they bring in - basically they only care abou...

Well, I don't have a problem with helping others gift in a way that doesn't waste their money. Most of the time I ask the parents of the birthday child what the child likes or needs so that I don't waste my money buying something that the child won't enjoy. I never stipulate that x amount of money m...

Perhaps it isn't enforced because the Singapore government also collects between $170 - $265 per month from an employer for a levy on top of the employee's salary? Some employers can definitely afford it, but some can't. Singapore's social services infrastructure doesn't make it easy for its citizen...