Singapore Expats

Helo Friends. Can someone help me to understand if hiring part time maids (holding PR or SPR) legal?
Any related rules?

What do you mean by PR? SPR?

It is legal to hire SC and SPR as part time maids.

i Meant Permanent Resident or Singapore Citizens

Then see the response from the other poster. No specific rules.

V_B_S wrote:i Meant Permanent Resident or Singapore Citizens

Of course you can hire Singapore Permanent Residents and Singapore Citizens to work as part time maids. They are entitled to work in SG.

However, it may take awhile to find one compatible with you, your needs and what you think you want to pay. We went through 5 or 6 before finding the one we have had for the past 5 years.

Note: CPF is payable for part-time employees, too.

maneo wrote:Note: CPF is payable for part-time employees, too.

Only if you employ them on the employment contract.

x9200 wrote:

maneo wrote:Note: CPF is payable for part-time employees, too.

Only if you employ them on the employment contract.

Technically you must pay CPF ..

Part-time / casual employees Is CPF payable?
CPF contributions are payable for part-time/casual employees.

From CPF site .. of course, if you claim you are giving the money as pocket $, you can get away with it ..

http://mycpf.cpf.gov.sg/Employers/Emplo ... on_for.htm

No. It is a gross generalization. I.e. my PTM is self employed, should I pay her CPF? Secondly, you only should pay if this is an agreement for a service and not for a job. Do you pay CPF if your car mechanic fixes you a punctured tire? And then there is a huge grey area where it could be difficult to define if this is still a contract for a job or some more regular deployment.

If they are working for multiple families part time, they are subcontractors and as such they are self employed. You do not have to pay their CPF but they have to file a Form C for self employment and pay into the Medifund account portion of the CPF. If she works full time for you and doesn't work elsewhere, then you may well be considered her employer and have to pay CPF. The intent of the domestic worker would need to be ascertained.

Thanks all. Have heard many stories around that there are raids from MoM to check for illegal PTM. and the PTM and the employer are heavily charged. Sounds that hiring SC or SPR (if i can find one) would be safer

V_B_S wrote:Thanks all. Have heard many stories around that there are raids from MoM to check for illegal PTM. and the PTM and the employer are heavily charged. Sounds that hiring SC or SPR (if i can find one) would be safer

This is correct and really you should check the ID (NRIC) of any new PTM you are going to hire. Only PRs and only SCs so don't buy if some will try to convince you to something else.

x9200 wrote:

V_B_S wrote:Thanks all. Have heard many stories around that there are raids from MoM to check for illegal PTM. and the PTM and the employer are heavily charged. Sounds that hiring SC or SPR (if i can find one) would be safer

This is correct and really you should check the ID (NRIC) of any new PTM you are going to hire. Only PRs and only SCs so don't buy if some will try to convince you to something else.

and .. dont' exclude the ah-mahs on wheels some companies are doing legal part time maids, by employing them under agencies, with proper permit under the agencies, and doing regular house cleaning / ironing etc.

re: the CPF thingy, I was trying to pull your leg a bit, as technically, you must pay .. though enforcing it is a big question .. like SMS says - let's leave it aside

No, not really, and repeating "technically you must pay" even 1000 times will not make it any more correct. How about a bet for a bottle of wine (say ~$S45)? I will contact CPF and ask if I have to pay CPF contribution for a self employed PTM and if yes, I buy you a bottle of wine you chose within the said budget, no, you will buy one for me?

Your another point is correct - there are some companies doing it but my understanding was we were not talking about hiring via a company. Besides, you still should check the ID of the person sent to your place even if it is hired by/via an agency.

Q: How do you define a self-employed person?

A:
A self-employed person is defined as any Singapore citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) who derives income from Singapore or from outside Singapore through any trade, business, profession or vocation excluding employment under a contract of service.


In other words, if you are making money by buying and selling goods, providing professional or personal services, you are a self-employed person.

Examples of self-employed persons include a sole-proprietor or a partner of a partnership business.

So you can hire a PTM who does services on her own under an informal "contract for service". She is responsible for her own CPF (not liable) and her Medisave payments (mandatory).