What is the maid levy all about

[Val]

Can some one please explain the maid levy to me. My maid's current sponsor isn't going to sponsor her anymore, and she has asked me to become her sponsor. Is it worth it?

[expatmom]

Don't do it! I guess that your maid is not Sinaporean and working for you part-time? It already sounds like she is working illegally -as the employer of the maid (the person who pays the levy) is not to allow her domestic worker to do any work for anyone else or at any other location than the address written on her work permit. The current employer could get a heavy fine and the maid could be deported.

Why on Earth would you want to pay the hefty levy each month? It is only payable if the maid lives-in at your house (and only works for you). Obviously it is well known that many maids do work part-time, but in your case what would be the benefit to you? This maid just wants to stay in Singapore at your expense. Even if she agrees to repay the levy to you, how will you guarantee that she will pay up promptly - and if she gets into trouble with the law (eg. getting pregnant or caught shoplifting or working illegally) then you will have to forfeit the $5000 security bond. You would also have to ensure that she has her medicals every 6 months. No way would I do it - and no wonder that her current sponsor wants to be relieved of this responsibility. And of course you don't want to have to foot the bill to repatriate her!

I don't know what the govt. does with the huge income they get from the maid levy, it's amazing how much they rake in each month. Then again, the govt. ministers are the most highly paid in the world. They don't have it in Hong Kong or anywhere else as far as I know.        

[Singaporean]

to expatmom: all the biggest tax earners in Singapore are levied on the pretext of being a disincentive: tobacco, COE and yes, maids because the govt doesn't want a bigger flood of foreign workers than there is already. But guess what? while they're discouraging us to have these goods and services that have an adverse effect on the country, they fill their coffers. twist their arm

[Lily Aritama]

To Val:

A maid who is any good would rather work full-time. Your part-time maid probably was unable to find a job after being fired and had to pay someone to be her "sponsor". It appears that there are syndicates who "help" such maids find a sponsor.

The ordinary employer of a live-in maid pays the levy ($345/month), provides food and accomodation free of charge. The sponsor may pay the levy but no salary and no food or he may just provide accomodation and the maid has to reimburse him for the levy.

And of course this arrangement is legal in a number of ways: illegal employment, illegal deployment, cheating MOM by applying for a work permit on the pretense of employing a foreign maid, corruption for receiving payment for an illegal act.

For your own peace of mind, have nothing more to do with this part-time maid however good she may be. It is not worth it. Better hire a local. They charge only marginally more than the illegal ones.

If you become her sponsor (i.e. you do not employ her full term, but be her employer only in name, giving her a place to sleep and pay for her levy in exchange for some work for you) you will have any peace of mind while she goes to work for one family or another. If she is discovered (perhaps by accident), you will probably be the first expat lady to be charged in court for doing something illegal in the FINE city.

[To Maid Agencies]

I wonder if any of the maid agents out there can answer this question b/c we see it a lot on this board.

What's the deal with this 'sponsor' thing? I keep hearing about maids who are 'sponsored' (including one I interviewed for a p-t job many years ago when this practice was more common) ... I always thought that the only legal way to employ a maid was whereby you ar e the sole employer and she lives in your house .. I've always believe this sponsor thing is a big fat lie .. am I wrong?

[Doris]

I think Lily Aritama has it down pat.

A "sponsor" is a pseudo-employer, i.e. who appears to be the employer but does not satisfy the real meaning of employer.

An employer of an foreign domestic worker

a) pays her salary
b) pays the foreign workers' levy
c) gives her food and lodging gratis
d) requires her to work full-time for her and ONLY for her.

In other words the maid who works for a REAL employer (not a sponsor) will work only for the REAL employer and nobody else (which is against the law).

A sponsor merely pretends to be an employer. He/She applies for a work permit for the maid. As far as the Work Permit Department is concerned, she is a REAL employer. If it subsequently shown that this sponsor permits the maid to go out and work part-time, then the sponsor (or the fake-employer or pseudo-employer) is in for a tough time. He/She will most likely be charged in court for cheating the Work Permit Department and the Immigration Department.

She will be charged for illegal deployment (letting her work elsewhere for someone else.) The Work Permit Department has made it very clear, the foreign worker (domestic or otherwise) may not work for anyone other the employer; she may not perform any other duties except the duties normally performed by a domestic worker; she may not work in any other location other than her employer's house. In other words an employer of a foreign domestic worker may not ask her maid to clean up her office.

If  you do not want to run foul of the law, do not employ a foreign maid on a part-time basis. You can always employ a local part-time maid.

Please visit my website: http://www.lucky.com.sg/intermares/phtm/singfaq.htm  
where I have a Q&A page (Frequently asked questions).

[This message has been edited by BoardManager (edited 07-03-2001).]

[expatmom]

I would like to know why maids from the Philippines tend to get paid more than maids from other countries. I've had maids from the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Burma (whom I paid the same wages that I would pay a Filipina - and yes they were fluent in written & spoken English) and I honestly think that the Filipinas were not as nice-mannered and concientious.

Lily, how much do you pay your Indonesian maid? I also find it astonishing that I see adverts in the Straits Times saying "no off day" for maids - I don't know of any expats let alone locals who would do any job without any day off at all.

[Embassy Stuff]

The Philippine Embassy imposes their own 'minimum wage' of I believe $350 per month and one off day, which the other countries do not. I have a Filipino who was making less than $350 per month in her previous job (two off days) but she did not have an Embassy contract so was not protected by their rule.