Transfer of maid

[New arrival]

Have only been in Sing a short time and so far not hired a maid.  One of the families living in our condo have decided to head back home at short notice and have "offered" us thier maid.  Any advice on what the ins and outs of this situation are?  Are there any gov/legal requirements to do this?  Are there any obligations now or future I should worry about?

Any advice genuinley appreciated.

Thanks in Advance.

[SameSituation]

Reasonably easy to transfer a maid - go to MOM's website and you can download the application form (you will need to make a new application) - allow yourself 3 weeks for it to go through.  Make sure you already have you EP and tax file no.

You will also need insurance for the bond ($5K) etc. - there are heaps of posts on this.  Best to do a search.

One final point - who is recommending this maid to you?  If the family was American, tread carefully my friend - so many posters here have complained about maids that received glowing refs from Americans (not that I have anything against our friends across the Atlantic however, they may find it difficult to say anything bad about someone).

[check]

As well as all the MOM form-filling (and filing) you should draw up a formal contract between you and the maid - cover all the usual stuff eg salary, duties, hours, day off etc. You are also responsible for arranging 6 monthly medical checks for pregnancy (requirement for work permit), medical care if she is sick, foreign worker levy to government in addition to her salary (currently $345 per month payable by giro but likely to increase) and her air ticket home at the end of 2 year contract (or cash equivalent if she stays on). You may also find her passport renewal is due during her employment with you - not strictly speaking your responsibility, but a big expense on a maid's salary. You also provide her food and toiletries.
If you do not yet have a tax number, make sure you write a letter to MOM giving details of your employer, position, staring date etc and confirming that you will pass on tax details as soon as available. This will usually suffice. If any pronlems, take all paperwork to MOM and ask for advice. I have found counter staff to be very helpful. If you are a couple and one of you travels a lot, it is easier if the other is the maid's employer, as most official stuff needs to be signed by the employer.