Great helper recommendation

[L.Jaff]

Can someone recommend me a part time helper?
Just need her to come in once a week for 4 hours to do general cleaning and ironing.
Also, is it safe to hand her the house keys?

[theflyingbasket]

I have been using the same guys over and over again...will pm you

[Strong Eagle]

I have been using the same guys over and over again...will pm you

If you have a legal cleaning service which you like, please post publicly for all to see.

If the "same guys" are not legal, ie, citizens, PR's, or holders of work permits to a company specifically engaged in such domestic services, please do not post publicly or privately via PM.

[nakatago]

I know of my neighbours allowing their maid to moonlight at friends' place when they're free. It may not be as rampant as it used to be in the past.

This is illegal for non-PRs, non-citizens.

[Jessy Lixuan]

I have hired a cleaner from Tidypal last week. She is Singaporean named Jenny. She did quite well. You may have a try either by booking from Tidypal company or contacting her privately. The rate is $22.5/hr or $20/hr. But I was always there when she was cleaning my house. Anyway I don't think it's good to leave her alone in my house although she told me that some of her customers has done that many times....



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[valentina_bar]

thanks , Jessy. Yes, I also do prefer to be inside when a cleaner is there.

[theflyingbasket]

I have been using the same guys over and over again...will pm you

If you have a legal cleaning service which you like, please post publicly for all to see.

If the "same guys" are not legal, ie, citizens, PR's, or holders of work permits to a company specifically engaged in such domestic services, please do not post publicly or privately via PM.

I have been using the same guys as Jessy - Tidypal...Their cleaners are only Singaporeans or PRs and have been background-checked (or so does Tidypal claim)...As an expat who has been indoctrinated into believing that Singaporean laws are very strict I would never go anywhere near illegal cleaners (as most people in this country seem to do) My cleaner from Tidypal warned me that she only works via the website as she likes the protection she gets from the site whatever this means...I decided to give her a key for my place around 3 months into using her regularly and am quite happy so far..

[x9200]

I have been using the same guys as Jessy - Tidypal...Their cleaners are only Singaporeans or PRs and have been background-checked (or so does Tidypal claim)...

I can assure you, every single agency will say they use the legal ones. Do you really expected a different claim? If you want to be sure you have to ask your cleaner to show her IC/work permit. If you never see it or they start to make up stories trying to convince you (e.g.) that working on LTVP is ok... well, guess what?

I used to hire PTMs with help of 2 different types of agencies. First type, only worked as a man-in-the-middle type of the business.You pay the maids directly and earlier once commission fee to the agency. I used 3 agencies like this and all their maids were legal - I checked every single one they sent. I also used one agency that claimed to employ their maids so the agency was cleaning my flat and I paid the money to them. None of the maids they sent was legal. Not sure if this was a coincident (as of the type).

[Strong Eagle]

I have been using the same guys as Jessy - Tidypal...Their cleaners are only Singaporeans or PRs and have been background-checked (or so does Tidypal claim)...

I can assure you, every single agency will say they use the legal ones. Do you really expected a different claim? If you want to be sure you have to ask your cleaner to show her IC/work permit. If you never see it or they start to make up stories trying to convince you (e.g.) that working on LTVP is ok... well, guess what?

I used to hire PTMs with help of 2 different types of agencies. First type, only worked as a man-in-the-middle type of the business.You pay the maids directly and earlier once commission fee to the agency. I used 3 agencies like this and all their maids were legal - I checked every single one they sent. I also used one agency that claimed to employ their maids so the agency was cleaning my flat and I paid the money to them. None of the maids they sent was legal. Not sure if this was a coincident (as of the type).

Whose problem is this, really? theflyingbasket does due diligence to ensure that she will be receiving a legal worker. The cleaning service says, "Yes." End of story. Should issues be raised they must be with the cleaning service, not the person hiring them.

Using your brand of logic, I need to check the NRIC card of everybody who does anything for me... the guy who mows the grass, the one who painted the wall in my house, the one I hired to fix my car.

[x9200]

I have been using the same guys as Jessy - Tidypal...Their cleaners are only Singaporeans or PRs and have been background-checked (or so does Tidypal claim)...

I can assure you, every single agency will say they use the legal ones. Do you really expected a different claim? If you want to be sure you have to ask your cleaner to show her IC/work permit. If you never see it or they start to make up stories trying to convince you (e.g.) that working on LTVP is ok... well, guess what?

I used to hire PTMs with help of 2 different types of agencies. First type, only worked as a man-in-the-middle type of the business.You pay the maids directly and earlier once commission fee to the agency. I used 3 agencies like this and all their maids were legal - I checked every single one they sent. I also used one agency that claimed to employ their maids so the agency was cleaning my flat and I paid the money to them. None of the maids they sent was legal. Not sure if this was a coincident (as of the type).

Whose problem is this, really? theflyingbasket does due diligence to ensure that she will be receiving a legal worker. The cleaning service says, "Yes." End of story. Should issues be raised they must be with the cleaning service, not the person hiring them.

Using your brand of logic, I need to check the NRIC card of everybody who does anything for me... the guy who mows the grass, the one who painted the wall in my house, the one I hired to fix my car.

Due diligence may still bring you to the court room and there you will have to prove whether this was really due diligence. If you have plenty of time and like to prove you did what was needed, then of course you are right. If you want the police to ride (say visit) your flat after they caught the maid leaving it, then of course you are right too. I agree, it could be an interesting experience. And if it happens to you more than once, I am pretty sure it will rise some flags despite of all the apparent due diligence thing.

Simple checking of ID once for each new person you engage may save you some troubles. As usual it's about common sense and risk management - the maid comes to your place on regular basis and the illegally working FDWs is a hot topic for MOM. You fix your car somehow less frequent (well, I don't know what car do you have) and you don't do it in your house.

Besides, some people are just not comfortable to be involved, passively, unwillingly, even with their a** covered in any illegal activities. If I knew, I take part in it, I wouldn't like to do it regardless all the due diligence.

[BBCWatcher]

Theoretically it's now possible for a LTVP, LTVP+, or DP holder to work for a cleaning agency, for the cleaning agency to obtain a Letter of Consent from the Ministry of Manpower to hire that person, and for the scope of work to fit within that approval. That said, if you're employing somebody to clean your home then you should be quite skeptical that an LTVP, LTVP+, or DP holder is authorized to work and should also check whether that individual has a LoC.

[ecureilx]

Theoretically it's now possible for a LTVP, LTVP+, or DP holder to work for a cleaning agency, for the cleaning agency to obtain a Letter of Consent from the Ministry of Manpower to hire that person, and for the scope of work to fit within that approval. That said, if you're employing somebody to clean your home then you should be quite skeptical that an LTVP, LTVP+, or DP holder is authorized to work and should also check whether that individual has a LoC.

Theoretically, is the key word ...

[sundaymorningstaple]

I could probably safely poo-poo that ability considering the LoC holders are still prevented from a fair number of occupations here and I'd feel pretty sure the FDW would be right up there with Masseuses, beauticians, bar or dance hostess, etc. as these occupations are banned for WP applications.

As far as due diligence is concerned, I would think that the FDW falls into a special category here. And I seen it also mention in the press the last time an illegal FDW was picked up coming out of a residence. I believe it was about 3 years ago, and it was an old expat lady who was employing here (unknowingly but she still got charged for hiring an illegal worker).

[ecureilx]

I could probably safely poo-poo that ability considering the LoC holders are still prevented from a fair number of occupations here and I'd feel pretty sure the FDW would be right up there with Masseuses, beauticians, bar or dance hostess, etc. as these occupations are banned for WP applications.

But there's a 1 in a million chance, and so and so

Though reality says it is a safe NO.

[bgd]

Friends got into a little strife because their cleaner wasn't quite what she claimed to be. Eventually let off with a warning, but it was stressful for them for a while.

She said she was a citizen, which she was, just not of Singapore.