It’s almost the end of your Migrant Domestic Work’s (MDW) 2 years contract and either you or her wish to terminate the contract, what can you do?
There are only 2 options:
1) Let your MDW transfer to another family to work with.
2) Repatriate your MDW to her country of origin.
Let’s discuss option 1 first. So in order to let your maid as we more commonly refer to in Singapore transfer, you simply have to consent to her transfer by signing a release paper or also known as consent to transfer letter. Basically, it is to authorise and allow the new family wanting to hire your maid.
This can be either be given to the new family who will be your maid’s new employer to submit the Work Permit application to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or to a maid agency who is handling the process of finding a new employer for your maid and also to process the paperwork involved as well.
During this period, while the Work Permit application is under consideration by the MOM, do note that you are still her legal employer. Which means, you will still have to ensure her proper upkeep, pay her salary and also the levy involved to our Government until the day she is officially transferred out of your name to her new employer.
The other way which was recently approved and announced by the MOM (click here for more information), is to allow a maid agency that is licensed by the MOM like us, Universal Employment Agency Pte Ltd to takeover your responsibility as your maid’s employer. The maid agency that you authorise to takeover the responsibility will then be responsible for her upkeep and even have to purchase a medical insurance for her. Also, the maid agency will be responsible to repatriate her in the event she doesn’t find an employer within 4 weeks and the air ticket will be paid for by the maid agency and NOT you.
So if this is a solution you prefer, then do not hesitate to contact us at 6735 3456 and we will be more than happy to discuss taking over the responsibility of your maid as soon as possible if you have such urgency. Most times, it can be arranged all within a day, provided we have slots available, so do check with us ahead of time if possible if you have such plan to release your maid soon.
As for option 2, it is pretty straightforward. Simply purchase a 1-way air ticket to her country of origin, which is very costly during this COVID-19 period and also flight cancellations do happen quite frequently too, so do bear that in mind as well. It is also your responsibility to send her to the airport and ensure that she manages to check-in without any issues. Not forgetting, you will also have to cancel her Work Permit on your own which can be quite the hassle for some employers.
To sum it up, as you can see, it is quite troublesome and costly to opt for option 2 and that’s why we always advise all our employers to consider option 1 especially if the maid still wishes to work. Sometimes, employers do get disappointed with their maids when their maids do decide to quit on them for a variety of reasons. But what we must remember is that this maid has come a long way to make a living to support her family back home and do put ourselves in her shoes, how will we feel if we are not allowed to continue to work just because we have decided to move on to another family or committed a small mistake and have to be “punished” by being repatriated home?
But should the final decision be to go for option 1 and let your maid transfer, then do contact us at 6735 3456 and we will be more than happy to discuss if we can accept her as we do not accept all maids anyway. We always do our assessment on the maid’s suitability for transfer first, as our agency prides ourselves on only matching carefully screened maids to our employers as our employers have placed their trust in us to shortlist only the best for them.
What to Do When a Maid’s Contract Ends
It’s almost the end of your Migrant Domestic Worker’s (MDW) 2-year contract, and either you or your maid may wish to terminate the contract. What can you do? There are only two options:
1) Let your MDW transfer to another family to work with.
2) Repatriate your MDW to her country of origin.
To let your maid transfer, you simply need to consent by signing a release paper, also known as a consent to transfer letter. This authorizes the new family, who will become your maid’s new employer, to submit the Work Permit application to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Alternatively, the transfer process can be handled by a maid agency that will find a new employer and process the necessary paperwork.
During the Work Permit application process, you are still legally your maid’s employer, meaning you are responsible for her upkeep, salary, and levy until the transfer is officially completed.
Another option recently approved by MOM is to allow a licensed maid agency, such as Universal Employment Agency Pte Ltd, to take over your responsibilities as the maid’s employer. The agency will handle her upkeep, medical insurance, and, if necessary, repatriation within 4 weeks if she doesn’t find a new employer.
If this solution appeals to you, contact us at 6735 3456, and we can discuss taking over responsibility for your maid. In many cases, the transfer can be arranged within a day, depending on availability.
Option 2 is more straightforward but costly. You will need to purchase a one-way air ticket to her country of origin, which can be expensive, especially during the COVID-19 period. Cancellations and flight issues also need to be considered. You are responsible for sending her to the airport and canceling her Work Permit, which can be troublesome for some employers.
As you can see, Option 2 can be troublesome and costly, which is why we always advise employers to consider Option 1, especially if the maid still wishes to work. Sometimes, maids may decide to quit for personal reasons, but remember that they come a long way to support their families. Replicating that effort can feel unfair, especially for small mistakes.
If you choose Option 1 and wish to transfer your maid, contact us at 6735 3456. We will be happy to assess whether we can accept her, as we pride ourselves on only matching carefully screened maids to employers.
Speak to us now!
If you want to find out how we can help you when it comes to hiring maids for disabled care, contact us at 6735 3456 for a free professional consultation. We do highly recommend hiring a Myanmese maid for taking care of elderly as they are known to be very patient and kind. For more information to hire a Myanmese transfer maid, do click here or to hire a Myanmese maid currently in Myanmar, do click here for more information. Have a nice day!
