Introduction
In some Asian countries, people are not earning enough to support their whole family. The wages of a regular 8-hour shift might only enough to support their daily expenses and monthly bills. So, there are a lot of people turn to work abroad. For example, in Philippines, at least one member from one out of five families works as a maid in Singapore. Even though working overseas have more opportunities, being apart from the family might be extremely isolating. Therefore, the maids are given a month of vacation leave to spend time with their loved ones.
A security bond for the maid is required to taken up by all the employers in order to better protect them. Employers should always check the MOM website for the most recent information on security bond as some embassies may set a minimum amount for the bonds or require additional bonds.
Some maid insurance policies offer to pay for these bonds since they can be fairly pricey. You will discover why MOM requires these bonds when hiring a maid in this post.
What is Security Bond for Maid?
A security bond is an agreement made between the employer and the embassy to guarantee that the maid is treated fairly and with respect while working in Singapore. Every two years of employment, the maids should be given one month of vacation leave to return to their home country and this is where the security bond will be required. The bond must also be renewed when you renew your maid’s work permit.
If employers are hiring a maid from the Philippines or Indonesia, before the maids arrive in Singapore, the employers must deposit $5,000 to $7,000 in security bonds to MOM. A maid insurance policy usually includes an optional coverage for the security bond. To avoid any problem, we do suggest adding it to your insurance policy.
The employers do not have to pay the full amount of the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) bond. The maid insurance will offer to deposit the security bond by submitting a letter of guarantee on behalf of the employers. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will come after the insurance company first if the employer forfeits the bond. The bond fee will then be recovered from the employer by the insurance company. Employers are not allowed to collect the bond fee from their maids.
Employers are no longer liable for the bond if they cancel the work permit of their maids without violating any terms. The employers are also no longer liable with the bond if the maids fail to adhere with the terms and conditions of the bond. However, the employers will have to pay for the bond if they fail to pay the maids their salaries or provide medical insurance for them. Employers who fail to send their maids back to their origin place after their work permits expired will have to pay for the bond too.
You will only be liable for paying half of the bond if your maid goes missing and you have made every effort to locate her. You should let your maid know what she should and shouldn’t do to keep her job by informing her of the rules and violations before hiring her. Also, you must not break violating any of the terms in order to save your money and time.
How much is the Maid Security Bond?
If employers want to hire a Filipino maid, they must pay a $7,000 bond to POLO. Employers are required to buy maid insurance that will cover the bond fees as this is a requirement from the Philippine government. The purpose of the Philippine Embassy Bond is to ensure that the employer will comply with all bond conditions which includes providing medical insurance and paying the salary on time. Employers are prohibited from retaining their maids’ passport without their permission.
An additional security bond is not required by Malaysian and Indonesian embassies for their citizens to serve as maids in Singapore. But the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) mandates a $5,000 security bond for all FDWs working as maids in Singapore. The bond will act as the employers’ legally-binding promise to MOM that these FDWs will have fair working condition.