The Gen XY Lifestyle
5 good reasons to hire a full-time domestic helper vs. a live-out maid
For many Singaporean households, foreign domestic helpers are an indispensable part of day to day life.
These dedicated individuals provide essential support by completing household chores and providing childcare and elderly care, among many other important tasks. With their assistance, families can better navigate hectic schedules and maintain a harmonious work-life balance.
If you are looking to hire a maid to help you out at home, you usually have two options: a full-time domestic helper or a live-out maid. The choice ultimately depends on various factors and individual preferences. Some households opt for a live-out maid because in this setup, maids have a clear separation between work and personal life. This allows employers to enjoy the privacy of their homes after the maid’s work is done.
Also, live-out maids are more flexible in terms of working hours and rates. If you only need to have your home cleaned every two days, then you only pay for that specific rendered service. As such, this arrangement may suit families or individuals with less intensive domestic requirements or those who prefer a more structured routine.
Nevertheless, hiring a live-out maid does have some disadvantages. For example, because live-out maids don’t reside with their employers, they have to commute to and from work. This may eat into the time that the maid could have spent doing her tasks. Live-out maids also are not available 24/7, which may cause problems when employers need immediate assistance during emergencies or unexpected situations.
For these reasons, many households prefer hiring full-time foreign domestic helper. With a full-time domestic helper in Singapore, families can enjoy the following advantages that can significantly improve their lifestyle:
Immediate and round-the-clock Assistance
A significant benefit of hiring a full-time domestic helper is round-the-clock assistance. Having a helper residing with you in your home ensures that help is readily accessible whenever needed. This is particularly useful during emergencies, affording some measure of calm and peace of mind because you do not have to deal with a crisis alone. Having a full-time domestic helper at home also allows family members to focus on their professional or personal commitments, without worrying about maintaining the household.
Comprehensive household management
A full-time domestic helper brings comprehensive household management skills to the table. Aside from basic cleaning and cooking duties, they can also handle a wide range of responsibilities. These include tasks such as grocery shopping, organising and maintaining household inventories, as well as running occasional errands. Thus, a full-time helper’s presence contributes to the smooth functioning of the household, ensuring that all aspects of daily life are handled properly and efficiently.
More focused elderly and child Care
Many full-time helpers are trained to provide excellent child and elderly care. With their round-the-clock presence, foreign domestic helpers can dedicate themselves to offering personalised attention to the children and elderly members of the household. Whether it’s assisting with daily activities, ensuring medication is taken on time, or engaging in educational and recreational activities, a full-time domestic helper can provide valuable support and companionship, contributing to the overall welfare and happiness of the family.
Enhanced work-life balance
When full-time foreign domestic helpers are managing the household chores and caregiving responsibilities, families can devote more time and energy to their professional pursuits and personal well-being. Balancing work and family commitments becomes less overwhelming when the burden of daily household tasks is shared with a competent domestic helper. This increased balance can reduce stress levels and improve productivity. Moreover, employers will have the ability to enjoy more quality time with their families.
Long-term support and reliability
By hiring a full-time domestic helper, households can benefit from consistent support and reliability. With a live-in arrangement, employers can establish a rapport and build trust with their helpers. This results not only in efficiency in completing household tasks, but also a stronger and more fruitful employer-employee relationship. Full-time helpers also have an easier time adapting to households with varying demands and dynamic routines. This flexibility ensures that domestic helpers can adjust the way they handle their tasks and routines based on the evolving needs of the household, accommodating changes in work schedules, family events, or unexpected circumstances. Both of these allow for better organisation and help maintain a harmonious, well-managed home environment that can be enjoyed long-term.
The choice between a full-time domestic helper and a live-out maid depends on individual preferences and a variety of circumstances. That being said, the benefits of hiring a full-time helper are evident. Though full-time helpers may have more expensive rates compared to live-out domestic maids, hiring one—especially from an agency that’s recognised by the Ministry of Manpower—provides tangible benefits that can greatly impact the well-being and harmony of Singaporean households.
Hiring a full-time domestic helper in Singapore can be a transformative decision for households seeking to achieve a better work-life balance and efficiently manage their daily responsibilities.
Photo by Annie Spratt, by Viki Mohamad, by Charles Gao and by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
