Guide On How To Manage A Second Maid | Singapore | Best Home

Managing a household with a single maid can already be a challenging task for many employers, as your family has just gained one additional family member. When you decide to hire a second maid, the complexity of the situation increases. Having two maids under one roof requires careful planning, effective communication, and a clear understanding of each maid's role.

In this article, we will briefly describe some important considerations regarding hiring a second maid, followed by exploring the essential strategies for successfully managing a second maid in your household.

Considerations Before You Hire A Second Maid

Assessing Your Household’s Requirements

Before deciding to hire a second maid, it is important to assess the specific needs of your household. Consider the following:

• Size of the household: Larger homes with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, and living areas may require more hands to maintain cleanliness and order.

• Number of family members: A larger family, especially with young children or elderly members, may benefit from the additional support.

• Special needs: If you have family members with special needs, such as an elderly loved one requiring constant care, a second maid might be necessary to ensure their well-being.

Financial Considerations

Hiring a second maid means an additional financial commitment. Ensure that your budget allows for this increased expenditure, which includes not only salaries but also other expenses such as accommodation, food, and medical insurance.

Legal Considerations in Singapore

Employers in Singapore must adhere to the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) regulations when hiring a second maid. Ensure that you meet the following criteria:

• Eligibility: Employers must demonstrate a valid reason, such as having young children, elderly family members, or a large household.

• Levy and Fees: Understand the levy rates for hiring multiple maids. There are different rates depending on the specific circumstances of your household.

• Employment Contracts: Each maid must have a separate employment contract that clearly outlines her duties, working hours, rest days and other terms.

Upon Hiring A Second Maid: Setting Clear Roles, Communication Strategies, Conflict Resolution and More.

Defining Job Scopes

To avoid conflicts and ensure that both maids work efficiently, it is crucial to define their roles and responsibilities clearly. Here are some strategies:

• Divide by Task: Assign specific tasks to each maid. For example, one maid can be responsible for general housekeeping, while the other focuses on childcare or eldercare.

• Divide by Area: If your home is large, consider dividing responsibilities by area. One maid could handle the upstairs portion of the house, while the other manages the downstairs.

• Specialised Roles: If you have specific needs, such as infant care or cooking special dietary cuisines, one maid can specialize in that area while the other takes care of general household chore duties.

Documenting Responsibilities

Once roles are defined, document them in a clear and concise manner. This can be part of their employment contract or a separate household management document. Make sure both maids understand their roles and have a copy of this document.

Effective Communication Strategies

Open communication is key to managing multiple maids effectively. Consider the following strategies:

• Regular Meetings: Hold bi-weekly or monthly meetings to discuss household matters, address any concerns, and review each maid's responsibilities.

• Direct Feedback: Create an environment where it is okay to provide immediate feedback when necessary, and encourage maids to voice their concerns or suggestions.

• Language Barriers: If your maids come from different countries and speak different languages, consider basic language training to facilitate communication. Alternatively, use translation apps or tools to bridge the communication gap.

Conflict Resolution

Conflicts can arise when multiple people work together. This is not uncommon in any work place. To handle conflicts effectively:

• Address Issues Promptly: Don’t allow conflicts to fester. Address them as soon as they arise.

• Mediation: Act as a mediator in conflicts. Listen to both sides and work toward a fair resolution.

• Cultural Sensitivity: Be mindful of cultural differences that may affect communication and interaction between maids. For example, for some cultures, it is impolite to make direct eye contact, while for some cultures, eye contact signifies respect for the other person.

• Mediation: If conflict resolution strategies are not working, do feel free to seek your maid agency's assistance for mediation. As a third party mediator, a responsible maid agency should step in and help reconcile working relationships between helper-helper, or helper-employer.

Respecting Privacy and Personal Space

Living and working together can blur the boundaries between personal and professional life. It’s important to respect your maids’ need for privacy and personal space:

• Separate Living Quarters: If possible, provide separate living quarters or bedrooms for each maid to ensure they have their own private space. If space is limited, you may consider setting up a partition in your maids' room.

• Respecting Downtime: Ensure that both maids have adequate rest periods and are not disturbed during their downtime.

Encouraging Teamwork

Fostering a sense of teamwork can help create a harmonious work environment. Here’s how you can encourage collaboration:

• Joint Activities: Involve both maids in planning and executing household tasks together, such as preparing meals or organizing events.

• Recognition: Recognise and reward instances of good teamwork. This can be in the form of verbal praise or small bonuses.

• Shared Goals: Set shared household goals that both maids can work towards, such as completing a major cleaning task before a family event.

Monitoring Performance and Well-being

Regular Performance Reviews

Just like in any other job, regular performance reviews can help ensure that your maids are meeting expectations. During these reviews:

• Assess Work Quality: Evaluate the quality of their work and adherence to assigned responsibilities.

• Provide Constructive Feedback: Offer constructive feedback and discuss areas for improvement.

• Discuss Career Goals: Understand your maids’ long-term goals and see how you can support them in their personal and professional growth.

Ensuring Physical and Mental Well-being

The well-being of your maids is paramount to maintaining a productive household. Consider the following:

• Health Check-ups: Regular health check-ups are essential, especially if your maids are responsible for eldercare or childcare. Do not worry about medical fees if your maid has been covered by Best Home's maid insurance.

• Mental Health Support: Offer positive support and be approachable if your helper needs someone to talk to.

• Work-Life Balance: Similar to employing one maid, do ensure that both maids have a balanced work-life schedule, with adequate rest days and opportunities to relax.

Addressing Common Challenges in Managing Two Maids

Cultural Differences

Cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings or conflicts. To address this:

• Cultural Sensitivity Sharing Sessions: Conduct basic cultural sensitivity sessions to help your maids understand and respect each other’s backgrounds. This can be done casually, or in a more formal environment like at your maid agency of choice.

• Encourage Respect: Foster an environment of mutual respect where cultural differences are acknowledged and valued.

Jealousy and Competition

Jealousy or competition can arise when two maids work together. To mitigate this:

• Equal Treatment: Treat both maids equally in terms of responsibilities, privileges, and rewards. Do keep this in mind especially if you have a long-time first maid, and have just employed a second maid.

• Avoid Favoritism: Be mindful not to show favoritism, which can lead to resentment and division. Do not openly compare your helpers-rather, offer constructive criticism and praise, whenever necessary.

• Team-building Activities: Engage your maids in team-building activities that promote trust and collaboration.

Workload Management

Managing the workload effectively is crucial to preventing burnout and ensuring that both maids remain productive and satisfied with their work.

• Fair Distribution of Tasks: Ensure that tasks are fairly distributed between the two maids. Avoid overburdening one maid while the other has less to do.

• Flexibility: Be flexible with task assignments. Allow your maids to switch tasks occasionally to keep the work environment dynamic and prevent monotony, whenever possible.

• Regular Breaks: Ensure that both maids get regular breaks during the day, and encourage them to take their rest days to recharge.

The Role of Best Home Employment Agency in Supporting Employers With 2 Domestic Helpers

Expert Guidance and Support

At Best Home Employment Agency, we have 30 years of successful experience serving customers with 2 helpers in their households. We understand the complexities of managing a household with multiple maids, and we offer expert guidance to help you navigate the challenges:

1. Maid Selection: We are aware that a smooth employer-helper  working relationship begins with careful matching of the helper to an employer's household. We assist all our customers in selecting maids with complementary skills and personalities to ensure they work well together.

2. Training Programs: We offer training programs to help your maids develop the skills needed to meet your household's specific needs. All Best Home maids are trained before and after they arrive in Singapore.

3. Conflict Resolution: Our award-winning customer support team provides support in resolving conflicts and addressing any concerns that may arise between your maids.

Ongoing Support Services

Our relationship with you doesn’t end once your maids are hired. We provide ongoing support services, including:

• Responsive Customer Support: We do not disappear on our customers once we handover helpers. We form an individual WhatsApp group with each customer. Each chat group consists of the consultant in charge of your case, an administrative staff, and a Best Home supervisor. This means that whenever you require assistance, a Best Home expert will be a phone call or text away.

• Maid Replacement: If necessary, we offer a maid replacement service to find a better fit for your household.

• FREE One Year Online Training Videos: All Best Home maids are entitled to a FREE annual subscription of online training videos from STEP UP (worth SGD 149/year). You can utilise the STEP UP application to assign training videos to your helper, and observe her progress as she learns from a diverse range of training videos: cooking special dishes, expert cleaning guides, water saving tips etc. These topics compliment the knowledge which your helper would have already learnt during her training as a Best Home helper.

• Emergency Maid Accommodation: Best Home operates our own independent dormitory for domestic helpers. In cases of emergency, when it is not advisable for a domestic helper to remain in an employer's home, we can arrange for your helper to stay at our accommodation facility. This is a unique post-handover service that few maid agencies provide. We have a separate transport service available for your helper as well.

• Long-Term Partnership/Service Certificates: Since 1996, Best Home has served generations of employers. We are deeply grateful to all our long-time customers, many whom have journeyed with us for decades and are now recommending their children or even grandchildren to our maid services. Many Best Home helpers also stay with one family for years. To express our heartfelt appreciation to our dear Best Home employers and helpers: we present long-term partnership certificates to employers, and we present long-term service certificates to helpers.

Achieving Harmony with Two Maids in Your Household

Managing two maids in one household can be a rewarding experience when done correctly. By understanding the needs of your household, setting clear roles and responsibilities, fostering effective communication, and creating a harmonious work environment, with the assistance of a trustworthy maid agency, you can ensure that both maids work efficiently and happily.

At Best Home Employment Agency, we are committed to supporting employers in every step of this journey. With our expertise and ongoing support, you can confidently manage your household with two maids, ensuring a smooth and productive home life for your family.

For more information or to speak with a member of our team: