Posts Tagged ‘list of agencies’
Singapore Maid Agency Review
Actually, I’ve done a Singapore maid agency review already. However, I think I need to make it more complete by providing even more information. There are also questions about using new unaccreditated agencies which I have some thoughts on.
Personally, I have a preference for CASE accreditated agencies because it is accreditated by a third party consumers protection agency which is "government linked".
However, equally recognised are the AEAs accreditated agencies which you can also take into consideration. These are agencies accreditated by the Association of Employment Agencies which is a self governing body of maid agencies.
In addition, here is a list of agencies which have their accreditation revoked by the AEAs. Stay away from them.
Yet another list to check is whether the agencies are accreditated and do they have any demerit points or not.
Here is the MOM list of agencies…
A few points to note about the list:
1. New agencies do not have to be accreditated in their first year of operation. In their second year, they have to be accreditated to continue operations.
2. Demerit points are issued when the agency infringes the rules and regulations of MOM. Any agency with 12 points are placed under MOM’s surveillance. The demerit points are "reset" after 6 months for the particular infringement. However, if there is a severe infringement like maid abuse, illegal worker, etc., the license will be revoked immediately.
3. Many agencies do not have accreditation in this MOM list because they are non maid agencies. They can be HR consultancies, HR placement companies and so on. Do take note.
A question has also been raised about trying the services of new agencies. There are 3 points to note here.
Firstly, the agency may not be new. It can be a way for "old" and "bad" agencies to circumvent the demerit points system. The old agency’s license may be revoked, but the management wanted to get back into business, so they applied for a new license under a new name. However, the MOM will have checks in place to prevent this. So, are these "recalcitrant" agencies worth trying? I think you know the answer to this.
Secondly, an unaccreditated new agency is a "new kid on the block". In other words, there is no track record. My philosophy is this: let them be successful, and once they’ve proven themselves, then put your money in there. I would not let them risk my family’s well-being as they build their business by me taking a risk with them. But, that’s just me. You can always give a new agency a shot.
Thirdly, there are "new" agencies which are actually old, established agencies doing a conversion in corporate structures. You see, a long time ago many agencies are run by individuals in the form of sole proprietors or partnerships. However, over the years, they’ve grown bigger and better. As such, it makes sense for them to corporatize and become a private limited company.
I think this is the only category of "new" agencies which I will go to because they have already proven themselves from growing from a sole proprietor or partnership into a private limited company. They must be doing a good job to be able to progress to the next level of growth.
I hope this helps.
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