Hailing from their own hometowns miles away from Singapore, domestic helpers arrive here to take a load off your household burdens. Yet, in an ironic twist, your quest for an easier life at home usually involves a rough, cumbersome start.
First, Ministry of Manpower (MOM) stipulates that it is compulsory for first-time employers (i.e. you) to attend an Employer Orientation Program (EOP) and prepare for life with a new stranger in your home. For non-Malaysian foreign domestic workers, medical insurance and a security deposit of up to S$5,000 have to be provided for the contractual period of up to two years. Second, you need to deal with long queues and paperwork at the maid agency. Time and energy are lost. And when you finally manage to find the right helper for your home, your woes ain’t exactly over yet.
There’s a stranger in my house!
Getting a new foreign domestic helper – especially if you are a first-time employer – is no bed of roses. You have to spend time on training your helper, guiding her on how to execute certain tasks and slowly easing her into becoming a member of your household.
Your new helper is not having it easy either. Due to her initial position as the outsider, assimilating into the family requires trust, communication and a lot of nitty-gritty management. It also takes time for her to remember your house rules. And if your helper is working in Singapore for the first time, she probably has to deal with a culture shock whilst missing her family members back home. Just imagine how your first day in primary school felt like. That’s her in a nutshell. Lost, distracted, and unsure. With all the challenges that come with integration, accidents and mishaps are expected. Making your helper feel more comfortable and at home can mitigate these challenges.
Therefore, your smartest move here is to safeguard both you and your helper from any of these ‘accidents waiting to happen’ with FWD’s comprehensive maid insurance policy.
Maid insurance made easy
Maid insurance is the latest in FWD’s line of comprehensive insurance offerings, and FWD is the only insurer that offers outpatient medical coverage for illnesses and accidents that befall your helper. In addition, we would be remiss not to mention how you can easily procure it online without pesky middlemen. (In case you’re not aware, FWD is Singapore’s fully direct and online life and general insurer.)
On top of that, we have four more benefits on FWD Maid Insurance that would kill any lingering concerns for employers.
Full premium refund
It can be challenging to find the right fit for your home. In the event you do want to cancel your FWD maid policy within the first three months of purchase, FWD gives you a full refund of the premium you put down if you have not made any claims in the period. You can sign up again when you have a new suitable domestic helper.
Security bond insurance
We mentioned earlier that a security bond of up to S$5,000 is involved in the foreign domestic helper employment process, and you are subjected to a forfeit if you are found to have breached the contract. S$5,000 is no small sum. FWD is the only insurer on the market to pay for your security bond without recovering anything from you. This unique benefit is already available in their base plan, whereas you would have to pay extra to add it on as a rider with other insurers. Some others also require you to share the cost of the forfeiture.
Here at FWD, though, no out-of-pocket excess is needed at all.
High medical claims
Busy professionals like us would appreciate domestic helpers’ assistance to get housekeeping down pat. But unlike robots, they are still human and they are not immune to the occasional sick day. Furthermore, unlike us, their healthcare savviness may be on a completely different frequency.
FWD’s outpatient medical cover allows up to S$1,000 in outpatient medical claims over the policy period. As for in-patient matters, there is a payout of up to S$50,000 (depending on the plan you select) for hospitalisation and surgical procedures due to accidents, with the annual limit capped at half of S$50,000. For accidental deaths, FWD sends a payment of S$2,000 to the foreign domestic helper’s family to cover funeral expenses and tide over the rough time.
Comprehensive coverage areas
So far, we know that FWD maid insurance is focused on you as an employer, as well as your helper. We already understand how it can offset your helper’s medical bills and save you from losing your security deposit. But it won’t be as comprehensive as it really is without protecting one last thing: the house itself.
As mentioned earlier, FWD provides all-round coverage across hospitalisation, accidental death and disability up to S$50,000 for foreign domestic helpers, on top of outpatient medical cover. Employers are not forgotten; FWD offers you protection against theft by a foreign domestic worker. And as for your home, instances of fire and burglary are also included in the coverage.
Need more convincing? Watch this clip to find out more:
We’ve left the best bit to the last! As part of FWD’s maiden launch for the new plan, employers like yourself can enjoy a special 10% launch discount — simply key in the promo code ‘MYMAID’ when you make an application online.
Hurry hop onto FWD’s website to apply as this offer is only valid until 10 June 2017.
