Talk process — not public price lists
MDW salary discussion process (without quoting figures) is how to run the conversation about pay for a migrant domestic worker in Singapore: timing, parties, themes, and written follow-up. It does not publish numbers. For salary vs levy vs agency vs insurance mindset, use #97. For interview → offer handoff, use #109.
General guidance only. Soft MOM: mom.gov.sg. SmartMaid.com.sg is a marketplace. Licensed EAs place helpers. Platform ≠ agency. Live amounts come from your EA / MOM guidance — never from this page.
Neighbouring hubs:
- Maid salary and total cost in Singapore (unique #97)
- From interview to offer (unique #109)
- What to ask a maid agency before you sign (unique #3)
- How to choose a maid agency (unique #105)
- Rest days — rules and fair arrangements (unique #86)
- Can I compensate my helper for having no off days? (unique #2)
- How Smart Maid differs from a maid agency (unique #82)
- First-time employer hire guide (unique #84)
- This article: salary discussion process (no figures)
Step 1 — Decide when the talk happens
Typical sequence (confirm with your EA):
- Brief alignment between co-employers (budget mindset via #97 — still no public $ here)
- Interview fit first (#109)
- Salary themes with the licensed EA before a firm offer
- Clear written confirmation before Work Pass filing
Avoid bargaining only over chat with no EA in the loop.
Step 2 — Who should be in the discussion
- Co-employers aligned privately first
- Licensed EA as the process owner for placement terms
- Helper included when your EA says it is appropriate — not ambushed mid-interview with pressure tactics
Marketplace chat ≠ signed employment terms (#82).
Step 3 — Themes to cover (still no numbers on this page)
- Pay cycle (when salary is paid)
- Payment method your household will use
- What is included vs discussed separately (rest-day work, loans, and similar — process only)
- How rest-day arrangements interact with pay talks (#86; cash-out-all-rest-days issues: #2)
- When a salary review conversation might happen later (cadence, not amounts)
Ask the EA the pre-sign commercial questions in #3 before you commit.
Step 4 — Document what was agreed
- Written summary from the EA (or contract pack) matching what you understood
- Co-employer copy stored with other hire documents
- No side deals that contradict soft MOM / contract terms
Step 5 — Red flags in salary talks
- Pressure to agree verbally with nothing in writing
- Mixing rest-day waiver pressure into pay talks without clear process (#2)
- Ranking helpers as cheaper by nationality instead of skills and fit
- Using SmartMaid shortlist notes as if they were the employment contract
Soft MOM
No invented $ — no salary bands, levy rates, agency fees, or deductions on this page. Confirm live figures with your licensed EA and soft MOM sources on mom.gov.sg. Platform ≠ agency.
Checklist
- Co-employers aligned on process before EA talk
- EA owns commercial confirmation before firm offer
- Themes covered (cycle, method, rest-day interaction, review cadence)
- Written confirmation filed
- No invented $; no nationality ranking; platform ≠ agency
Scripts
To EA: Please walk us through the salary discussion process for this candidate — pay cycle, payment method, and what must be in writing before we proceed. We will not rely on chat screenshots alone.
To co-employer: We decide the process and documentation first. Live amounts come from the EA under soft MOM rules — not from blogs.
Bottom line
Run salary talks as a documented process with your licensed EA; keep public pages figure-free. Browse on SmartMaid; place through a licensed EA under soft MOM rules.
