After deployment, the guarantee becomes operational — ask again in writing
Before you signed, you may have skimmed a replacement or guarantee clause. After your migrant domestic worker (MDW / FDW) has started in your home, those words stop being brochure language and start being a live service path — or a source of surprise if the window, triggers, and exclusions were never confirmed.
This page is an employer question checklist for Singapore households: what to ask your licensed employment agency (EA) about replacement / guarantee policy after deployment — window start, valid reasons, cost structure (no dollar amounts invented here), how many replacements, what voids the guarantee, and how the clause sits beside cancel / transfer / mid-contract replace duties. It is not a fee table and not a substitute for your signed agreement or live Ministry of Manpower (MOM) pages.
Use the linked hubs when you need adjacent depth — this page asks; it does not re-write those spines:
- Pre-sign EA questions (including an early replacement section): What to ask a maid agency before you sign (unique #3)
- Ongoing agency relationship framing: Working with a maid agency in Singapore — what to expect (unique #9)
- Mid-contract replace path routing (cancel+rehire vs transfer-in): Replacing a helper mid-contract — process overview (unique #24)
- Cancel / Special Pass / settle checklist: Cancellation checklist for employers (unique #21)
- Next Work Permit apply spine: Work Permit application for domestic helpers — employer checklist (unique #19)
- This article: what to ask once she is already deployed and a replacement clause may apply
Hard rule: do not invent agency replacement fees, “free months,” salary figures, levy rates, bond amounts, insurance premiums, medical prices, or air-ticket costs from this article. Confirm live amounts on your signed EA agreement / worksheet, with your insurer / bank where relevant, and on mom.gov.sg.
SmartMaid.com.sg is a search marketplace. You browse and shortlist biodata published by licensed agencies; SmartMaid is not a maid agency and does not honour placement guarantees, cancel Work Permits, or place helpers. See How Smart Maid Singapore differs from a maid agency.
Who owns what (employer / EA / MOM / platform)
| Party | Role on post-deployment replacement policy |
|---|---|
| You (employer of record) | Read the signed clause; ask clarifying questions in writing; keep soft MOM duties (cancel timing, salary settlement, Special Pass, stay path) even if a commercial replacement runs |
| Licensed EA | Interprets and runs the guarantee / replacement service per your agreement; may coordinate exit and the next placement — as service, not a transfer of your legal duties |
| MOM | Sets cancel, transfer, Work Permit, levy, and stay rules for the ending and any new employment — independent of EA marketing language |
| SmartMaid | Lets you search and shortlist published biodata if a next hire is needed; does not honour or broker agency guarantees |
Agency day-to-day framing: unique #9. Pre-sign fee / refund / document questions still live on unique #3 — re-open that list only if you never got answers in writing.
1. When does the replacement window start?
Ask for a calendar definition, not “about three months.”
| Clarify | Why it matters after deployment |
|---|---|
| Start event | Arrival date, first day of work, Work Permit issuance, signed employment start, or another written trigger — each can shift the end date |
| End event | Last calendar day you may notify the EA, or last day the helper must still be employed — confirm which |
| How to notify | Email, portal ticket, office form — and what proof they need |
| Pause / freeze rules | Overseas leave, medical hold, or mediation — does the clock pause? Get it in writing |
Ask in writing: *“For my case, which exact date started the replacement window, and what is the last date I can trigger a covered replacement?”*
If you are already past the window, you can still replace — you simply run cancel / send-home / fresh search / WP apply without that commercial overlay (#24 / #21 / #19).
2. What counts as a valid replacement reason?
Mismatch language is vague until you need it. Ask which situations are in, which are out, and who decides.
Typical buckets to confirm against your letter (labels vary by EA):
- Helper-initiated exit within the window (resignation / request to leave).
- Medical unfit after a defined medical process — who books, who pays structure, what report is required.
- Skills / household mismatch after a documented coaching period — how many weeks of good-faith try are expected.
- Employer-initiated exit for non-misconduct reasons — often carved differently from helper-initiated.
- Serious misconduct / safety — may sit outside “standard replacement” and follow a different EA + soft MOM path.
- Mutual agreement that the fit will not work — still confirm paperwork and timing.
Ask: *“Which reasons in my signed schedule are covered, which need EA written approval, and which are excluded?”*
Do not treat a friend’s past case as your coverage. Soft MOM duties (lawful exit, no overstay) still apply regardless of commercial coverage — unique #21.
3. Cost structure on a covered replacement (no $ invented here)
Replacement is rarely “everything free forever.” Ask for named line items and who pays each — amounts only from your EA worksheet.
| Cost bucket (structure only) | Questions to get in writing |
|---|---|
| EA service / admin on the replacement | Included once? Cap? Reset fee? |
| Helper medicals / documents for the next hire | Who arranges; who funds |
| Travel / repatriation for the leaving helper | Soft MOM employer duties vs any EA contribution — confirm |
| Travel / arrival for the incoming helper | Included, shared, or employer — get their quote |
| Levy / insurance / bond bridging while statuses change | Who monitors; who funds — no rates invented here |
| What is never covered | Common exclusions: employer change-of-mind outside clause, late notification, documented employer breach |
Ask: *“If a covered replacement is approved, which line items stay with me, which stay with the EA, and what must be paid before the next biodata shortlist proceeds?”*
For household budget framing (salary, levy, insurance — still no copying dollars from blogs): Maid salary and total cost in Singapore.
4. How many replacements — and does the clock reset?
Caps and resets are where employers get stuck mid-year.
Clarify:
- Number included — one, two, or “reasonable efforts” language (get the exact wording).
- Whether each replacement restarts the window — full reset, shorter second window, or no reset.
- Pipeline limits — transfer-in only, overseas only, or either (#24 timeline fork; #7 / #11 depth elsewhere).
- Whether you may change EA mid-guarantee — some clauses bind you to that EA’s pool.
- What “replacement” means operationally — new shortlists, one confirmed candidate, advisory only, or full placement support through WP issue.
Ask: *“After one covered replacement, how many remain, and what is the new window end date?”*
5. What voids or reduces the guarantee?
Ask for the exclusion list before you need it — not after a dispute starts.
Common themes to confirm (your contract controls; this is orientation only):
| Theme | Example questions |
|---|---|
| Late notice | Must I notify before the window ends, or before she leaves the household? |
| Incomplete paperwork | Missing salary records, unsigned house rules, or skipped coaching notes — do they void coverage? |
| Employer-caused exit | Changing must-have duties far beyond the interview brief; unpaid salary; unsafe housing |
| Unauthorised work / pass issues | Soft MOM compliance failures — coverage will not override MOM |
| Using another EA’s pool without consent | Does shopping outside the signing EA void the clause? |
| Misconduct findings | Is there a separate path, or a hard exclusion? |
Ask: *“Please list every condition that voids, suspends, or reduces my remaining replacement entitlement.”*
If coverage is voided, you still exit lawfully (#21) and may restart a hire (#23 / #19) — the commercial overlay is gone; MOM rules are not.
6. How the guarantee ties to cancel, transfer, and mid-contract replace (#21 / #24)
An EA guarantee does not replace MOM cancel, transfer, Special Pass, or levy rules. It sits beside them.
| Decision | Commercial guarantee | Soft MOM / process hub |
|---|---|---|
| Keep coaching / wait | May preserve window if still inside it | Unique #24 replace-vs-wait |
| End employment + send home | May or may not be a “covered” trigger — ask | Unique #21 + send-home hub |
| Transfer her to another employer | Often outside “replace into my home” language | Soft MOM transfer path + EA |
| Hire someone else into your home | This is usually what “replacement” means | #24 path + #19 WP / transfer spine |
| Renew her instead | Stop the replace path | Unique #20 renewal timeline |
Language trap: “transfer” can mean she moves out, or you transfer-in a different helper. Unique #24 separates those people; ask your EA which path their replacement clause funds.
Ask: *“If we trigger replacement, who cancels the current Work Permit, who handles Special Pass / tickets if she leaves Singapore, and when may I shortlist the next helper?”*
Do not cancel while still hoping she will stay, and do not leave her without a lawful stay path while you “test” biodata. Soft MOM: overstaying and employing without a valid work pass are consequences to avoid.
Copyable question list (send to your EA)
Paste into email; keep their reply with your contract.
- What exact date started my replacement / guarantee window, and what is the last date I can notify?
- Which reasons are covered, which need written EA approval, and which are excluded?
- On a covered replacement, which cost line items stay with me vs the EA (structure only — quote your numbers)?
- How many replacements remain, and does each one reset the window?
- Is the next hire limited to transfer-in, overseas, or either — and what is a realistic start-clock?
- What voids or reduces remaining entitlement (late notice, paperwork gaps, employer-caused exit, other EA, misconduct)?
- Who files cancel / Special Pass / tickets for the leaving helper, and who runs the next WP / transfer (#19)?
- May I shortlist on a marketplace while you process the claim, and must the next helper come only from your pool?
- Please confirm all answers in writing against my signed agreement / schedule.
Browse published biodata when a next hire is real: search maids · transfer maids · maid agencies. Marketplace ≠ guarantee desk.
Platform ≠ agency (why SmartMaid cannot “activate” your guarantee)
| Need | Who |
|---|---|
| Interpret / honour replacement clause | Your licensed EA under the signed agreement |
| Cancel Work Permit / Special Pass / stay path | You and/or licensed EA on MOM channels — unique #21 |
| Mid-contract path choice (wait vs cancel+rehire vs transfer-in) | You + EA — overview on unique #24 |
| Shortlist transfer / overseas biodata | SmartMaid search + filters |
| File next WP / transfer | Licensed EA + MOM — checklist on unique #19 |
SmartMaid does not sell replacement packages, reset guarantee clocks, or substitute for EA written answers.
FAQ
I already asked replacement questions before I signed (#3). Why ask again?
Because after deployment you need dates, remaining caps, and exclusions applied to your live case — not brochure generalities. Unique #3 is pre-commit; this page is post-start.
Is this the same as the mid-contract replace overview (#24)?
No. #24 routes process paths (wait, cancel+rehire, transfer-in). This page is the commercial Q&A you send the EA about the guarantee clause itself.
Does a guarantee skip MOM cancel or transfer steps?
No. Guarantees are commercial terms between you and the EA. Soft MOM cancel, transfer, levy, and stay rules still apply (#21 / #24).
What if I never had a replacement clause?
You can still replace. Run lawful exit + next-hire paths without the commercial overlay (#24 → #21 → #19).
Can SmartMaid replace my helper under an agency guarantee?
No. SmartMaid is a biodata search marketplace. Only your licensed EA can honour (or decline) a guarantee claim.
Where do dollar amounts appear?
On your EA agreement / worksheet, employment records, insurer / bank documents, and mom.gov.sg. This article quotes no dollar amounts.
What if I might still renew her instead of replacing?
Pause the replacement claim and use the renewal timeline hub (unique #20) before you cancel.
Next steps
- Open your signed EA replacement / guarantee schedule; diarise the window end date.
- Send the copyable question list above and keep the written reply.
- If you will replace: route the process on unique #24; run exit on unique #21; next WP / transfer on unique #19.
- Re-read unique #3 only for any pre-sign gaps you never closed; use unique #9 for how day-to-day EA support should feel.
- Shortlist on search maids · transfer maids when a next hire is real; confirm live MOM rules on mom.gov.sg.
*This article is general employer guidance only. Agency replacement / guarantee terms, Work Permit, transfer, cancellation, levy, and hiring procedures can change. Confirm current requirements with your licensed employment agency, your signed agreement, and on mom.gov.sg. No agency fees, salary figures, levy rates, bond amounts, premiums, guarantee “free months,” medical prices, or ticket prices are quoted here.*
## What changed vs live
- Replaced interview / agency-selection twin boilerplate (shared interview-cluster meta + licensed-agency / interview-prep / fees Soft CTA; replacement policy only in H1; twin MD5 `d28c9eea0e`) with a full post-deployment EA replacement / guarantee question checklist.
- Added sections for who owns what, window start, valid reasons, cost structure (no $), replacement caps / resets, what voids the guarantee, tie-in to cancel / transfer / mid-contract replace (#21 / #24), copyable email questions, platform≠agency, FAQ, and CTAs to `/search-maid` · `/search-transfer-maid` · `/maid-agencies`.
- Linked unique #3 before-you-sign, #9 working with an agency, #24 mid-contract replace overview, #21 cancellation, #19 WP apply, salary/total-cost framing, platform-vs-agency. No invented $. Soft MOM.
- Kept SERP intent distinct from unique #3 (pre-sign full EA checklist), #24 (mid-contract process overview), #21 (cancel checklist), #9 (agency relationship): this page owns after-deployment replacement-policy Q&A.
- Not treated as an A1 301→interview-count twin; live twin was interview boilerplate, not a dedicated replacement-policy guide.
## Suggested next unique #26 candidate
`when-to-loop-the-agency-into-early-issues` — HTTP 200; twin boilerplate today (post-deployment / early-issue cluster); natural follow-on after this guarantee Q&A — when to escalate to the EA vs coach at home, before a formal replacement claim. Soft MOM; platform≠agency; links #25 / #9 / #24 / #3.
Alt: `supporting-mental-health-through-clear-communication` — HTTP 200; rest-day / wellbeing twin meta today; communication / wellbeing employer guide outside the replacement-claim cluster, if early-issues is deferred.
Avoid for #26: A1 interview twins still better as 301→interview-count canon (`how-many-maids-to-interview-before-deciding` siblings), A4 twins still on the 301→#20 list, `agency-role-when-employment-relationship-strains` (301 → rest-days canon), rework of #21–#25 / #19 / #20 / #7 / #11, rest-day MD5 twins, A6 hiring-compliance twins, and skill×angle or nationality interview clones.
