SINGAPORE — As the work-from-home norm of the COVID-19 pandemic returns to the office in Singapore, more pet owners are looking for domestic helpers who can take care of their pets, apart from common household chores.
According to maid agencies Yahoo Southeast Asia She said, the demand for domestic helpers who can provide pet care has seen a slow and steady increase over the past year.
Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), employers are allowed to hire migrant domestic workers to perform household and domestic tasks, such as taking care of their employers’ pets .
“Employers who hire migrant domestic workers (MDWs) to care for their pets should communicate such needs during the hiring process to avoid future misunderstandings. If training is required, Employers must also ensure that their MDWs are adequately trained to handle such tasks,” a MOM spokesperson said. Yahoo.
So, why has the demand for this already niche segment become “unique and growing”?
Increased cost of part-time help
According to an agency, We Are Caring, the increase in demand is due to the increase in the cost of hiring part-time help in recent years. This makes the option of hiring a full-time live-in helper more “relevant and affordable.”
Each week, the agency typically receives three to five requests for a live-in helper to care for a pet, up from one or two before COVID.
“I think employers appreciate the convenience of having just one dog-taker, to create a special relationship instead of having multiple part-time helpers. It’s also a cost-effective solution ,” said the agency’s managing director, David Bensadon.
She also noted that employers want helpers who truly love pets.
A recent case is Mai Cherry Win, 45, whose current job is taking care of two dogs. She spends most of her work hours making homemade dog food supplies, taking both English bulldogs for walks, and cleaning them. He does very little around the house like cleaning and vacuuming.
Win, who is from Myanmar, got the job in February after posting photos of herself with pets on the agency’s mobile app.
The animal lover began fielding inquiries from pet owners. This is the first time she has found a job that focuses mainly on pet care after 16 years in Singapore.
Pet care as an additional duty
For the Universal Employment Agency, inquiries for pet-friendly helpers have increased from three to four in recent years, to five to six currently per week.
Half of their requests come from potential clients looking for helpers with the ability to take care of fish, cats or dogs as an additional role.
“We’ve actually seen this increase in demand probably because of COVID, because new pet owners have to go back to work because there are fewer people working from home. As a result, they have to hire a helper to care for their pets at home, on top of other household duties.”
Regent Maid Agency has also seen a five to 10 percent increase year over year, for maids who can care for both pets and children or parents, said its co-founder, Stephanie Chew.
The need for pet care has also affected part-time helpers. One such agency, @bsolute Cleaning, which provides part-time helpers for household chores, says it has seen a 15 percent increase in requests for care-oriented pets this year.
“The increase can be attributed to the changing dynamics in which pets are considered important members of the family. The shift toward pet-centric lifestyles, and a deeper appreciation of pets as important members of the family, is are key drivers of this demand,” said founder Elvin Yeo.
Dog behavior specialist and trainer, Fraser Noble, believes the rising numbers are due to Singapore’s busy lifestyles and more pet owners. Because of this, domestic helpers are hired to take care of pets, which are considered “members of the family”.
More housekeepers attending training courses
Over the past two years, Noble has seen a 50 percent increase in employers and domestic helpers attending training courses together at the dog training school, Noble Canine.
She has also seen more requests for training sessions with domestic helpers, when employers are away on vacation or abroad.
A client returned to Ireland during COVID-19 and left their dog in the care of their domestic helper. Without other responsibilities, the housekeeper can fully restore the dog, which was initially nervous and reactive to walking, through proper and dedicated care.
Some other positive effects of this trend are also seeing more housemates feel comfortable asking questions during training sessions.
However, providing primary pet care to the assistant “may not be ideal” in most cases.
Noble noted that some domestic helpers “regret” taking care of pets, because they didn’t sign up for pet care as part of their job. There is also added stress and responsibility.
In some cases, pets can develop a deep emotional bond with the housemate, leading to jealousy from its owner.
When the housemate leaves, dogs can also develop separation anxiety and reactivity, something Noble has witnessed several times.
“The dog usually attaches itself to the person of highest value. It doesn’t understand the dynamic of employer and employee. In its mind, it has been abandoned by its primary caretaker.”
Still a niche segment
Despite the increase in domestic helpers seeking to take care of pets, they are unlikely to cover the main roles that people have in mind when they hire a full-time housekeeper.
Win’s boss shared that his acquaintance was just another friend of his who hired a helper to take care of his two dogs.
Meanwhile, Eelit Agency’s requests for pet-focused assistants typically come from singles or childless couples in pet-centric households, said co-founder Patrick Ee.
According to its placement consultants, such requests are “relatively rare”.
Last year, the agency received about one request for assistants with pet care experience for every thousand customers.
Although it has seen a slight increase in demand in recent years, such requests remain a niche requirement within the industry, where overall growth numbers are “relatively insignificant”, Ee said. .
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