Your Helper’s First Day and First Week: A Day-by-Day Plan

Your helper’s first day sets the tone for everything that follows. Arrive at it with a plan and she learns quickly that your home is organised, safe and fair. Arrive without one and she spends the week guessing. This guide gives you a day-by-day plan for her first week, from the moment she walks in to the end of day seven, including the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) steps that have to happen before she can start work.

We have written this as a companion to our checklist on preparing your home for your helper’s arrival. That guide covers getting the room, supplies and paperwork ready beforehand. This one is about what you actually do once she is through the door.

A note on timing. For a first-time helper, the official sequence matters: she must attend the Settling-in Programme before she starts work, and the safety agreement is signed after that course. The plan below builds that in, so day one is about settling, not chores.

Before day one: the timing rules to know

Three MOM requirements shape the first week for a first-time helper.

• Settling-in Programme (SIP). According to MOM’s Settling-in Programme page, first-time helpers must attend this one-day course within seven days of arrival, excluding Sundays and public holidays, and not on the day she arrives. It is taught in her native language and covers adapting to life in Singapore, conditions of employment, working safely, and relationship and stress management. Fees range from $76.40 to $92.65 including GST, depending on the provider, and are paid by the employer. She can start work only after attending.
• Medical examination. MOM requires a medical examination by a Singapore-registered doctor within two weeks of arrival, before her Work Permit is issued.
• Safety agreement. MOM’s page on contracts and the safety agreement says the agreement is signed by you, your agency and your helper, after a first-time helper completes the SIP and before she starts work. Her copy is in her native language.

Register for the SIP early, as MOM advises, so a slot is available inside the seven-day window. She will need to bring her full in-principle approval letter, her passport, a copy of her educational certificate and a copy of her digital arrival card.

If you are hiring a transfer helper who has worked in Singapore before, the SIP does not apply, and the safety agreement is signed before she is deployed. The rest of this plan still works, just compressed. Our welcome plan for transfer helpers adapts it for her.

Day 1: your helper’s first day at home

Keep the arrival day light. She may have travelled overnight, cleared immigration and met strangers in a language that is not her own.

1. Greet her by name and introduce everyone in the household, including how she should address each person.
2. Show her room first. Let her put her bag down, and point out the bedding, toiletries and storage you have prepared.
3. Offer a meal and a drink, and ask about any dietary or religious needs before planning the week’s food.
4. Help her contact home. Give her the Wi-Fi password and time for a private call to let her family know she arrived safely.
5. Show the basics only: bathroom, drinking water, where to find you, and the front door and keys.
6. Let her rest. Avoid any tasks today.

If you have cameras in the home, tell her where they are on the first day. MOM’s accommodation guidelines require employers to inform helpers of any cameras, and none may be placed where she sleeps, changes or bathes. Her passport stays with her too: MOM states employers should not keep a helper’s passport, and a secure place she can access is the better option.

Days 2 to 3: SIP, medical check and paperwork

These days usually revolve around official appointments. Confirm the SIP date, and arrange the medical examination if your agency has not already booked it. Femme5 offers helper transport for airport arrivals and medical appointments if you need help getting her there.

Around the appointments, use the quieter hours for gentle orientation rather than work:

• Walk her around the neighbourhood: the nearest supermarket, wet market, clinic, bus stop and MRT station.
• Point out your block’s lift lobby, rubbish chute and letterbox, and any building rules your town council or condo management has posted.
• Write down your home address, your phone numbers and the agency’s number for her to keep in her wallet.
• Talk through her emergency numbers: 995 for an ambulance or fire, and 999 for the police.

After she completes the SIP, sign the safety agreement through your agency before she begins any work. If her SIP slot falls later in the seven-day window, simply shift days 4 to 7 back so that no work begins before the course.

Day 4: the safety tour and household walkthrough

This is the day to show her the home properly. Go room by room and focus on safety before routine.

Safety tour

• Windows. Explain clearly that she must not clean the outside of any window unless the window grille is locked throughout and an adult supervises. This is an MOM rule, and breaches carry heavy penalties for employers.
• Kitchen. Show her how to switch the gas on and off at the source, use the cooker hood, and handle any appliance that is new to her. Watch her try it once.
• Electrical. Point out the main switch box, and explain never to touch switches or plugs with wet hands.
• Cleaning products. Show where they are kept, and explain never to mix bleach with ammonia or acidic cleaners, and to keep windows open when using strong products.
• First aid. Show her where the first aid kit is. Our guide to a home first aid kit covers what to keep stocked. Booking her onto a CPR course is also worth considering.
• Children and elders. Explain any allergies, medications, mobility needs and who must never be left alone.

Household walkthrough

Then show how the household runs: where things are stored, how laundry is sorted, which surfaces need special care, and how waste and recycling are handled. Do not expect her to remember it all. A short written list, with photos if language is a barrier, helps a great deal.

Day 5: house rules, rest day and pay

Sit down together for a proper conversation about expectations. Keep it two-way.

• House rules. Share the handful that genuinely matter, such as visitors, phone use during work hours, and letting you know if she will be back late on her day off. Our guide to fair and lawful house rules has a sample list.
• Rest day. Agree which day of the week is her rest day, as MOM requires the day to be mutually agreed. Remind her that at least one rest day each month cannot be compensated away, and record the arrangement in FDW eService, as set out on MOM’s rest days and well-being page.
• Salary. Confirm her pay date and how she will be paid. MOM requires salary to be paid no later than seven days after the last day of the salary period.
• Daily rhythm. Explain roughly when the household wakes, eats and sleeps, and when her breaks and bedtime are.

Days 6 to 7: first routines and a check-in

Now start the routine, gently. Introduce one or two core tasks a day and show her how you like them done, then let her try while you are nearby.

1. Demonstrate once, then observe. Show the task, let her do it, and give feedback kindly on the spot.
2. Prioritise. Childcare, eldercare and cooking basics come before deep cleaning or ironing standards.
3. Accept a slower pace. She is learning a new home, a new language and possibly new appliances all at once.
4. End the week with a check-in. Ask what is going well, what is confusing, and whether she has everything she needs. Thank her for specific things she has done.

Keep an eye on how she is coping emotionally. Homesickness often peaks in the first weeks. Our guides to handling homesickness and helper mental health explain what to look for.

Your new maid orientation checklist at a glance

Print this new maid orientation checklist or keep it on your phone through the week:

• Room ready, bedding and toiletries provided, cameras disclosed
• Wi-Fi shared and first call home made
• SIP booked within seven days of arrival, excluding Sundays and public holidays (first-time helpers)
• Medical examination done within two weeks of arrival
• Safety agreement signed before she starts work
• Neighbourhood walk done, address and phone numbers written down
• Emergency numbers 995 and 999 explained
• Safety tour done: windows, gas, electrics, cleaning products, first aid
• House rules, rest day and pay date agreed, rest day recorded in FDW eService
• First routines introduced and an end-of-week check-in held

Related guides: Hiring a Maid in Singapore: A First-Time Employer's Guide and Benefits of Hiring a Maid Through an Agency: Singapore 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my helper start work on her first day in Singapore?

A first-time helper cannot start work until she has attended the Settling-in Programme, which must happen within seven days of arrival, excluding Sundays and public holidays, and not on her arrival day.

Does a transfer helper need to attend the Settling-in Programme?

No, MOM requires the Settling-in Programme only for first-time helpers, though a transfer helper still needs a safety agreement signed before she is deployed.

Who pays for the Settling-in Programme?

The employer pays for the Settling-in Programme, which costs between $76.40 and $92.65 including GST depending on the appointed provider.

Should I keep my helper’s passport safe for her?

No, MOM states employers should not keep a helper’s passport, and withholding a passport that is not yours is an offence, so give her a secure place to store it that she can access herself.

How much should I teach my helper in the first week?

Focus on safety, the household’s basic rhythm and one or two core tasks a day, because a helper who is shown a manageable amount clearly will usually learn faster than one given everything at once.

Conclusion

A good first week is calm, structured and clear about safety. Get the official steps right, give her time to settle before work begins, show her the home with care, and agree the important things together. By day seven she should know how the house works, how to stay safe and how to reach you or help if she needs it.

The first month will still have bumps, and our guide to building trust in the first 30 days picks up where this one ends.

A smooth start begins with the right match and a well-prepared helper. You can get in touch with the Femme5 team to discuss your family’s needs, read more about how we work with employers, or explore what a good placement looks like.

The Femme5 Team
Maid placement specialists, Femme5 Maid Agency
Our consultants work with Singaporean and expatriate families on helper matching, contracts and MOM compliance, and we verify the regulatory guidance in our articles directly against the Ministry of Manpower’s published requirements.