A new accreditation scheme aimed at improving the standards of maid agencies has been launched.

The Association of Employment Agencies Singapore (AEAS), which is behind the initiative, hopes to encourage maid agencies to match foreign domestic workers with suitable bosses and help them to avoid transferring employers multiple times.

Currently, 42 per cent of maids work with their employers for just a year before they transferred to another employer or return home.

Maid agents who manage to achieve this 42 per cent rentention success rate and also achieve other service standard requirements set out by AEAS will be given the One Star award.

Agents who do better and get 50 per cent or more of their maids to work for one year with the same employer will be given the Two Star award.

AEAS president K. Jayaprema said the scheme will help agents to stand out from their competitors and boost their businesses.