When you employ a domestic helper in Singapore, you are responsible for her salary, her food, a proper place to live and her medical care. MOM sets these as conditions of the Work Permit. This guide lists them so you know exactly what you are signing up for.
Salary
- Pay every month, no later than 7 days after the last day of the salary period. The salary period must not be longer than one month.
- Pay at least the amount you declared to MOM.
- Bank transfer is encouraged. The account must be in her own name, not a joint account with you. If she asks to be paid by bank transfer, you must pay her that way. You can help her open an account.
- If you pay in cash, keep a record of each payment. You and she should both sign every salary record, and you must be able to show the records if MOM asks.
- Never hold her money. Since 1 January 2019 you must not keep her salary or any other money of hers, even if she asks you to, and you must not keep her bank book or bank card.
Late salary is also one of the reasons a security bond can be forfeited. See the levy and the bond explained.
Food
- Give her three meals a day.
- Do not make her eat food she should not or is uncomfortable eating. Respect her religion and her eating habits. Ask early, in the interview, and check again in the first week.
A place to live
MOM’s conditions for where she sleeps are specific:
- It must protect her from sun, rain and strong wind.
- Provide at least a mattress, a pillow, a blanket and basic bathroom items and toiletries.
- It must be well ventilated. Where natural ventilation is not enough, use a fan.
- She must not sleep near dangerous equipment or structures.
- She must not sleep in the same room as an adult or teenage male.
- A separate room is what MOM wants employers to give her. If that is not possible, the place must have adequate space and privacy.
- If you have cameras at home, tell her about each one and where it is. They must never be placed where they would intrude on her privacy, such as where she sleeps, changes or bathes.
Medical care
- You pay all her medical costs, including hospital stays and her six-monthly medical examination.
- You must buy medical insurance and personal accident insurance for her. See maid insurance in Singapore.
- Help her keep her vaccinations up to date and give her enough rest afterwards.
Rest
She is entitled to a weekly rest day. See the rules on rest days.
Looking after her well-being
MOM also asks employers to:
- Show her how to contact her family and send letters home. Homesickness is real, especially in the first months.
- Orient and train her, particularly at the start: new appliances, high-rise living, the language, the way you care for your children.
- Make sure her work is safe and follows the approved practices taught in the Employers’ Orientation Programme.
- Be patient and try to understand where she comes from.
The agreements
A written employment contract is not required by law, because helpers are not covered by the Employment Act, but MOM encourages one. It is worth including her salary, the loan and how it is repaid, rest days per month, compensation for a missed rest day, the notice period and what is paid if notice cannot be given. Your agency can draft it.
You must also sign a safety agreement with her and the agency, with a copy for each. For a first-time helper this happens after the Settling-In Programme and before she starts work. It lists the restrictions on cleaning the outside of windows, and it records your window-cleaning requirements and her acknowledgment of them, so go through it together.
Either side can end the contract by giving the notice period it states. If the notice cannot be given, the one ending it pays salary in lieu of notice. Both can agree to waive it. More on that in if the helper does not work out.
Source: MOM, salary guidelines, rest days and well-being and contracts and safety agreement. Our packages show what we handle for you.
General information as of the date above. MOM's current rules and your own service agreement are what apply.