Work Permit (Foreign Domestic Worker) - Before you apply

Employers are required to apply for a Work Permit if they wish to hire a foreign domestic worker (FDW). The Work Permit is usually valid for two years.

Employer Guidelines

If you are considering hiring a FDW, please read through the following information, guidelines and requirements to create and maintain a positive working relationship:

• Initial Difficulties
• Well-being
• Employment Laws and Contracts
• Salary
• Levy
• Change of Employer’s Address
• Termination of Services, Repatriation and Security Bond
• Disputes with your Foreign Domestic Worker
  
• Disputes with your Employment Agency
• Abuse and Ill-treatment
• Illegal Employment/Deployment

Initial difficulties

New FDWs from rural areas of their home countries may encounter some of these difficulties:

• Understanding and communicating in your language
• Use of modern household appliances
• Adjustment to living in high-rise buildings
• Different practices in taking care of children

They will need time to familiarise themselves with your way of life. You can help by taking time to orientate and train her, especially in the early stages of her employment.

Well-being

Rest

A well-rested FDW is more productive. You should ensure that she has sufficient rest, especially during the night. Rest days should also be catered for, as agreed between yourself and the worker.

Accommodation

Where possible, your FDW should be given a separate room of her own. In the event that is not possible, you should ensure that sufficient space for sleep is provided. You are also expected to provide her with basic needs (e.g. food, a bed with mattress, a blanket, towels and toiletries, a fan if the sleeping area has poor ventilation etc).

Some examples of improper accommodation include making your FDW sleep in places where there is little privacy, such as on makeshift beds along the corridor or in the living room, or sharing a room with a male adult.

Medical Care

As an employer, you are responsible for your FDW’s medical needs. You are required to bear the full cost of her medical care should she require medical treatment, including hospitalisation.

Insurance

• Medical insurance
  
  

  For medical insurance policies taken up or renewed on/or after 1 Jan 2010, the insurance coverage must be at least $15,000 per year for each FDW’s inpatient care and day surgery during her stay in Singapore. This is in line with the employers' existing responsibility for the upkeep and well-being of their FDWs, including the provision of medical treatment.

• Personal accident insurance
  

  It is compulsory for employers to take up a Personal Accident Insurance policy for their FDWs before they can employ the FDW. The minimum sum assured should be $40,000. Any compensation payable should be made to her or her beneficiaries.

Open Communication

The FDW may experience homesickness and loneliness. As her employer, you can ease those feelings by letting her communicate with her family and friends in her home country.

Family Integration

You should try as far as possible to integrate your FDW into your family as she is staying in your home. Do make an effort to understand her background, and to be patient and tolerant when communicating with her. It will go a long way in minimising any disputes and conflicts that may arise and affect her work performance.

Safe Work Conditions

It is your responsibility to ensure that the FDW performs her work in a safe manner. Her work practices must be in accordance with the approved work practices stipulated in MOM’s training courses (e.g. the Employers' Orientation Programme) and relevant safety and training materials.

Employment laws & contracts

Non-Coverage by the Employment Act

Domestic workers, both foreign and local, are not covered by the Employment Act.

It is not practical to regulate specific aspects of domestic work, i.e. hours of work, work on a rest day and on public holidays. For example, it would be hard to compute overtime payments as domestic workers' work/free time are difficult to define and regulate in the same way as employees working in offices or factories.

Employment Contracts

To avoid disputes, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) encourages employers and their FDWs to enter into a written employment contract.

Employment agencies commonly draft mutually agreeable contracts for the two parties involved.

In event of an employment problem or breach of contract by her employer, the FDW can lodge a complaint or file a claim with MOM. MOM will contact the employer and arrange for a meeting between the FDW and the employer to resolve the dispute.

Salary

Monthly Salary

A FDW's wages should reflect the scope of work agreed upon. 

She must be paid her due salary each month, no later than seven days after the last day of the salary period. Any salary period agreed between the employer and worker shall not exceed one month.  If the worker so requests, the salary shall be paid via direct transfer into the worker's bank account in a bank established in Singapore.

If it is mutually agreed that the employer should keep the bank account book, the FDW must be given access to the book at all times to check that payments are credited promptly and regularly.

The employer must also keep a record of the monthly salary paid to the FDW, and should be able to produce this record at the request of any authorised public officer.

Salary Adjustment

Where appropriate, the employer should consider giving the FDW a periodic wage adjustment to reward good performance and loyalty in service.

Apart from the monthly salary, the employer can also consider offering her a contract gratuity. This sum of money, which should be negotiated between the two parties, could be paid to the FDW upon conclusion of an agreed period of employment. Such incentives may result in a more motivated and diligent FDW.

CPF

Central Provident Fund contributions are not required for FDWs.

Levy

A FDW levy is to be paid by employers at the end of each month. Levy charges begin one day after she arrives in Singapore. For a first-time FDW, the levy will begin on the fourth day of her arrival (excluding the day of arrival).

			Levy Rate ($)
			Monthly	*Daily
Normal			265	8.72
Concession			170	5.59
* Daily levy rate only applies to foreign domestic workers who did not work for a full calendar month. From 1 January 2011, the daily levy rate is computed based on the following: (Monthly levy rate x 12) / 365 = rounding up to the nearest cent.

Levy payments should be made via GIRO. The FDW’s Work Permit will be cancelled if you fail to maintain a valid GIRO account. The levy for each month is payable by the employer at the end of each month. The payment due date is the 14th (for manual payment) or 17th (for GIRO payment) of the following month. If the 17th is a non-working day, the deduction will be made on the next working day.

If you wish to view your levy bills online, you can register for the Internet Foreign Worker Levy Billing System (iFWLB).

Consequences of Non-payment of Levy

If payment is not made on time, one or more of the following measures may be taken:

1. A late payment penalty will be charged.
2. Existing Work Permits will be cancelled.
3. The employer will not be allowed to apply for new Work Permits or renew his existing Work Permits.
4. Legal proceedings will be taken to recover the unpaid levy liability.

Levy Concession

You can apply for a levy concession for up to two FDWs if you satisfy any of the following conditions:

Condition A

1. The employer or spouse has a child who is a Singapore citizen and below 12 years old living with him/her
2. The employer or spouse has a grandchild who is a Singapore citizen and below 12 years old living with him/her

Condition B

1. The employer or co-residing spouse is a Singapore Citizen aged 65 years or above
2. The employer or spouse is a Singapore Citizen and the other party is a Singapore Permanent Resident aged 65 years or above, both of whom live at the same registered address as in the NRIC.

Condition C

1. The employer or spouse has a parent, parent-in-law, grandparent or grandparent-in-law who is a Singapore Citizen aged 65 years or above, living with them at the same registered address as in the NRIC
2. The employer or spouse is a Singapore Citizen and has a parent, parent-in-law, grandparent or grandparent-in-law who is a Singapore Permanent Resident aged 65 years or above, living with them at the same registered address as in the NRIC.

Condition D

Employers with disabilities or who have family members with disabilities and require a full-time caregiver's assistance in daily activities (washing/bathing, feeding, going to the toilet, dressing and mobility). For more information on the eligibility criteria and application procedures, please visit the website of the Centre for Enabled Living.

• Download Application Form for Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession

Waiver of Levy

Employers may apply for a waiver of the levy under the following circumstances:

• Your foreign domestic worker is on home leave 
        -  Not applicable to Malaysian worker
        -  Levy waiver is capped at a maximum of 60 calendar days per year.
• Your foreign domestic worker is on vacation leave* for at least seven consecutive days. Levy waiver is capped at a maximum of 60 calendar days per year.  
• Your foreign domestic worker fails to return to Singapore after home or vacation leave 
• Your foreign domestic worker is on hospitalisation leave
• Your foreign domestic worker is under police custody or is housed at the Embassy

* Vacation leave refers to the period where the foreign domestic worker travels to another country (other than the country of origin) for her own leisure. She should not be carrying out any duties as your foreign domestic worker. 

  
You should appy for waiver of levy within a year after the end of the month in which the levy was paid. For example, to claim for a levy refund for November 2010 (paid in December 2010), employers must apply before end of December 2011. 

Applications for waiver of foreign domestic worker levy can be made:

• Online through the Central Provident Fund Board’s website
• In person at one of the Central Provident Fund Service Centres.
       -   A copy of the foreign worker’s passport and boarding pass are required.

Change of employer’s address

Please inform the Central Provident Fund Board (79 Robinson Road. Singapore 068897) and the Work Pass Division (18 Havelock Road, Singapore 059764) in writing within 14 days of any change in your address. The following documents are required:

• Documents showing your new address (e.g. NRIC or work pass)
• Telephone or utilities bills if you are a foreigner

Termination of services, repatriation and security bond

Termination of Services

When you no longer require the services of your FDW, you should ensure that all issues arising from her employment (e.g. outstanding wages, compensation claims) have been settled before cancelling the Work Permit.

Repatriation and security bond

You should give your FDW reasonable notice of her repatriation to her home country and bear the full cost of her repatriation. To ensure that employers bear full responsibility, a security bond must be executed with MOM’s Work Pass Division. Under the bond, employers are required to post a security deposit of $5,000 per FDW in the form of an insurance or banker's guarantee. This deposit may be forfeited if you breach any of the security bond conditions, including failing to repatriate your FDW upon cancellation of her Work Permit.

Disputes with your foreign domestic worker

Disputes might arise because of misunderstandings and differing expectations.

When these happen, you should first try to resolve them with your FDW. Even if there is suspicion that she might have committed a misdeed or crime, you should not take matters into your own hands by meting out physical or other forms of punishment.

If you need assistance, please contact your employment agency or MOM which offers help to resolve such employment disputes. The conciliation service is provided free-of-charge. Please contact MOM at 6438 5122.

 

Disputes with your employment agency

If you have found your agency's service unsatisfactory, or if you have a contractual dispute with your employment agency, you may seek mediation services from one of two accreditation bodies in Singapore, the Association of Employment Agencies, and CaseTrust. Complete and send the following form (mailing address inside) to MOM:

Feedback on employment agency	Download

Issues for which you can seek assistance include:

• Delay in application/ cancellation/ placement of foreign workers
• Overcharging
• Refund of loan and fees
• Unsatisfactory level of services provided

To identity which accreditation body your agency is accredited with, please look up our employment agency directory. If your employment agency is not accredited with any accreditation body, you may approach CASE for assistance to resolve your disputes.

Contact details of the accreditation bodies:
1) Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore)

1. Contact Details: +65 6836 2618
2. Email : helpdesk@aeas.org.sg
3. Address: Blk 9 Julan Kukoh #03-77 Singapore 160009

2) CaseTrust

1. Contact Details : +65 6461 1800
2. Email: casetrust@case.org.sg
3. Address : Blk 170 Ghim Moh Road #05-01 Ulu Pandan Community Building Singapore 279621

 

Abuse & ill-treatment

MOM takes a serious view of employers who ill-treat or abuse their foreign workers, especially those in domestic employment.

Penalties for offenders

Employers who abuse their foreign workers will be severely dealt with. The Singapore Police conducts prompt and thorough investigations into all such cases. Errant employers will be charged in court and those found guilty of physical abuse or ill-treatment will be jailed, fined and/or caned.

Convicted employers and their spouses will not be allowed to employ another FDW permanently.

Some of the offences and the associated penalties are listed below:

Offence	Penalty
Voluntarily causing hurt	Up to 1 year imprisonment and/or $1,500 fine
Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means	Up to 5 years imprisonment, fine or caning, or any 2 of these punishments
Voluntarily causing grievous hurt	Up to 7 years imprisonment; offenders are also liable to be fine or caned
Wrongful confinement	Up to 1 year imprisonment and/or $1,000 fine
Wrongful confinement for 3 or more days	Up to 2 years imprisonment and/or fine
Wrongful confinement for 10 or more days	Up to 3 years imprisonment and fine
Word or gesture intended to insult the modesty of a woman	Up to 1 year imprisonment and/or fine
Assault or use of criminal force on a person with intent to outrage modesty	Up to 2 years imprisonment, fine or caning, or any 2 such punishments
Outraging of modesty	Up to 2 years imprisonment and/or fine If hurt or fear of hurt is caused: Caning and 2 – 10 years imprisonment
Rape	8 – 20 years imprisonment and caning with not less than 12 strokes
Criminal intimidation	Up to 2 years imprisonment and/or fine If threat is to cause death or grievous hurt: Up to 7 years imprisonment or more and/or fine

Illegal employment/deployment

Under the existing Work Permit conditions, foreign domestic workers can only be employed for the performance of domestic chores for their employers, at the residential addresses stated on the Work Permits. Foreign domestic workers may only be deployed to work at another address if they are there to perform duties pertaining to the employer's children or elderly parents. 

Employers can be charged for illegally employing or deploying a foreign domestic worker.

Penalties for Offenders

The penalty for illegal employment without a valid Work Permit is a fine equivalent to between two and four years of the FDW levy, and/or imprisonment for up to one year. For subsequent convictions, the errant employer will face mandatory imprisonment.

Employers who illegally deploy their FDWs can be fined up to $5,000. In addition, the errant employer will be permanently barred from employing FDWs. The $5,000 security deposit posted with the MOM might also be forfeited.