All employees – whether local or foreign, including your migrant domestic worker (MDW) – can terminate the employment contract at any time, as long as they serve the required notice stated in their contract, or make payment in lieu of notice. This is to maintain flexibility for both the employer and the MDW. When employees do so, it is not considered a breach of contract. Likewise, employers should also give notice as stated in the contract if they intend to end the MDW’s employment prematurely.
Both employers and MDWs may need to terminate a contract early for unanticipated reasons. To cater for this, employment contracts typically provide for such flexibility through termination clauses, which can be exercised before contract expiry. That said, many employment agencies do provide assistance to employers, such as finding a replacement, if the MDW terminates her employment contract early.
Employers must also make sure that their MDWs are paid before they leave. Failure to do so is an offence under the EFMA.