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Written Answer by Minister for Manpower Mrs Josephine Teo on Review of Migrant Domestic Worker Employment Policies to Offer Them More Protection

Foreign manpower

NOTICE PAPER NO. 349 OF 2021 FOR THE SITTING ON OR AFTER 11 MAY 2021

QUESTION NO. 604 FOR WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

MP: Mr Yip Hon Weng 

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether foreign domestic worker (FDW) employment policies are being reviewed to offer more protection to FDWs; (b) what is the schedule for the Ministry to interview the new FDWs; and (c) how does the Ministry ensure FDWs are able to honestly share their concerns and be understood during these interviews. .

Answer: 

  1. At the Committee of Supply in March, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said that we were reviewing measures to better safeguard the well-being of Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs). 

  2. On MDW interviews, the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) will expand its coverage of MDW interviews such that by the end of this year, every new MDW will be interviewed within three to six months of starting work at their employers’ homes. These interviews seek to find out how new MDWs are adapting to their work environment. The interviews are conducted in-person unless prohibited by prevailing COVID-19 measures. We recognise that the interviews may not allow us to uncover all the issues that the MDW may be facing, if the MDW does not wish to divulge. Nevertheless, we will endeavour to create a safe environment through conducting the interview in a private room without the employer’s presence, to ensure that MDWs can honestly share their concerns. We aim to conduct all interviews in the native language to ensure that they can understand the questions and are understood. 

  3. In the event that interviews cannot be conducted in-person due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation, interviews will be conducted via video calls. Employers will be asked to provide their MDW with privacy to ensure that MDWs can honestly share their concerns. If the employer refuses to comply or if the interviewer assesses that the MDW is feeling uneasy during the interview, we will cease the interview, follow up with the employer to better address their concerns, and conduct a house visit if necessary. 

  4. In addition to conducting interviews, MOM is reviewing other measures to make greater use of existing touchpoints with MDWs, to have better protection for MDWs. For instance, we are working with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to enable doctors to better identify signs of abuse and report cases of suspected abuse to the Police or MOM. We are also looking at how Employment Agencies can play an active part in checking in on MDWs whom they place, particularly for those who are working in Singapore for the first time. 

  5. MOM will provide further details on protection measures for MDWs in due course.