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Why Foreign Worker's Welfare is Borne by Boss

Foreign manpower
  • Ministry of Manpower (05 June 2008) : Why Foreign Worker's Welfare is Borne by Boss
  • The Straits Times (29 May 2008) : Excuse Me, MOM, But Here's Why I Wrote In Publicly

Why Foreign Worker's Welfare is Borne by Boss
- The Straits Times, 05 June 2008

Please refer to Ms Jennifer Chan's letter, "Excuse me, MOM, but here's why I wrote in publicly" (Straits Times, 29 May 2008). The answer to Ms Chan's query on the responsibility of employers was stated in both MOM's reply to her email, as well as in paragraph 2 of MOM's reply to her letter in ST, published on 24 May 2008.

2. We reiterate that employers are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of their foreign worker. The worker's upkeep whether for emergency hospitalisation or repatriation must be borne by the employer. It would be unfair to expect the foreign worker or tax-payers to bear the cost. This responsibility is clearly made known to employers through our work permit and also security bond conditions, which employers sign and purchase respectively prior to the entry of the foreign worker into Singapore.


Excuse Me, MOM, But Here's Why I Wrote In Publicly
- The Straits Times, 29 May 2008

I thank Ms Jean Tan of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for her reply last Saturday, 'Ministry does take action against errant maids' to my letter, 'Maids protected but think of employers too' (May 15).

It would appear from her reply that I had written a similar letter to the ministry previously. This was not so. I had sent MOM an e-mail to seek assistance to address what I viewed as an inaccurate medical report on my maid. She had to undergo an emergency operation to remove an ovarian cyst less than three weeks after being certified fit for employment by a doctor.

MOM's reply was that as the medical report was a mandatory requirement by the Health Ministry (MOH), I was directed to MOH. In her reply, Ms Tan did not clarify my query about whether an employer is still liable for the repatriation costs of a maid after a police report has been made against her for a criminal offence. I felt that my unanswered query was of public interest and that was why I wrote in publicly.