6 Things Every Employer Must Know Before Hiring an FDW
Hiring a domestic helper comes with specific, non-negotiable obligations under MOM’s Work Permit conditions. These aren’t optional best practices — they protect your helper, and breaching them puts your security bond and your ability to hire again at risk. Here are six things every employer needs to know upfront.
1. You Must Provide a Weekly Rest Day
Employers are required to give their helper a weekly rest day, or compensation in lieu if she agrees to work on it. This isn’t a courtesy — it’s a condition of the Work Permit itself, and any rest-day arrangement needs to be mutually agreed and properly compensated, not assumed.
2. You Cannot Deduct Salary for Damages or Poor Performance
This is a common misconception worth correcting directly. Employers are not allowed to deduct her salary for broken items, mistakes, or poor performance, regardless of circumstances. You must not keep any part of her salary or any other money belonging to her, even if she asks you to.
There is one specific exception: if she wants to end her contract early without serving the required notice period, she is contractually required to either serve it or pay salary in lieu of notice. If she has outstanding pay owed to her at that point, this is settled as part of her final pay — it isn’t a punitive deduction, just a standard contractual settlement.
3. You Cannot Hold Her Bank Book, Bank Card, or Passport
Since 1 January 2019, employers must not hold their helper’s bank book or bank card on her behalf. The same principle applies to her original Work Permit and passport — she must retain full access to her own identification and finances at all times.
4. You Must Report If Your Helper Goes Missing
If your helper goes missing, you are required to report it to the Controller of Work Passes within 7 days. This is a legal obligation, not a discretionary step, and delaying it can create complications with your Work Permit standing.
5. You’re Responsible for Her Upkeep, Insurance, and Medical Care
As her employer, you bear the full cost of her maintenance for the duration of her employment, including:
- Food and accommodation
- Medical and dental care, including treatment unrelated to her work duties
- Mandatory insurance — medical insurance of at least $60,000 per year, and personal accident insurance of at least $60,000 sum assured
- Six-monthly medical examinations, required for helpers under 50
None of these costs can be passed on to her — they are entirely the employer’s responsibility.
6. You’re Responsible for Repatriation When Her Contract Ends
Regardless of who initiates the end of employment, you are responsible for repatriation costs when her contract ends. This includes a flight home with check-in luggage and any onward transport to her hometown after landing. This obligation applies whether she completes her full contract or leaves early.
Why Getting These Six Responsibilities Right Matters
Most of these obligations aren’t difficult to meet — they just need to be understood clearly before you hire, not discovered partway through. Getting them wrong isn’t just a compliance risk; it affects someone’s basic working conditions.
We handle the compliance side of every placement, from Work Permit processing to repatriation, so these obligations are managed properly from day one. Get in touch to learn more →
