A woman asked if employers deduct or hold back their helper’s salary when the helper goes on vacation, explaining that this is the case with one of her friends.
On the FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum) Facebook page, the woman posed a question to employers who are part of the group:
“Do you deduct/ hold your helpers salary when they are taking their home leave? And may i know for what reason? Are you worr(ied) if maybe they didn’t come back to SG after their home leave done?”
The woman, who is Indonesian, said she felt sad when she heard from her friend, also an Indonesian national, that her employer would be holding her salary for two months while she goes on home leave next week.
This is the first time the helper will go home since the Covid-19 pandemic started, and she has been with her employer for three and a half years.
Her friend added that according to the employer, this is what the agency suggested to prevent the helper from not coming back, and if this does happen, the employer can use the money to get another helper.
“She of course felt sad, disappointed and angry because her employer let her know today. She is thinking that her employer didn’t trust her enough but because air ticket already paid so she can’t do anything,” the woman wrote, adding that “Two months salary is big amount for us and we can use to pay everything back home.”
Fortunately, group members who answered her question set the record straight, providing a link from the website of the Ministry of Manpower concerning paying the salary of a foreign domestic worker.
The page says, “You must pay your FDW her salary every month, no later than 7 days after the last day of the salary period.”
It also says “as an FDW employer, you must not keep your FDW’s salary or any other money belonging to her, even if she requests for it.”
Some helpers, who are part of the group, wrote, however, that they had experienced having their pay held back when they took their home leave.
“What kind of agency is that also that they have rules for not giving salary?” asked one outraged commenter.
One suggested, “take the salary and go for transfer.”
A number of commenters suggested reporting the employer to MOM.
/TISG