A foreign domestic helper who wanted to return home due to family problems was asked by her employer to pay $600 and buy her own flight ticket.
In a public Facebook group called FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), a netizen who went by the name of Devi Balbuena Sadang Abad posed a question on behalf of a helper friend of hers. She wrote that her friend finished her first contract in December 2021, and “she agreed to her employer to renew again even if the employer has bad attitude because needs money”.
Ms Devi added that her friend’s situation then changed, and the latter needed to return home due to family problems. Her friend also did not want to come back to Singapore to work.
After her friend spoke to her female employer, she was told that “she has to pay for her air ticket and pay her ma[‘]am $600 for a notice(she don[‘]t (sic) know what notice is for)”.
Ms Devi asked what the $600 “notice” was for, and if her friend was truly the one who had to buy her own air ticket.
In the comments, an administrator of the group wrote that if the domestic helper’s salary was $600 a month, then the $600 she had to pay was “a compensation in lieu of notice. If she wants to leave without serving the notice period, she needs to pay 1 month salary. If she will serve a month notice, then she doesn’t need to pay anything”.
The administrator continued: “As for the one-way ticket home, employer must pay. If they force her to pay, she can contact her agency for help, or contact CDE or MOM for advice. Whatever suits her”.
Here’s what other domestic helpers said:
Others in the comments suggested that she check her employment contract for more information, as the situation was not clear-cut.
In March, another foreign domestic worker asked how she could help a fellow worker facing a tough situation. She asked other employers and helpers in the group for advice and help.
The woman, who goes by the name of Eliz Morante Domingo LIanillo, posted the appeal in a Facebook group called ‘FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum)‘ and said she was doing so on behalf of a friend.
Her friend wanted a transfer, she says, because she keeps having repeated misunderstandings and conflicts with her current employer, which “lead to degrading and insulting arguments”, so she wants a transfer to another employer.
But the current employer insists that the helper who wants to switch must reimburse them the S$6,000 she says it cost them to engage her.
“So my question, is there any facts that supports that helper should pay that amount if they wish to transfer because things don’t work for both?” asks Ms Eliz.
Maid seeks transfer, difficult employer demands she pay back $6K hiring cost