Maid’s employer asks, ‘Is it okay if I lock my helper’s passport away while we’re on vacation and travelling?’

SINGAPORE: A local employer has stirred up an ethical and legal conversation online after asking whether it’s acceptable to lock away her Myanmar helper’s passport while the family travels abroad for a month-long vacation.

Posting in the MDW in Singapore working conditions forum on Facebook, the employer explained: “We’ll be away for about a month on vacation, and our helper (from Myanmar) will be staying in our Singapore home during that time. Is it okay if I keep her passport locked for safekeeping while we’re away?”

She added that her concerns stemmed from hearing about “helpers [who] have left the country or run away while the employers were away” and that the agency used wasn’t Singapore-based. She asked the group for advice on precautions and what to do if things “go wrong.”

The comments were unapologetic, pulling no punches.

“She’s a helper, not a slave!”

One response summed up the mood sharply: “You cannot keep her passport. She’s a helper, not a slave! Did your boss keep your passport to ensure you don’t resign?”

Others quickly echoed the legal and ethical implications involved.

“No, an employer does not have the right to keep a helper’s passport,” said another commenter. “It belongs to the government that issued it. Holding it without consent is illegal.”

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) website clearly states: “You cannot keep your worker’s passport without their consent. Even if they agree, they can request it back at any time, and you must return it immediately,” another commenter stated.

“If you can’t or don’t trust her (helper), maybe she’s not the right one for you…”

A few netizens took a more reflective tone: “If helper and employer are in good relation, there is no reason for the helper to run away. All helpers come here to work. If they got the right treatment, I don’t think they have reason to do wrong things.”

One commenter even shared her own experience: “Every time my employer goes on vacation for a month, they ask if I want to go for my hometown vacation and buy me 2-way tickets. When I return, they give me a full month’s salary. Never deduct. I’m so grateful.”

Another added: “If you can’t or don’t trust her (helper), maybe she’s not the right one for you.”

So, what’s a better way, then?

Practical tips were offered too — minus the passport lockup:

• Remove valuables like jewellery and excess cash
• Stock up or provide allowance for groceries
• Install home CCTV for peace of mind
• Arrange for a neighbour or friend to drop by unannounced
• Give a clear, respectful daily to-do list

A passport is not collateral. It’s a fundamental right — and locking it away crosses both legal lines and moral ones. Just as it is with respect, trust is given and earned, not forced and padlocked. And if your vacation prep includes imprisoning someone’s identity document, it may be time to rethink who truly needs the holiday.

Read related: Maid says, ‘My employer locks up everything in the kitchen because she’s afraid I’ll steal her bread, coffee, toilet paper… even dishwashing sponge’