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SINGAPORE – An average of 550 cases per year of domestic workers forced to work illegally by their employers or household members were handled by the Ministry of Manpower from 2017 to 2019.
This represented just 0.2 percent of the more than 236,000 foreign domestic worker (FDW) employers here.
Three-quarters of the cases came from third-party alerts, and a quarter were complaints made by the domestic workers themselves, MOM said on Tuesday (September 8) in response to press inquiries.
The issue of the illegal deployment of foreign domestic workers was brought to attention after Ms Parti Liyani, a former domestic worker employed by Changi Airport Group Chairman Liew Mun Leong and her family, was acquitted of robbing them.
Mr. Liew’s wife, Ms. Ng Lai Peng, had told Ms. Parti to go to the home of her son, Mr. Karl Liew, to help there. She said she also cleaned her office once a week for a year.
MOM said that it had consulted the Attorney General’s Office and, in May 2018, issued a warning against Ms Ng and a warning to Mr Karl Liew.
A warning notice is issued when the illegal deployment is not conclusively substantiated, while a warning is similar to a severe warning by the police, and is issued when the MOM establishes that the illegal deployment is rare or carried out. performed for a short period of time.
“The warning sends a strong message to employers that they must comply with the law or face stricter enforcement actions,” MOM said.
There were no prior complaints against the parties in the case, the ministry added.
From 2017 to 2019, MOM took action against an annual average of 155 employers for illegally deploying their FDWs.
Each year, about 60 employers received warning notices, while 80 employers received warnings. Approximately 16 employers received financial penalties, ranging from $ 3,300 to $ 24,000.
MOM said that a “good number” of foreign domestic workers who alleged illegal deployment had left their jobs when they reported the matter to the Ministry. Some asked for help to return home, while others asked to be allowed to transfer to a new employer.
MOM said it takes every allegation seriously and analyzes. In most cases, foreign domestic workers had been deployed with their positions, be they children or the elderly, to close relatives to continue to pay attention to their positions.
The Ministry added that this is allowed as long as foreign domestic workers accept the arrangements, are not obliged to perform household chores for two families and their well-being is taken care of.
MOM said it has a severe view of the cases where domestic workers are deployed to engage in non-domestic jobs or to work in commercial premises, on a regular basis and for a long period of time.
“It would be especially egregious if foreign domestic workers are overworked and not provided adequate rest. Their employers can be fined financially up to $ 10,000 per position. They will also be prohibited from hiring foreign domestic workers,” the ministry said.
He added that multiple efforts are made to ensure that their employers take care of female employees.
First-time workers attend a mandatory program that informs them of their rights, including proper deployment by their employers.
MOM said that it also regularly sends educational materials to domestic workers and that they are informed of the different channels of assistance available.
“They can also report illegal deployment or other labor difficulties to the ministry. They don’t have to wait until they have left employment,” the ministry said.
FDWs who are unsure whether their deployment is legal should also contact MOM’s FDW Helpline at 1800-339-5505 for clarification and assistance.
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