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SINGAPORE – Between 2017 and 2019, there have been an average of 550 reports per year of illegal deployment of foreign domestic workers (FDW) by their employers or household members.
In a media response on Tuesday (Sept. 8), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said that those figures represent about 0.2 percent of the more than 236,000 employers of foreign domestic workers in Singapore.
MOM added that 76 percent of these cases were raised by third parties, while 24 percent were reported by foreign domestic workers themselves.
“A good number of foreign domestic workers who alleged illegal deployment had left their jobs when they reported the matter to MOM. Some of them asked for help to return home, while others requested that they be allowed a job transfer, ”the ministry said in its response to the media.
Warning and Caution Notices
MOM said that all allegations of illegal deployment are taken seriously and scrutinized by the ministry.
In most cases, foreign domestic workers were deployed with their positions (either children or the elderly) to close relatives to continue providing care for their positions. This is allowed, as long as the foreign domestic workers agree to the arrangements, are not required to perform household chores for two families, and their well-being is taken care of.
There are other cases that warranted further action. Between 2017 and 2019, MOM has taken action against an average of 155 employers annually for illegally deploying their FDWs.
Of these, an average of approximately 60 employers received a warning notice, while 80 employers received a warning notice. On average, there were 16 employers with financial penalties annually, ranging from $ 3,300 to $ 24,000.
Employers receive a warning notice in cases where the illegal deployment is not conclusively substantiated; The notice serves to remind you of your legal obligations under the Employment of Foreign Labor Act and the Regulations on the Employment of Foreign Labor.
A cautionary notice, similar to a severe police warning, is issued when MOM establishes that the illegal deployment is infrequent or that it took place for a short period of time. The notice acts to warn employers that they must comply with the law or face stricter enforcement actions.
MOM also has a severe view of cases where foreign domestic workers are deployed to engage in non-domestic jobs or to work in business premises, on a regular basis and for a long period of time. It would be especially egregious if foreign domestic workers were overloaded with work and not provided adequate rest, the ministry said.
Your employers can receive financial penalties of up to $ 10,000 per position. They will also be prohibited from hiring foreign domestic workers.
Notices sent to the Liew family
The issue of FDW’s illegal deployment was highlighted amid the recent acquittal of Indonesian maid Parti Liyani on charges of theft and possession of stolen items by her employer, Changi Airport Group chairman Liew Mun Leong.
Parti, now 46, had wanted to file a complaint with MOM in 2016 for being forced to work outside of Liew’s home, at the home of Liew’s son Karl, and at Karl’s office. The Liews later filed a police report accusing her of stealing more than $ 50,000 worth of items from her home.
MOM said that, in Parti’s case, it consulted the Attorney General’s Office and issued a warning notice against Liew’s wife, Ng Lai Peng, as well as a notice to Karl Liew in May 2018.
The ministry said that the FDW are informed of the different assistance channels available to them, should cases of illegal deployment arise. Foreign domestic workers can report such cases or other employment difficulties to MOM, and do not have to wait until they have left employment.
FDWs can also contact MOM’s FDW Helpline at 1800-3395505 for clarification and assistance, should they be unsure whether their deployment is in compliance with the law.
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