Weekly rest and the mandatory monthly day
A helper is entitled to one rest day per week on a mutually agreed day. If she agrees to work on a rest day, pay at least one day’s salary in addition to, not within, basic salary. At least one rest day each month cannot be exchanged for pay; failure can trigger enforcement. Discuss arrangements and update the rest-day number in FDW eService. A day can be one full day or two half-days, and the helper may stay home. If it cannot be taken in that month, defer at most one month, so it is taken by the next month’s end.
Help a new helper settle in
A newcomer may need help with language, modern appliances, high-rise living or different childcare practices. Spend time on orientation and training, especially initially. Homesickness and loneliness can be eased by helping her contact family or send letters. Be patient, understand her background and include her respectfully in family life.
Accommodation and privacy
Provide shelter from sun/rain/wind, at least a mattress, pillow, blanket, bathroom amenities and toiletries, and adequate ventilation, adding a fan where natural ventilation is insufficient. Keep sleeping space away from dangerous equipment/structures. She must not share a bedroom with an adult or teenage male. A separate room is recommended; otherwise adequate space and privacy are mandatory. Disclose home cameras and their locations and never place them where she sleeps, changes or uses the bathroom.
Three meals and dietary needs
Provide three meals daily and respect religious restrictions and foods she cannot comfortably eat. MOM’s illustrative moderate-activity day is four slices of bread with spread for breakfast, and for each lunch/dinner a bowl of rice, three-quarter cup cooked vegetables, a palm-sized meat/fish/poultry portion and fruit. This is an example, not permission to disregard individual needs or impose the family’s vegetarian/porridge diet.
Medical care, vaccination and safe work
The employer bears all medical costs, including hospitalisation and six-monthly examinations, and provides medical and accident insurance. Ensure required vaccination, help keep it current and allow sufficient rest afterward; native-language vaccination materials may help. Work must follow safe practices in MOM training, including EOP. Use the linked rest-day guide or feedback form for further advice.
Official source
Written independently from official MOM source material.