Domestic Helper Agreement (Singapore)

A Domestic Helper Agreement in Singapore records the terms the parties accept and the commitments each makes to the other.

Singapore employs approximately 250,000 FDWs — primarily from Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, India, and Sri Lanka — making the FDW employment relationship one of the most regulated and socially significant employment categories in Singapore. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) administers the FDW Work Permit scheme, which requires employers to: obtain a Work Permit from MOM before the FDW commences employment; pay the monthly foreign worker levy (currently S$300 per month, or S$60 for employers who qualify for the concessionary levy); purchase and maintain a S$60,000 security bond (reduced to S$5,000 for FDWs from non-traditional sources who are in-principle not required to furnish a security bond); and maintain medical insurance with at least S$15,000 annual coverage and personal accident insurance with at least S$60,000 coverage for the FDW.

Singapore common law of contract provides the underlying contractual framework for the employment agreement, while the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (Cap. 91A) and MOM's regulatory instruments impose specific mandatory terms that cannot be varied to the FDW's disadvantage. the Employment Act 1968 (Cap. 91) does not apply to domestic workers — FDWs are expressly excluded from the Employment Act's coverage, meaning that the statutory protections available to other employees (such as minimum rest days, overtime pay, and public holiday entitlements) do not apply to FDWs as a matter of statute. Instead, FDW employment conditions are governed entirely by MOM's Work Permit conditions and the employment contract between the employer and the FDW.

MOM issued updated standard employment contract terms for FDWs effective from 2023, incorporating enhanced provisions for rest days, salary payment, and termination. Under the updated terms, employers must provide FDWs with at least one rest day per month (the FDW and employer may mutually agree to compensation in lieu of rest days, at the rate of one day's salary per rest day forgone). Salary must be paid by the seventh day of the following month, and employers must maintain detailed salary records.

The Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE), affiliated with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), provides support services for FDWs including counselling, mediation, and assistance with employment disputes. The Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training (FAST) is a non-governmental organisation that provides shelter, support, and advocacy for FDWs in Singapore. MOM's FDW helpline (6438 5122) is available for both employers and FDWs to report issues and seek guidance.

A Domestic Helper Agreement is needed in Singapore whenever a household employer engages a Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) under the MOM Work Permit scheme to perform domestic duties — cooking, cleaning, childcare, eldercare, and general household maintenance — in the employer's home.

New FDW employment requires the execution of an employment agreement before the FDW commences work. MOM requires that the employer and FDW sign a written employment contract that specifies the salary, rest days, duties, and other terms of employment. The employment agreement is typically signed at the employment agency's office in Singapore or, for direct hires, at the time the FDW arrives in Singapore. The agreement must be signed before MOM issues the Work Permit.

Transfer of FDW from one employer to another — a common occurrence in Singapore when an FDW changes households — requires a new employment agreement with the incoming employer. The outgoing employer must cancel the existing Work Permit, and the incoming employer must apply for a new Work Permit and execute a new employment agreement with the FDW. MOM's Transfer Scheme allows FDWs to transfer to a new employer without returning to their home country, provided both employers and the FDW consent.

Renewal of the Work Permit (typically every two years) is an appropriate time to review and update the employment agreement — reflecting any changes in salary, duties, rest day arrangements, or other terms. MOM requires that the employment agreement remains current and accurately reflects the actual terms of employment.

Related documents that complement the Domestic Helper Agreement include a Parenting Plan (where the FDW's duties include childcare for children of divorced or separated parents), a Child Travel Consent Form (where the FDW may travel with the employer's children), a Medical Consent Form (authorising the FDW to seek medical treatment for children in the employer's absence), a Data Collection Consent Form (for FDW personal data handling under the PDPA 2012), and a Photography Consent Form (where the FDW may be photographed as part of household activities).

Employers who hire FDWs through licensed employment agencies must also execute agency agreements with the agency, which are regulated by the Employment Agencies Act (Cap. 92) and MOM's Employment Agency Licence Conditions. The agency agreement is separate from the domestic helper agreement and governs the agency's role, fees, and responsibilities.

A properly drafted Singapore Domestic Helper Agreement must comply with MOM's standard employment contract requirements, the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (Cap. 91A), and the Work Permit conditions — covering all mandatory terms prescribed by MOM and any additional terms agreed between the employer and the FDW.

Parties identification requires the employer's full legal name, NRIC number, residential address, and contact numbers; and the FDW's full legal name, passport number, nationality, date of birth, and Work Permit number (once issued). The agreement should state the employer's relationship to the FDW (employer-employee) and confirm that the FDW will perform domestic duties at the employer's residential address.

Employment terms must specify: the commencement date of employment; the duration of the employment contract (typically two years, aligned with the Work Permit period); the FDW's monthly salary in Singapore dollars (which must not be less than the amount declared to MOM in the Work Permit application); the salary payment date (by the seventh day of the following month, as required by MOM); and the method of payment (bank transfer to the FDW's Singapore bank account is encouraged by MOM for transparency).

Rest day provisions must state: the number of rest days per month (at least one, as required by MOM); the specific day(s) of the week designated as rest days; and, if the FDW and employer agree to compensation in lieu of rest days, the rate of compensation (one day's salary per rest day forgone) and the requirement that the FDW's agreement must be voluntary and not coerced.

Employer obligations must address: the employer's obligation to pay the monthly foreign worker levy to MOM (currently S$300, or S$60 for concessionary levy); the employer's obligation to purchase and maintain medical insurance (minimum S$15,000 annual coverage) and personal accident insurance (minimum S$60,000 coverage) for the FDW; the employer's obligation to provide adequate food, accommodation, and living conditions (MOM's guidelines specify that the FDW must have adequate sleeping arrangements, access to a toilet, and sufficient meals or a food allowance); the employer's obligation to bear the cost of the FDW's medical expenses (for non-elective treatment); and the employer's obligation to send the FDW for the mandatory settling-in programme (SIP) — a one-day course for first-time FDWs covering safety awareness, rights and responsibilities, and adaptation to life in Singapore. The forms-legal.com Singapore Domestic Helper Agreement template includes all MOM-mandated employer obligation clauses.

FDW obligations must address: the FDW's duties (cooking, cleaning, laundry, childcare, eldercare, and other household tasks as reasonably assigned); the FDW's obligation to obey lawful and reasonable instructions; the FDW's obligation to reside at the employer's address (a condition of the Work Permit — FDWs are not permitted to reside elsewhere); and the FDW's obligation not to engage in any other employment (a Work Permit condition).

Termination provisions must specify: the notice period (typically the notice period stated in MOM's standard contract — commonly two weeks to one month); the grounds for termination by either party (including completion of the contract term, mutual agreement, and breach of contract); the employer's obligations upon termination (repatriation of the FDW to her home country at the employer's expense, as required by MOM; payment of outstanding salary and any encashed rest days; and cancellation of the Work Permit within one week of termination); and the FDW's right to terminate the agreement (subject to the notice period or payment in lieu of notice).

Governing law clause should specify that the agreement is governed by Singapore law, with disputes subject to the jurisdiction of the Singapore courts and MOM's mediation services through the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM). Under Singapore law, Section 3 of the Trustees Act (Cap. 337) and Section 6 of the Wills Act (Cap. 352) govern the core requirements for this type of document. Under Singapore law, Section 169 of the Companies Act 1967 (Cap. 50) and Section 4 of the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312) govern the core requirements for this type of document.