Maids to get day off per week in Singapore

SINGAPORE - Singapore will make it mandatory for employers to give foreign domestic helpers a rest day per week, or offer them compensation if both sides agree for the maid to work on her day off, Minister of State for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin announced on Monday.

The new law will kick in for new work permits issued to the foreign domestic workers starting from January 1, 2013, but existing maids will not be affected until their permits are renewed after the date.

By 2015, all maids will be covered by the new legislation.

The rest day for maids can fall on any day. If a maid is asked to work on her day off, a replacement rest day must be given within a calendar month. To provide flexibility to employers with the elderly or young children who need constant care, or maids who prefer to work to earn more, both parties can discuss compensation in lieu of the rest day, but even this has to be mutually agreed upon by both parties.

Singapore had been one of the countries that did not made it mandatory for employers to give foreign domestic workers a day off per week. Other such countries include Saudi Arabia, Thailand and South Korea.

Currently, rest days and compensation are spelled out in a contract between the maid and the employer but the practice is not uniform. Only about 10 percent of the maids in Singapore have weekly rest days. About half have at least one rest day a month, local media said.

The issue of giving maids a regular rest day has been a topic of debates. Maids and civic groups say it is a matter of basic labour rights, but some employers say enough rest is given on a daily basis.

"While most employers do ensure their foreign domestic workers have adequate rest on a daily basis, this is not the same as providing a weekly rest day for a proper emotional and mental break and rest," Tan said.

The new legislation will make Singapore more attractive to qualified and experienced maids, the Ministry of Manpower said.

Employers who break the rules can be fined up to 5,000 Singapore dollars ($4,000) or spend six months in jail.