Role of Migrant Domestic Workers in Singapore's Caregiving Landscape

ADJOURNMENT MOTION

The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn."

Question proposed.

Role of Migrant Domestic Workers in Singapore's Caregiving Landscape

Mr Speaker: Ms Tin Pei Ling.

5.51 pm

Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the role of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) in Singapore’s caregiving landscape. My speech will set the context and put forth recommendations for the Ministry’s consideration. Thereafter, hon Member Nadia Abdul Samdin will build on further.

First, on recognising the role of MDWs in caregiving.

Singapore’s society structure has changed as we progress.

Firstly, Singapore is ageing – a fact well emphasised in recent years. One in five Singaporeans will be aged over 65 years old by 2030. And with an ageing population, the demand for care increases. For instance, in 2019, patients aged 65 and above spent an average of 6.9 days in a public hospital, compared with 3.9 days for those who were younger.

Secondly, family size is shrinking in Singapore. The average resident household size in 2020 was 3.22, whereas it was 4.25 in 1990. This is according to SingStats. That is equivalent to one less person in the family to share anything within a 20-year period.

Thirdly, more members of a household are working. Households with both husband and wife working increased from 47.1% in 2010 to 52.5% in 2020.

Taken together, the need for care is increasing but the capacity of families to care for their loved ones is diminishing. Hence, ensuring availability and accessibility to caregivers and caregiving services become increasingly important.

In keeping pace with the changing social structure in Singapore, the Government must, of course, be recognised for making tremendous effort to support Singaporean families.

One, care capacity in the form of day care centres and care institutions increased. For instance, the number of home care and day care places increased to 10,300 and 9,000 respectively in 2019. Infant care centres and childcare centres increased 30% and 11% respectively within the same period. Care workers have also grown. For example, certified educators in the early childhood sector grew by 30% between 2016 and 2020.

Two, a range of childcare and eldercare subsidies and assistance schemes was introduced over the years to enhance affordability, including the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund and the Home Caregiving Grant to support caregivers who gave up their jobs to care for their loved ones and low- or no-income care recipients.

However, the role of migrant domestic workers remains integral to how Singaporean families choose to provide care or supplement caregiving for their loved ones.

Firstly, an MDW can offer care one-to-one and, hence, more human touch, more personalised and personable.

Secondly, this offers greater flexibility to families with members having to work. For instance, the MDW can help to fetch the toddler or senior from the care centre should the parents or children work overtime or have irregular working hours.

That MDWs are an integral part of the caregiving landscape in Singapore can be observed by how the number of MDWs increased 27% to 255,800 from 2010 to June 2019. This is equivalent to having "every fifth Singaporean household (hiring) a maid", and I am quoting from CNA.

I am also sure that we have heard of heartwarming stories of how MDWs grew with families and became an integral household member over time.

It is, however, not all rosy. There are challenges faced by families hiring MDWs. Of course, there have been cases of MDWs being abused or mistreated by their employers. Such egregious cases must be made known and properly dealt with by the law. MOM and several non-government organisations’ efforts in ensuring proper and fair treatment of MDWs should be recognised.

But most Singaporean families who hire MDWs are decent employers who need care support at home and who do take care of their MDWs, pay on time and try their best to do good on their own.

In my many conversations with residents, I have learnt of the struggles that some of these families face with their MDWs. Following my Parliamentary Questions in September and October 2021’s Sittings, more Singaporeans from within and outside of my constituency wrote to me to share their own experiences.

From the stories they shared, the challenges they face can be broadly categorised into three types: number one, escalating salary expectations; number two, disputes, specifically allegations of abuse; and number three, demand for transfer "or else".

These challenges had been fomenting pre-COVID but the challenging situation "boiled over" when the supply of MDWs was curbed by travel restrictions during the pandemic. When the inflow of MDWs was controlled to a trickle, families desperate for help turned to those available for transfers. So, the supply fell but demand continued to rise, resulting in a price surge.

In the Minister for Manpower’s written reply to my Parliamentary Question in September this year, I note that the monthly salary increased from $570 to $590 for new MDWs and $610 to $630 for transfer MDWs. That translates to about 3.2% to 3.5%, and that is from end 2019 to end 2020. And in the more recent report which was published yesterday, I think this has gone up to $660 for transfer MDWs just earlier this year.

However, I was also told that in a bid to secure helpers urgently, some salary offers went up to as high as more than $1,000 per month on top of paying for food, accommodation and medical expenses.

Mr Speaker, with your permission, may I share a screenshot on the LCD screens here?

Mr Speaker: Yes, please. [A slide was shown to hon Members.]

Ms Tin Pei Ling: The image on-screen is small, but this is an example. Such offers were publicised in Facebook groups such as "Singapore transfer helpers (maids) direct hire".

Consequently, some MDWs with an ongoing contract demanded to end existing contracts so that they could be transferred to employers who could pay more. One Facebook user called "Minyu", who commented on my page, shared that some agents poach MDWs by offering higher salaries so that the agents can benefit from the additional agent fee. This, if true, will undoubtedly exacerbate the situation.

Families stunned by such requests have little option – they could not just find a replacement easily especially during the pandemic period. Many of such families dare not ask the MDWs to honour the contracts and stay on because their loved ones are literally in the hands of the MDW. Hence, they either offer a higher salary or consent to the transfer. The latter obviously leaves families with real care needs in the lurch. Such phenomenon would also come across as favouring the high earners.

In some instances where families were reluctant to the transfer requests, allegations of abuse were made to force a transfer. A young working mother of two called "AK" in short, shared with me in an email that her helper accused her family of providing insufficient food and rest and demanded a transfer. Thankfully, "AK" had CCTV footages to prove that the allegations were untrue.

Several other Singaporeans shared their unpleasant experiences with me via social media and through conversations. Upon receiving complaints of possible abuse, MOM would have to investigate and the process can take months. During this time, the families face challenges hiring replacements. And even if the allegations were eventually found to be baseless, the MDWs often faced no legal consequence and were sent back to their home countries, at worst. Innocent families that had endured the ordeal are then left to pick up the pieces on their own. Many felt helpless.

Again, it must be recognised that there are egregious cases of real abuse and these must be dealt with by the law. But false allegations without real consequences seem unfair too. As such, a number of Singaporean employers wrote to me to express their desire for fairer treatment and called for more help.

So, how to make it better? The good news now is that the MOM has relaxed the measures to allow vaccinated migrant domestic workers to enter Singapore just a few days ago from 1 November 2021. This mitigates the challenging situation to some extent, but some underlying issues remain to be solved.

A few suggestions, therefore, for MOM’s consideration.

First, on improving access for middle-income or "sandwiched" families. So, the first one is that it is important to ensure equitable access to hiring MDWs for ordinary Singaporean families with real care needs. Thus, could we consider introducing a higher tier of MDW levy for high-income non-local households to mitigate the imbalance of paying power?

Second, to introduce consequences for errant irresponsible MDWs.

So, the second one is to ensure completeness of individual MDWs' employment history so that it is usable. A Singaporean employer by the name "Han" who hired a MDW to care for her grandparents shared her experiences over email. She showed me screenshots of the MDW's history of several employment but the column for reason of cancellation was entirely blank. She asked how could one objectively assess prospective MDWs? Therefore, could MOM consider requiring employment agencies (EAs) to fill in the reason for cancellation or allow employers to do so directly? Many families also do not know of the existence of such records and it would be very useful if more publicity can be done.

Third, to encourage matching to be taken more seriously, could MOM consider imposing a cap on the number of transfers initiated by the MDW in a year? Exceeding that cap with no valid reason and proof would then require the MDW to return to their home country. Presently, I am aware that employers who repeatedly request for transfers in a short period of time face restrictions in hiring MDWs. So, it would seem fair to ensure all parties involved to take the contract seriously.

Fourth, could there be more stringent checks or restrictions on MDWs with a poor performance record when re-entering Singapore for new jobs?

Next is on building up responsible EAs.

So, the fifth recommendation is that I learnt from MOM's response to my Parliamentary Question last month that the Ministry is working to encourage EAs to take greater ownership of matching outcomes. If so, could the MOM consider allowing the matching of MDWs be done by local EAs only, that is, to disallow private bartering via social media platforms which are unregulated? However, I understand that there are concerns about whether this will give EAs too much power and risk high agency fees. Perhaps, MOM could pay more attention to this.

And lastly, for support for employers.

The sixth and last recommendation is that many Singaporean families who need MDWs for care needs are crying for greater support. Some are busy trying to make ends meet and some are just not savvy with the systems. Thus, could MOM consider establishing neutral advisory channel or platform offering these families information and consultations?

In conclusion, as Singapore continues to enhance our overall care support system, the role of migrant domestic workers in how Singaporean families choose to provide care for their loved ones remain important. In ensuring a successful relationship between the employer family and the MDW will require genuine efforts and mutual respect from both parties. Hence, I hope with the challenges addressed, families will feel more supported and better able to focus on their work and pursue a happier life.

Mr Speaker: Ms Nadia Samdin.

6.03 pm

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Speaker, Sir, I will continue building on the hon Member Ms Tin Pei Ling's points by talking about MDW care for our seniors.

By 2050, almost half of Singapore's total population will be at least 65. As such, care support is of utmost concern not just for our elders but for the adult children who bear the responsibility to look after their own children and their aged parents. It has been said in this Chamber that the true costs of caregiving affects certain groups disproportionately.

During the closing session of the conversations on Singapore women's development, the Prime Minister acknowledged that women often tend to have additional caregiving responsibilities for both young and old and that more can be done to support them emotionally and financially. Dependence on such unpaid family caregivers who are usually women is not longer tenable.

In the late 1970s, the foreign maid scheme was launched to enable families to employ MDWs and support women's participation in the workplace.

In May this year, it was announced that all new entry approvals for work pass holders from countries with higher risk of COVID-19 will be temporarily halted, including Indonesia, Philippines and Myanmar, all three of which provide the bulk of Singapore's MDWs. Many of us would have had residents appealed to us to allow MDWs to secure entry approvals to care for both young and old in Singapore. With dual income households now forming more than half of all married couples as of 2020, an MDW is often considered an important of fulfilling caregiving needs for families from various income backgrounds.

Let us take stock briefly. Aside from MDWs, what caregiving solutions are available for seniors? This is my focus today.

AIC has developed the network of community care services which fall under three broad themes: homecare, daycare and stay-in care. These initiatives are greatly appreciated. However, they can come across as piece-meal with multiple application processes and many adult children rely on an MDW as an all-in-one solution to care for their aged parents. There is almost a quarter of a million MDWs here on work permits as of June 2021. And despite the pandemic, some reports have suggested that the demand for MDWs remains steady, if not, increased, even as costs trended upwards.

MDWs continue to be important as part of our caregiving landscape for a few key reasons.

First, seniors have complex needs and applying for different segregated services can be more expensive and inconvenient. Round trips for medical transport services are between $62 and $90 before subsidies, which can be unaffordable for some. In Cheng San-Seletar, I am very grateful for community befrienders who often step in to accompany seniors, who are fall risks to their hospital appointments.

On the other hand, home personal care costs cost approximately $20 per hour prior to means test subsidies and referrals from hospitals or polyclinics are often required. With higher collective costs and sometimes incomplete combinations of services, hiring an MDW is often a coherent solution.

Second, our seniors tend to price independence and have preferences against institutionalised care. The perceived loss of independence in a nursing home is something they are concerned about and so children hire MDW as this support is compatible with their filial duty to meet their parents' desires to age-in-place without compromising on safety.

One possible solution is the model recently announced by HDB, MOH and MND: the Community Care Apartments to encourage independent living. And I am very much looking forward to see how care can be better aggregated so our seniors live with dignity in their golden years.

Lastly, prior to the pandemic, families often turned to MDWs as a more timely solution due to unfamiliarity with existing schemes and the limited time in finding suitable caregiving options. Some have also raised concerns about the waiting list for subsidised elder sitting services and nursing homes and looking for suitable step-down care services causes stress for families. Many also find it risky to wait and see if their loved ones qualify for a subsidised space or not.

Mr Speaker, Sir, MDWs will likely continue to be part of our caregiving landscape. Closer attention should be paid to the matching and training of our MDWs. There are stories of MDWs experiencing burnout when expectations of their jobs are mismatched with the tasks required.

A study conducted by AWARE and HOME shared this sentiment, pointing to the lack of information provided by employers and verification by employment agencies. We could look at establishing a more thorough needs assessment, which can be verified by employment agencies through submitted health records. Should that be a mismatch of skills and job requirements, employers can then apply for the caregivers' training grant to upskill the MDW.

Another proposal would be expanding the homecare giving grant (HCG). Currently, the grant provides a $200 monthly payout to families supporting their loved ones with permanent moderate disability. Qualifying for the grant requires means testing and assessment of the care recipient's ability to carry out activities of daily living or ADL. These measures ensure that the ones with the most needs receive the grant but it leaves a gap where vulnerable groups can fall into. For instance, a dual income couple with an elderly mother and two young children may find themselves needing an MDW but they may fail to qualify for the HCG because their elderly mother only requires assistance to perform two ADLs, despite having other chronic health issues. Even though hiring an MDW may be the least expensive option, this sandwiched class of families will be paying the full price.

We could explore a points-based system where the number of ADLs that require assistance in household per capita, a monthly income can be tiered. A combination of these scores can provide a fuller picture for families in greater financial need versus separating the financial and functional criteria.

In addition, we can also explore compensating part-time family caregivers better under the grant. In Hawaii, for example, their Kupuna Caregivers Assistance Act provides a daily stipend to a caregiver who is also working 30 hours a week. This approach allows caregivers to continue working in some capacity, or dial back at work while assuming caregiving responsibilities.

In closing, I wish to acknowledge and highlight the challenges faced by many Singaporeans during this pandemic in employing MDWs to support caregiving needs. Some have described being at their wits end, finishing up annual leave to race to their loved ones’ side. One resident shared that while waiting for the entry approval of an MDW to be approved, she would take turns to care for her elderly mother who was a fall risk, with her brother. Both siblings lived separately from their mother.

I thank AIC who had seen her to discuss care options, but none were suitable as her mother had an illness which prevented her from going into a care home and in any event strongly did not want to do so, prizing independence. The daughter felt a deep sense of filial piety and did not insist. However, when her brother and his family was on Quarantine Order, the 14 days back then which ensued were a nightmare for her as she struggled to balance work and caregiving, and even thought about quitting her job.

I know many families have faced this dilemma too and hope we can look ahead to ensure that our caregiving needs are met, women are allowed to participate actively in the workforce and we also support our MDWs to be more equipped and better prepared for the roles they take on in our families.

Mr Speaker: Minister of State Gan Siow Huang.

6.10 pm

The Minister of State for Manpower (Ms Gan Siow Huang): Mr Speaker, I thank the Members for sharing their views on the role of Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) in the caregiving landscape in Singapore and their suggestions on how we can better support MDW employers given our ageing population.

In my response, I will address the following points: one, MDWs' role in the caregiving landscape in Singapore; and two, measures to support employers in hiring and managing domestic helpers.

I share Members' views that MDWs continue to be important to support households with caregiving needs.

Over the years, the Government has dedicated efforts to improve accessibility, affordability and quality of care options overall. These include expanding the capacity of long-term care services for seniors and persons with disabilities, childcare and afterschool care centres for children.

MND, MOH and HDB have also launched the first assisted living flats in February this year, which integrate senior-friendly design features with care services that can be scaled according to the care needs. This enables seniors to live independently while meeting their current and future care needs.

To improve the affordability of care, various subsidy schemes have been put in for residential, day and homecare services, respite care services, childcare and infant care services. Families may apply for the means-tested Home Caregiving Grant, which can be used flexibly for different caregiving expenses, such as hiring of MDWs to care for an individual with permanent moderate disability. MOH is reviewing the Home Caregiving Grant to provide more help for targeted groups.

With the increasing complexity of care provision, it is important for MDWs to be trained in essential skills for caregiving. Employers may enrol their MDWs for various training courses to empower them to provide higher-quality care. Today, there are 200 training courses provided by 50 training providers that are available for employers to send their domestic helpers to. They may tap on the Caregivers Training Grant to offset training costs for the care of elderly or disabled loved ones.

Members have suggested higher levy for non-local high-income households. I would like to clarify that we already pay special attention to local households with caregiving needs. This is why only households with at least a Singaporean member with care needs are eligible for the concessionary levy rate of $60 per month. All non-local households, with or without caregiving needs, pay the non-concessionary rate of $300 per month.

Some employers have managed to do without MDWs by tapping on institutional care options or engaging companies under the Household Services Scheme to meet their household needs.

However, for many employers, the options I have mentioned may not fully meet their needs and MDWs remain important to them.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, employers have been impacted by the limited supply of MDWs to Singapore. Amidst the shortage of MDWs, some employers face requests by their MDWs for higher wages or a transfer.

I understand the difficulties an employer goes through if an MDW seeks a transfer before the end of the contract. To alleviate the financial burden incurred by employers, MOM recently introduced a policy to allow the incumbent and subsequent employers to share the Stay-Home Notice (SHN) costs and COVID-19 tests costs incurred by an MDW when she entered Singapore, should the change of employer take place within 12 months of employment.

As I mentioned in the House yesterday, the local and regional COVID-19 situation continues to stabilise and we have begun to grant more entry approvals for MDWs to come to Singapore. The current MDW supply crunch is expected to improve in the coming months.

In the longer term, MOM will diversify the countries from which MDWs are hired. However, we must recognise that there will continue to be competition for MDWs, not just locally but also from countries in the region. Besides reasonable remuneration to attract MDWs to work in Singapore, there is also a need to position Singapore as an attractive workplace destination for MDWs, to ensure resilience in our MDW supply.

Other than the measures to enable a steady stream of MDWs for Singapore, it is equally important to ensure that employers are matched with MDWs who best meet their needs, as well as provide support to employers and MDWs to foster good employment relationships.

Members have suggested that matching be done only by local employment agencies (EAs) and to disallow direct hiring of MDWs. Today, more than 80% of employers hire their MDWs with the help of an EA. For the remaining employers who prefer to hire their MDWs directly to avoid incurring additional costs of engaging an EA, disallowing them to self-help would inadvertently increase their costs of hiring MDWs.

Instead of placing a cap on the maximum number of transfers for an MDW, MOM has adopted the approach of making information more transparent so that employers can make informed decisions when hiring MDWs, including those who have had frequent transfers.

Employers may access information relating to prospective MDWs’ work experiences and the types and sizes of households that they have worked in before. Employers can also view the length of each past employment and the reasons why these MDWs left their past employers, including information on the party that initiated the discontinuation of employment. We started collecting the reasons from employers for the cancellation of MDW's Work Permits since September last year. With time, the information in the MDW employment history will become more comprehensive.

The employer reference channel also allows prospective employers to contact the former employers of the MDWs they are looking to hire for reference checks.

MOM will look into how we can raise awareness of these existing measures amongst employers.

Other than improving matching outcomes, MOM has also put in place measures to support employers and MDWs during the course of employment.

It is not uncommon for there to be differences in expectations in a working relationship, especially at the initial stage when both parties are adjusting, be it to a new environment or having a new person living in your home. Most misunderstandings between MDWs and their employers are resolved amicably.

However, like Members alluded to, there are instances where both parties are unable to resolve the disputes on their own. For such cases, help can be sought from the employment agencies and via dispute resolution services offered by professionals through the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training (FAST) and Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE).

From 1 December onwards, we will also require all employment agencies to conduct post-placement checks to ensure that MDWs and their employers are adjusting well.

MOM takes all allegations of abuse seriously. MOM officers work with the Police to investigate reports of MDW abuse by employers or household members. Some MDWs were found in the course of Police investigations to have made false allegations against their employers. The Police and MOM will not hesitate to take firm action against such MDWs.

Over the past two years, Police investigated and issued warnings to 17 MDWs for providing false information against a household member or employer. Of these, 13 were blacklisted and the remaining four are pending a review of case facts.

I would like to share a story about an MDW who made a Police report, claiming that her employer’s wife physically abused her by slapping her limbs over a period of seven months. Upon thorough investigation by the Police, the MDW admitted to providing false information against her employer in a bid to end her employment. She was charged under the Penal Code for providing false information, convicted and sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment. She was also repatriated and banned from working in Singapore.

We encourage employers and MDWs to maintain open communication with one another, discuss their concerns and resolve disputes amicably. Fostering a sense of mutual trust and respect can help prevent misunderstandings from occurring.

Mr Speaker, to wrap up, the caregiving landscape in Singapore will get more challenging as our population ages. MDWs are part of the caregiving solutions here. MOM has introduced several measures to support MDW employers in hiring and managing their MDWs. We will continue to find ways to safeguard the interests of MDW employers while protecting the well-being of MDWs. Ultimately, for MDWs to continue to be part of the caregiving landscape, we strive to build a system that is fair to both the MDW employers and the MDWs.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn."

Adjourned accordingly at 6.21 pm.