Amendment of Employment of Foreign Manpower Act to Ensure Clearer Standards on Well-being of Foreign Domestic Workers
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Ms Anthea Ong’s inquiry on amending the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act to mandate clearer standards for foreign domestic workers’ rest times, food, and accommodation. Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo responded that existing provisions already require employers to provide adequate food, rest, and lodging that ensures safety, modesty, and privacy. She noted that specific guidelines on these requirements are detailed on the Ministry of Manpower website and communicated via mandatory orientation programmes for both parties. The Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo explained that stipulating fixed work and rest hours is impractical due to the varied caregiving needs of households with children or seniors. Instead, the Ministry encourages employers and workers to establish mutually agreeable arrangements through open communication while adhering to existing guidelines on well-being and basic needs.
Transcript
20 Ms Anthea Ong asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act will be amended to ensure that there are clearer standards on the well-being of foreign domestic workers, namely (i) stipulated mandatory rest times (ii) setting out minimum amounts and quantity of food to be provided by employers and (iii) setting out minimum standards for foreign domestic workers' accommodation including that for shelter, amenities, ventilation, safety and privacy.
Mrs Josephine Teo: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) stipulates provisions under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA) that safeguard the well-being and employment conditions of foreign domestic workers (FDWs). It requires employers to provide adequate food and rest, as well as proper accommodation with sufficient space and privacy for their FDWs.
Employers of FDWs receive clear guidelines on what constitute adequate food and acceptable accommodation, and these parameters are reflected on the MOM website. For instance, employers must provide FDWs with three meals a day and examples of what the daily food intake could be for breakfast, lunch and dinner are detailed on the MOM website. Employers are also responsible for providing proper lodging that accords adequate shelter, basic amenities, sufficient ventilation, space and privacy that safeguard their FDWs' safety and modesty. FDWs and employers are informed of these guidelines at the Settling-In Programme and Employer Orientation Programme respectively.
As each household would have its own unique and varied needs for domestic work, it is not practical to stipulate fixed hours of rest and work for FDWs. For instance, a household with very young children or frail seniors may require greater attention from the FDW at different times of the day, while a household with teens and older adults may not. We encourage employers and FDWs to maintain open communication and work out arrangements that are agreeable to both parties.