Hiring of Male Domestic Workers

9 Ms Anthea Ong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in each year from 2013 to 2018, what is the number of male domestic workers; (b) what are the reasons cited by applicants to justify the hiring of male domestic workers; and (c) whether there are any plans to allow more men to work as domestic workers and, if so, what are the reasons.

Mrs Josephine Teo: In each of the five years from 2013 to 2018, there were about 50 male foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Singapore. The main reason cited when applying to hire a male FDW is that a female FDW is not suitable for the family's care-giving needs. Examples are where the family member to be cared for has a disability, is of heavy build and/or has a special medical condition.

The vast majority of employers prefer to hire female FDWs. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will continue to assess applications for male FDWs on a case-by-case basis and exercise flexibility in exceptional situations.