Migrant Domestic Workers Fined for Illegal Moonlighting and Take-up Rate of Household Services Scheme

4 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in each of the past five years, how many migrant domestic workers and unofficial employers have been fined for illegal moonlighting; and (b) what is the take-up rate of the Household Services Scheme since its permanent formalisation in 2021.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Manpower (Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong) (for the Minister for Manpower): Between 2020 and 2024, an average of 12 migrant domestic workers (MDWs) and 15 employers were fined each year for moonlighting-related offences.

The Household Services Scheme (HSS) allows companies to hire migrant workers to provide part-time domestic services such as home cleaning, grocery shopping, car-washing and pet-sitting. Since formalising the HSS as a permanent scheme in 2021, the number of HSS companies increased from around 80 to 240. Based on surveys, the number of households served by HSS companies have also increased steadily.

Mr Speaker: Ms Yeo.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol): Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Ministry for the recent expansion on the HSS, given that there are evolving needs for different types of caregiving resources and not every caregiver has the space or resource to house full-time MDWs.

A recent straw poll amongst our female union leaders also highlighted the lack of options for affordable caregiving and housekeeping support for working families. Could the Ministry look to expanding the HSS to beyond its current operators to increase service options or to make more accessible the booking of such part-time, caregiving or housekeeping services through online means? And would the Ministry look perhaps to what was the union on strengthening public awareness on existing schemes like the HSS, as there seems to be a limited understanding on the scheme even with our female union leaders?

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for speaking up for female union leaders. Indeed, there are a range of caregiving and housekeeping options for households, depending on their needs. For households who do not need full-time caregiving needs, HSS should generally be a cheaper option than hiring a MDW. And based on MOM's poll of HSS clients, the hourly rate ranges from between $18 and $30, where the median is about $25 an hour.

Most HSS companies offer deal packages, such as, $325 per month, for weekly housekeeping; and up to $580 per month for twice a week. In comparison, the monthly cost of hiring an MDW can range between $1,000 and $1,300 a month, depending on whether employers qualify for the MDW concession levies.

All companies interested in joining an HSS scheme can write to MOM. The number of companies have increased, like I mentioned, from 80 to 240. We leave it to companies to reach out for their bookings. And should there be any interest of these companies, they can also offer online booking services at the convenience of their clients. Most importantly, we are ready to work with the NTUC to see how we can further strengthen the awareness of this scheme.