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At the end of each contract period, your domestic helper is entitled to home leave. In the past, two weeks of home leave was the usual. Some employers, on the other hand, believe that two weeks is too short. As a result, they increased the period of their domestic workers’ home leave. To enhance convenience, some employers choose to take their vacations at the same time as the maid’s home leave.
Your domestic worker may request to return to her home country at times other than when she is entitled to depart. This might be for humane reasons, such as a family member’s death.
Given the sacrifices your domestic worker has had to make in order to work here, it is only fair to treat her with respect.
The length of a domestic worker’s home leave should be agreed upon by both the employer and the employee. However, it’s a good idea to think about how much time you’ll need to travel and what you’ll be doing during her home leave.
Other pre-home leave advisories for employers
- Be sure that your domestic worker has her work permit card and passport during her travels.
- Make sure that her passport has at least 6 months’ validity
- Also, note that you should keep a copy of your domestic worker’s travel ticket or itinerary for reference.
- Lastly, check with your domestic worker’s embassy on her immigration requirements for home leave, as they may vary across different nationalities.
Do not cancel her work permit when she is going on Home leave
If your worker is overseas for more than 7 days, you can apply for a levy waiver after she has returned. You will have to produce your domestic worker’s passport at the nearest Central Provident Fund Service Centre, or you may do so online here. Choose Application for Waiver of Foreign Worker Levy (Domestic), after you have logged in.
Domestic worker does not return to Singapore from her home leave
In the event your domestic worker does not return to Singapore from her home leave, you should cancel her work permit to void your liabilities under the security bond. The Controller of Immigration will first have to ensure that your domestic worker has not returned to Singapore before your cancellation of her work permit. You will need to produce copies of your domestic worker’s travel ticket or itinerary.
- If your worker has not returned before cancellation, you will not be held liable for the security bond.
- If your worker has returned before cancellation, you will have to arrange for her immediate repatriation or your security bond may be forfeited.
Keep a copy of her travel ticket or a record of her departure itinerary. This is to prove that the worker has left Singapore. After MOM confirms that your maid has departed and not re-entered Singapore, you will be discharged of any liabilities under the security bond.
If your maid has re-entered Singapore before the security bond has been discharged, you have to arrange for her to be sent home immediately. Otherwise, the security bond may be forfeited.
6 monthly medical check-up
While the worker is on leave, you can request to defer her 6-monthly medical examination, though your domestic helper should take the examination after returning.
Going on home leave/ Travelling back home between contract renewals
There is no compulsory home leave for foreign domestic workers and an employer is not responsible or obligated to buy their foreign domestic worker a plane ticket for home leave. As such, all travelling expenses and home leave arrangements should be discussed carefully between the domestic worker and the employer and agreed on, preferably at the beginning of the contract.
Termination of services, repatriation
Only under circumstances when an employer no longer requires a domestic worker’s services or decides to cancel the domestic worker’s work permit, are they required by law to bear the full costs of the repatriation of the domestic worker back home.
Salary to be paid during home leave?
The normal practice is: Home leave is no-pay leave. However, if the maid finished her two-year contract and is deemed to be renewed, then she is entitled to 15 days of paid leave or a lump sum equivalent to the return ticket to her city of origin.