1. Maid Off Day Hour – Duration of rest day
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not have a specific rule on the number of hours that you should let your maid rest on her off day.
In a guidebook for employer published by MOM: “Most employers provide their foreign domestic helpers with at least eight hours of continuous break from work.”
2. Maid Off Day Hour – What time does the rest day span across?
Again, there is no rule on this by the Ministry of Manpower. You should talk to your maid and mutually agree on the time of her rest hours. A written agreement on off day hour is recommended.
It should be noted that you cannot deduct salary if your maid comes home late.
If she comes home late, you should remind her of the agreed time of returning home and advises her not to do it again.
3. Maid Off Day – Does the off day have to fall on Sunday?
The rest day does not need to fall on Sunday You and your helper can have a written agreement on the day of her rest day. A written agreement can help to avoid future disputes.
In general, most maids will have their rest days on Sunday.
Resting on Sunday will allow some maids to go for church.
It will also allow them to meet up friends so that they will not miss home so much and will not feel too lonely in Singapore. They can also attend recreational activities organized by some welfare organizations.
If you let them rest on another day, some of them may not know where to go.
4. Maid Off Day – Compensation for working on off day
If you need your maid to work on her rest day, you should compensate her for a rest day on another day.
Alternatively, you can compensate her with a fee that is equal to her basic monthly salary divided by 26.
You cannot let your maid accumulate leave and take a block of leave some times later.
5. Maid off day – What will they do during their off day?
First and foremost, it is illegal for your maid to work for someone else during her off day.
To help them spend their rest days productively, you may introduce her to join other maids in participating skills training programmes offered by NGO or recreational activities organized for foreign domestic workers on their rest days.
Some maids may want to remit money home during Sunday. You may want to help her once so that she is able to do it herself next time.
6. Maid off day - Can we ask them to work on off day?
Generally speaking, you can ask your maid to carry out some light duty during her off day before she goes out or after she comes back home.
7. Maid off day - MOM guidebook
You may want to download the guidebook on off day arrangement published by the Ministry of Manpower.
You may refer to maids in Singapore to browse hundreds maid biodata.