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Sharing of Stay-Home Notice and Related Covid-19 Tests Costs between Employers of Transferred Migrant Domestic Workers

Foreign manpower

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) recommends employers who are hiring transferred migrant domestic workers (MDWs) to share the Stay-Home Notice (SHN) and related COVID-19 tests costs incurred when the MDW entered Singapore. 

2 An employer who is hiring an MDW from overseas is required to pay for the MDW’s stay at a dedicated SHN facility and related COVID-19 tests. While most MDWs settle in well and complete their term of employment, there are instances where the employment contract is terminated prematurely, either at the employer’s initiative or on the MDW’s request to transfer to another employer. The employer would have incurred upfront SHN-related costs in these situations. 

3 If the change of employers occurs within 12 months, MOM recommends the new employer to share a portion of the SHN and related COVID-19 tests costs incurred by the current employer for the MDW’s entry into Singapore. MOM also calls on Employment Agencies to help the current and prospective employer come to an agreement for the sharing of costs.

4 MOM has laid out the criteria for the sharing of such costs. The SHN and related COVID-19 tests costs can be shared only if:

(a) the MDW is transferred within 12 months after she completes her SHN; 
(b) the current employer does not receive more than what he/she had paid for the costs of SHN and related COVID-19 tests; and
(c) both the current and new employers sign a written agreement on the amount of costs shared.

5 MOM advises that the current employer bears the costs proportionate to the duration that the MDW has worked for him/her within the 12-month period. 

6 Employment agencies (EAs) will be required to inform both current and prospective employers MOM’s cost sharing criteria and guidelines, to facilitate the transfer process.

DEFERMENT OF EA SERVICE FEE REFUND POLICY

7 In 2019, MOM announced a new service fee refund policy for MDW employers to help improve matching between employers and MDWs. As more time is needed to incorporate feedback on the policy from stakeholders, we will defer the implementation of the refund policy to early 2022.