Onus on Employers
- The Straits Times (15 August 2008) : Onus on Employers
- The Straits Times (13 August 2008) : Sad That MOM Did Not Help Innocent Employer
- The Straits Times (05 August 2008) : Maid's Broken Heart Costs Innocent Boss 10k
Onus on Employers
- The Straits Times, 15 August 2008
Please refer to the letters by Mdm Peh Poh Hua, "Maid's broken heart costs innocent boss 10k" (Straits Times, 5 Aug 2008) and Mr Anthony Dass, "Sad that MOM did not help innocent employer" (Straits Times, 13 Aug 2008).
2. Mandatory medical insurance of at least $5,000 for foreign domestic workers (FDW) was introduced by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to help employers manage their workers' medical bills. The insurance coverage was set at a basic level to keep premiums affordable for employers. This basic coverage is sufficient for the majority of hospitalisation bills for foreign workers.
3. However, it is not uncommon for insurance policies to exclude certain illnesses and injuries in their basic coverage. Mental illness is typically not covered in the standard policies offered by insurance companies. Employers should therefore be aware of their medical insurance policies' exclusions. Nevertheless, they can choose to buy a rider to raise the coverage, or to cover illnesses excluded in the basic insurance policy for their FDWs. The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) is a public hospital and thus expenses incurred at the IMH will be assessed by the insurers as with other public hospitals, if the illness is covered by the insurance policy.
4. Regarding the letter to remind the employers to repatriate his FDW, if an employer has cancelled his FDW's work permit but the worker cannot be repatriated due to extenuating circumstances, he can approach MOM to validate the stay of the worker in Singapore.
Sad That MOM Did Not Help Innocent Employer
- The Straits Times, 13 August 2008
My heart went out to the innocent employer when I read the letter by Madam Peh Poh Hua, 'Maid's broken heart costs innocent boss 10k' (Aug 5). I am shocked that the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) is not a recognised hospital. It is indeed sad that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) did not help the innocent employer. Instead, MOM warned him of the penalties if the maid was not repatriated. It's time to hold accountable errant maids who indulge in their own 'extra curricular activities' during their days off, and not pin the burden on the employers. Employers have heeded MOM's call to allow their maids a day off. So, why should employers be held accountable for the misdeeds of their maids on their days off? It's time MOM addressed the issue of adequate insurance coverage to protect employers.
Maid's Broken Heart Costs Innocent Boss 10k
- The Straits Times Forum, 05 August 2008
My brother's maid was given a day off regularly. One day, he returned home to find her and his three children crying together. Upon probing, he found that her relationship with her boyfriend in Singapore had soured and she was so upset, she couldn't carry on with her duties. He returned her to the maid agency who arranged to send her home. But he received a rude shock when he received a call from airport police saying she was behaving uncontrollably at the airport and had to be dispatched to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).
Now my brother's real ordeal began. His family had to arrange alternative care for their three children, even as they juggled with, as it turned out, futile attempts to seek help from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), their Member of Parliament and the Philippine Embassy. The problem dragged on for a month. Finally, the IMH agreed to release the maid on condition that there was someone to accompany her back to the Philippines. Fortunately, the maid agency was able to arrange for a Filipino with a paid return ticket to accompany her home.
Then came the shocker. My brother discovered the maid insurance he bought did not cover the maid's treatment and stay at IMH, which effectively meant IMH is not a recognised institution as far as hospitalisation is concerned. The Ministry of Health should look into this and MOM should mandate that insurance policies provide some form of coverage. IMH is now pressing my brother for payment. To add insult to injury, MOM sent my brother a letter reminding him of the penalties he faces if the maid is not repatriated.
Non-governmental organisations are pressing for a mandatory day off for maids. But when something horrible goes wrong through no fault of the employer, what kind of support can employers get? They are often left to fend for themselves. Through no fault of his, my brother is saddled with a bill of almost $10,000 because of the maid.