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From left: Six-monthly medical examination (6ME), MDW house visit and the MDW interview conducted by a Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) officer.
A migrant domestic worker (MDW) who is well physically and mentally is one who can do her best for your household. To ensure that your MDW isn’t facing health or other issues that may affect her work, she will be subjected to a few measures that are mandatory during her employment journey.
This article goes into the details of three such measures that you must comply with.
The MDW Interview
- Twice in a first-time helper’s first year of employment.
- Compulsory and private in-person interview.
- Ensures that she is adapting well to her new environment.
How it works
Once your MDW is due for the interview, you will receive a letter of notification and an email from MOM.
Book a date or the interview and select one of the CDEConnect centres. You can choose to reschedule your appointment via our self-help appointment system. Teleconferencing is only available for those who can’t send their MDWs for in-person interviews due to constant caregiving needs.
One the day of the interview, your MDW should make her way to a CDEConnect centre.
She can register at one of these booths.
During her turn, the interview will take place inside an interview room. Do not accompany her.
A CDE interviewer will ask your MDW a series of questions about her well-being and employment-related matters to ensure that everything is alright.
The interviewer will also remind her of her rights and responsibilities as an MDW.
Six-monthly medical examination (6ME) for MDWs
- Compulsory for all helpers below 50 years old.
- To be conducted every 6 months at clinics by Singapore-registered doctors.
- Ensures that your helper is in the right physical condition to work.
You’re required to send your MDW for the 6ME every six months.
It’s an important measure that protects your household by screening your MDW for infectious diseases such as syphilis, HIV and tuberculosis.
It also serves to check if she’s pregnant. Do note that she won’t be allowed to work as an MDW if she is, even if the child belongs to her lawfully wedded husband. Update us if she is pregnant and we’ll respond with the next steps. You can also learn more about this topic.
Medical costs related to your MDW’s pregnancy are not covered by her medical insurance and will be borne by you..
How it works
When your helper’s 6ME appointment is due, you will receive a notification letter and 6ME form by physical mail. The notification letter contains the due date.
You must send your helper to a clinic before the due date unless your circumstances fall under one of the following:
- If she’s on overseas leave, apply to postpone the 6ME.
- If she’s 50 and above, she will only need to attend the medical examination if she renews her Work Permit.
- If her employment is ending soon and you’re sending her home within one month of the due date, she need not attend the 6ME.
- If her employment is ending soon but her scheduled departure date is more than 1 month from the due date, request to postpone or waive the 6ME.
Let your helper visit the clinic. She should enter the consultation room alone. Do not enter with her or send a representative.
The clinic will get her height and weight…
…check for visible signs of abuse and her overall mental wellbeing…
…and test for issues like pregnancy, VDRL, HIV and TB.
As the employer, you’ll be responsible for paying for the 6ME and any medical expenses arising from it.
What’s next?
The clinic will submit your helper’s 6ME results to MOM. These are viewable through MOM’s FDW eService page. If your helper does not pass her 6ME, cancel her Work Permit and send her home immediately.
MDW House Visits
- Helpers are selected randomly.
- Doorstep-only visit by a pair of MOM-appointed officers.
- Compulsory if your household is selected.
- Assesses the safety and well-being of your helper.
These ensure that your MDW is settling well into her working and living environment.
How it works
If your helper is selected, you’ll receive an email notification two weeks before the date of the visit. The visit is mandatory. Ensure that your helper will be present at home on the day indicated.
A pair of House Visit officers will arrive at your doorstep during the visit date. You or your MDW should ensure that they are in uniforms bearing the MOM logo. Each will also wear an MOM Authority Card on a lanyard.
You may request for their particulars and verify their identities by calling the MOM hotline at 6438 5122.
They’ll ask for the door to be opened. You may keep the gate closed if you wish, since they won’t enter your home.
The officers will ask to speak to your helper alone at the doorstep. Please give her some privacy. This quick interview will take up to 30 minutes. The officers will also take a photo of her for record keeping.
After the interview, the officers will provide you or your household member with a quick update.
What House Visit Officers say about these visits
“Our house visits enable employers and MDWs to share their feedback, positive or negative, about the MDWs’ well-being.”
- Officer Natasha
“The visit helps assure MDWs that they are not alone, that assistance exists to help them adjust to working in Singapore.”
- Officer Suraya
If you had hired your helper through an employment agency, they are required to conduct
at least one post-placement check within three months after the MDW has joined the household. You can expect them to make a phone call or conduct an in-person visit to check whether your MDW is settling-in well and if you find her suitable.
Conclusion
there you have it – these are the three measures that help ensure your helper is happy, healthy, and thriving at your home. Remember, they don’t only protect your MDW’s well-being, but also help her work with fewer worries so she can take better care of your household.