Meredith's* Story: Restrictions on Employment Mobility

23 February 2022

Meredith* was employed as a migrant domestic worker (MDW) in Singapore for about a year. This is her story, as told to HOME.

Meredith said that she was very overworked. She started her day around 6.30am and ended close to midnight. Her tasks included cooking, cleaning, and looking after a baby. Sometimes, she was awoken by her employer in the middle of the night to complete tasks, such as tending to the baby. Her employer also wanted her to use specific cleaning materials for the house, which left her with burns and blisters. However, instead of taking her to the doctor, she was only given a small tube of ointment to treat her condition. 

Meredith felt that the food given to her was insufficient. Her breakfast usually consisted of bread and peanut butter. She purchased Milo to supplement her breakfast, using her salary. The food given to her for her other meals was also insufficient, lacked enough meat and vegetables, and often left her hungry and having to eat bread in the night.

According to Meredith, during the year that she spent at her employer’s house, she lost 29kg. Meredith believed that her significant weight loss was due to overwork and the inadequate food that she was receiving. 

Meredith said she also slept in a storeroom, which had CCTVs that captured her activities, thus depriving her of privacy. The room was small, and had five or six boxes piled on either side of her. Meredith was in perpetual fear that the boxes would fall on her while she slept. She was not given a mattress, and only had a foam mat to sleep on.  

Over the course of her employment, Meredith’s salary was also deducted for items which she damaged. The deductions would range between one and five dollars, depending on the item. She also had to pay for her own toiletries after her first three months of employment. 

Meredith withstood her employment conditions for a year, as she needed work to provide for her family back in the Philippines. However, after a year, she could not tolerate her living and working conditions any longer. Eventually, she sought HOME’s assistance as she wanted to work for another employer. HOME referred her case to the Ministry of Manpower and assisted in retrieving her outstanding salary, as well as the money that she spent on toiletries. 

However, despite the many difficulties that Meredith faced in her employment, the decision on whether she was allowed a transfer remained with her employer. In the end, her employer decided to repatriate her, denying Meredith the opportunity to seek new employment in Singapore.

Migrant domestic workers (MDWs) should have the right to switch employers freely. The restrictions on employment mobility is a key factor for MDWs to remain in exploitative and abusive conditions. MDWs should be able to switch employers with clearly defined notice periods that both employers and MDWs are to abide by. They should also be able to switch employers at the end of their Work Permit terms without the consent of their employers.

*Name changed to protect identity

Photo: Channel NewsAsia