Hera's* Story: Illegal Deployment

6 May 2022

Hera was employed as a domestic worker. She arrived in Singapore expecting to do household chores. However, when she arrived at her employer’s house, her working reality was quite different: she was asked to work in an industrial centre, where she sewed commercial products (lanterns) for her employer’s business. 

In Hera’s employment contract, she was expected to carry out domestic chores in the house. Her contract also stated that the only contribution she needed to make to her employer's business would be packing items related to her employer’s business, if there was a need to do so. However, on a daily basis, she was only made to work at the industrial centre, and she did not undertake any domestic work. 

Hera was only given one day’s training on how to work the machinery in the industrial centre, by the employer’s previous domestic worker. According to Hera, the tools were unlike regular sewing machines that were used to mend clothes, and there was a chance that she could get injured as she was not used to operating such machinery. She was expected to carry out complex sewing, was expected to complete 1000 lanterns a day, and had to pack and move the items once they were sewn. Her employer was very rude and impatient towards her. When she asked for rest, she would be asked to simply take a shower and get back to work. Most of her tasks required her to stand, and she could only properly sit during mealtimes. On some days, she ended up working from 7am to 10pm, with minimal rest.

After she finished at the industrial centre, she was made to return to her employer’s house and did housework until her chores were completed, often past midnight. 

At one point, Hera told her employer that she has a headache, which she believed was brought on by exhaustion. Her employer gave her some medicine, but told her she could not rest and had to continue working. 

Hera was aware that her activities at the employer’s factory were illegal. However, she was afraid to raise this with the employer due to the constant scolding she was receiving from her employer. 

Hera reached out to HOME and we brought her case to MOM’s attention. MOM commenced investigations into her case, and allowed her to seek re-employment.

Hera submitted videos to HOME of the industrial environment she was asked to work in and the equipment used. You may watch them here.

*Name has been changed to protect identity