Leonard Ng | Updated: July 28, 2025 
Foreign domestic workers (FDWs) are essential to many Singaporean households, helping with childcare, elderly care, cleaning, and cooking. While most employers treat their helpers with dignity, there are recurring complaints that come up from FDWs about poor treatment or unmet expectations. Understanding these issues is crucial if we want to build respectful, long-term working relationships.
In this post, we break down the 10 most common issues faced by helpers in Singapore, based on reports from NGOs, news investigations, and official MOM data from the past five years. We also share what you, as an employer, can do to prevent these problems and create a better working environment for everyone.
Many helpers report being expected to work from dawn until midnight with little or no rest. During COVID lockdowns, rest days were often cancelled, and some helpers said they didn’t get a single day off for months.
What Employers Can Do: A well-rested helper is a better helper. Respect their right to at least one full rest day each week. Set clear working hours and stick to them. When you protect their time, you show that their health matters.
Some FDWs say they are shouted at daily or called insulting names. While not physical, this takes a toll on their mental health and confidence.
What Employers Can Do: Speak respectfully. Remember, communication styles differ – what seems firm to you might feel harsh to them.
Unfortunately, physical abuse is still reported, ranging from slaps to serious injuries. MOM handles hundreds of such complaints annually.
What Employers Can Do: Physical punishment is a crime. If you’re feeling angry or stressed, seek support, not violence. The way you treat them sets a precedent for your children too.
Helpers often complain of late salary, deductions without explanation, or being underpaid versus their agreed rate.
What Employers Can Do: Pay on time. Use a written agreement. Provide payslips or monthly records for clarity. You expect your own salary on time and so does your helper.
Hundreds of helpers file complaints each year about being given too little food or only leftovers.
What Employers Can Do: Provide sufficient, nutritious food. Ask about dietary needs. Don’t use food as a form of control. A helper who is nourished performs better and feels valued.
Some helpers are made to sleep in storerooms, bomb shelters, or living rooms without privacy or ventilation.
What Employers Can Do: Provide a private, well-ventilated sleeping area with a proper bed or mattress. A proper sleeping space isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity for long term work.
Helpers report feeling watched 24/7, even in their sleeping areas. This causes anxiety and loss of dignity.
What Employers Can Do: Trust your helper. Avoid surveillance in their sleeping area. Give them the same privacy you would want if roles were reversed.
Some employers confiscate the helper’s phone or limit usage to an hour per day.
What Employers Can Do: Helpers are far from home. Let them stay connected after work hours. A few messages to their family won’t affect their duties, but it could lift their entire day.
Helpers sometimes report being told to clean relatives’ homes or help at the employer’s business, which is not allowed.
What Employers Can Do: Only ask your helper to work within your household and tasks agreed in the contract. If you are caught instructing your helper to work elsewhere, it will impact your future domestic helpers’ application.
Some helpers say they are denied visits to the doctor or sent home when they fall ill, instead of receiving treatment.
What Employers Can Do: You are legally required to pay for your helper’s healthcare and insurance. Contact your insurance to see the approved list of GPs / Dentists / Hospitals your helper can go to for a reduced / covered medical fee.
Helpers who are experiencing mistreatment or feel unsafe can reach out to these helplines:
These organisations provide support, legal advice, counselling, and shelter for domestic workers in distress.
No employer sets out to mistreat a helper – but it’s easy to overlook these issues without honest conversations and feedback. At EmployHelpers, we believe fair treatment leads to stronger working relationships and better outcomes for families.
Let’s build a community where helpers are respected, heard, and supported.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly reported complaints and does not represent every employer or helper in Singapore.
Leonard started Employhelpers.com to make hiring a domestic helper simpler, fairer, and more affordable. He helps families skip agency markups by connecting directly with domestic helpers.
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