Domestic helper stays overnight at relative’s home on rest day — Singapore employer asks if it is allowed

A Singapore employer is questioning whether she may have violated Ministry of Manpower (MOM) rules by allowing her domestic helper to spend the night at her sister-in-law's home on her day off. The helper's sister-in-law works for another employer who owns two properties and typically sleeps in the second apartment after completing her work at her current employer's residence.

The Singapore-based employer admitted she had not considered the situation a significant issue because the helper was off duty and staying with a family member. However, after reading information suggesting that domestic helpers are required to live at their employer's registered residential address, she began to wonder if she should have permitted the overnight stays.

Some Reddit commenters believed the arrangement was acceptable, particularly since the helper was not working at the other apartment. They argued that the MOM rule aimed to prevent employers from sending helpers to work in other households, not the specific situation at hand. Others suggested that as long as the helper was not performing work at the other residence, the arrangement was fine.

However, one commenter warned that technically speaking, the helper should sleep at her employer's registered address every night, and another suggested that the arrangement could cause issues if something went wrong, as the helper might blame the employer. According to MOM's website, migrant domestic workers must reside and work only at the residential address declared to MOM, and if employers need their helper to care for a child or parent at a different residence, they must notify MOM and ensure the alternative residence provides suitable accommodation for the worker.