Employers who hire transfer maids should share SHN, test costs: MOM
Employers who hire transfer migrant domestic workers (MDWs) should share the costs of the stay-home notice (SHN) and related Covid-19 tests, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) yesterday.
If the change of employer occurs within 12 months, the new employer should share a portion of the SHN and related Covid-19 tests costs incurred by the current employer.
Laying out the criteria for the sharing of such costs, the ministry said the MDW needs to be transferred within 12 months after she completes her SHN.
The current employer should also not receive more than what he had paid for the costs of SHN and Covid-19 tests.
Both the current and new employers are also required to sign a written agreement on the amount of costs shared.
"(We) call on employment agencies to help the current and prospective employers come to an agreement for the sharing of costs," added MOM.
The ministry recommends the current employer bear the costs proportionate to the duration that the MDW has worked for him within the 12-month period.
To facilitate the transfer process, employment agencies will be required to inform both current and prospective employers of MOM's cost-sharing criteria and guidelines.
REFUND
In 2019, MOM announced that all employment agencies will have to provide an option for a refund of at least 50 per cent of the service fee charged to employers of MDWs when employment ends prematurely.
This ensures that employment agencies take greater ownership in finding suitable and better matches for employers, explained MOM.
In its statement yesterday, the ministry said the implementation of this service fee refund policy will now be deferred to early 2022 as more time is needed to incorporate feedback on the policy from stakeholders.
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