Singapore
By Ang Hwee Min 26 Apr 2021 01:08PM (Updated: 26 Apr 2021 01:10PM )
SINGAPORE: Employers of maids may receive visits from Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officers to check the maids' working and living conditions.
The ministry began conducting visits to randomly selected homes on Apr 5, and aims to visit about 200 homes a month “for a start”, said MOM's director of engagement Tan Shu Xiang.
“During these home visits, our MOM officers will actually be checking on the working and living environments of the migrant domestic workers, so as to ensure that they are well settled in,” he added.
"We also remind the employers and the domestic workers about safe working conditions, as well as information about channels to seek assistance from if required.”
In addition to home visits, the ministry plans to expand in-person interviews to all first-time maids by the end of this year, said Mr Tan.
The Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) aims to start by interviewing 2,000 maids a month. The centre has conducted in-person interviews with randomly selected first-time maids since 2017, typically three to six months after they start work, said MOM.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the interviews have been conducted via video calls, and CDE plans to resume in-person interviews in May.
The new measures will help the ministry to "respond promptly" to the workers' needs and allow it to address any issues and concerns they raise, said Mr Tan.
About 100 house visits have been conducted so far, Mr Tan said. “It's quite good that (for) the majority of this house, we don't really find any issues.”
Responding to questions about how the interviews at the house visits are conducted and whether the employers are present, Mr Tan said the objective is to “provide a conducive environment” for maids to raise their concerns.
“During the house visit officers will make sure that the domestic workers have the privacy and the space needed to surface any issues to us,” he added.
The MOM officers do not stop employers from listening in on the interview, said Mr Li Junjie, senior assistant director of enforcement planning at the ministry.
“But what we want is for the employer not to interfere when we are engaging the migrant domestic worker,” he added.
“And if we see that the employer’s presence is affecting the domestic worker, we may then request for the employers to maybe step aside, if necessary we may ask the domestic worker to come out of the house for us to engage her.”
Employers are informed of the visits about a week prior, and there have been “no issues” from the majority of employers so far.
“Once we explain the intended purpose employers are gladly obliged for the visits to take place. For those that have any issues, then we will actually understand their concern, and see how best to work with them to overcome them,” said Mr Tan.
“If in the event that they refuse (the visit), then we will actually ask them to bring their domestic workers down to MOM for the interview.”
In one case, a domestic worker highlighted that her employers were scolding her in a harsh manner, but the employers also praised her when she did well, said Mr Tan.
“When we come across such concerns, we actually talk to employers, resolve the misunderstanding, and then things turn out well,” he added.
There were also other instances where workers indicated that they had insufficient rest, and MOM officers clarified and addressed the situation with employers.
When a worker says she does not have sufficient rest, officers will work with the employer to understand her work schedule and work with them to make sure she is given enough rest, said Mr Li.
If the issue is “serious enough”, the case will be escalated for further investigation, he added. If signs of abuse are detected, the officers will call the police immediately.
Source: CNA/hw(cy)
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Maid employers may get house visits from MOM officers to check workers' living conditions
MOM officers visiting the home of a foreign domestic worker and her employer. (Photo: Ang Hwee Min)By Ang Hwee Min 26 Apr 2021 01:08PM (Updated: 26 Apr 2021 01:10PM )
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SINGAPORE: Employers of maids may receive visits from Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officers to check the maids' working and living conditions.
The ministry began conducting visits to randomly selected homes on Apr 5, and aims to visit about 200 homes a month “for a start”, said MOM's director of engagement Tan Shu Xiang.
“During these home visits, our MOM officers will actually be checking on the working and living environments of the migrant domestic workers, so as to ensure that they are well settled in,” he added.
"We also remind the employers and the domestic workers about safe working conditions, as well as information about channels to seek assistance from if required.”
In addition to home visits, the ministry plans to expand in-person interviews to all first-time maids by the end of this year, said Mr Tan.
The Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) aims to start by interviewing 2,000 maids a month. The centre has conducted in-person interviews with randomly selected first-time maids since 2017, typically three to six months after they start work, said MOM.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the interviews have been conducted via video calls, and CDE plans to resume in-person interviews in May.
The new measures will help the ministry to "respond promptly" to the workers' needs and allow it to address any issues and concerns they raise, said Mr Tan.
About 100 house visits have been conducted so far, Mr Tan said. “It's quite good that (for) the majority of this house, we don't really find any issues.”
Responding to questions about how the interviews at the house visits are conducted and whether the employers are present, Mr Tan said the objective is to “provide a conducive environment” for maids to raise their concerns.
“During the house visit officers will make sure that the domestic workers have the privacy and the space needed to surface any issues to us,” he added.
The MOM officers do not stop employers from listening in on the interview, said Mr Li Junjie, senior assistant director of enforcement planning at the ministry.
“But what we want is for the employer not to interfere when we are engaging the migrant domestic worker,” he added.
“And if we see that the employer’s presence is affecting the domestic worker, we may then request for the employers to maybe step aside, if necessary we may ask the domestic worker to come out of the house for us to engage her.”
Employers are informed of the visits about a week prior, and there have been “no issues” from the majority of employers so far.
“Once we explain the intended purpose employers are gladly obliged for the visits to take place. For those that have any issues, then we will actually understand their concern, and see how best to work with them to overcome them,” said Mr Tan.
“If in the event that they refuse (the visit), then we will actually ask them to bring their domestic workers down to MOM for the interview.”
In one case, a domestic worker highlighted that her employers were scolding her in a harsh manner, but the employers also praised her when she did well, said Mr Tan.
“When we come across such concerns, we actually talk to employers, resolve the misunderstanding, and then things turn out well,” he added.
There were also other instances where workers indicated that they had insufficient rest, and MOM officers clarified and addressed the situation with employers.
When a worker says she does not have sufficient rest, officers will work with the employer to understand her work schedule and work with them to make sure she is given enough rest, said Mr Li.
If the issue is “serious enough”, the case will be escalated for further investigation, he added. If signs of abuse are detected, the officers will call the police immediately.
Source: CNA/hw(cy)
Continue reading...