Call TWC2, or HOME - or pm me .. I can refer somebody who helps similiar cases, and is connected to Home as wellquasarddr wrote:Hi all - We took a helper in last night who was locked out of her employer's condo. This is just another one of those shameful stories! The lady has not been paid in 5 months. Throughout her 8-months employment, she got a total of S$1,000. She never gets a day off, her simcard was taken away from her, and she has not been able to contact her family in months. When she finally asked to have one day off yesterday (Sunday), the employer told her she has to stay on the premises. So the helper spent all day in the lobby area and now is not allowed back in. She called them via my helper's phone, she rings the doorbell from below, no one answers.
She didn't take a key for fear that if something goes missing in the house, she will be blamed. We took her in at 1am so she can sleep.
What are our options here? I don't want to go to the MOM because we experienced before how even the MOM doesn't care and has no issues sending someone home. In fact, they told another helper "if you just go quietly and not press charges, maybe we let you back in later". This was a situation involving an overcrowded apartment, no time off, and no ability to send money home. When she finally tried to send money to her family, she was locked out. MOM did nothing to help. It was absolutely sickening!
Can anyone tell me how to protect this helper and get her the money she earned? Although she keeps calling the home, we are worried the employer will just report her as a runway and deport her back to the Philippines.
Thanks for your advice!!!
No, Forum admin will not reveal this.quasarddr wrote:Is there another way you can get me the contact at HOME? Can you get to my email address as forum administrator?
Well, I am not condoning what happens for maid recruitment, but as said, more than partly, their own country law is such that allows the system to work .. so .... not our place to pass the blame on the employer.quasarddr wrote:It's probably pointless to discuss this "loan" perception but, to me, this is the cost of doing business for hiring a helper. To say: "come here but work 5 months for free" is despicable!
Not for me to judge there .. I don't know what happened so I will not be able to understand the situation.quasarddr wrote:In any case, the information I got last night was that the helper was paid once in January. That's when she got S$1,000 for three months of work. She has not gotten a penny since.
Time off if under the previous MOM law, it was limited to once a month. If under the new law, yes, then she would have been entitled to once a week. Though when I read the terms in my friend's agency, there is some ambiguity that some may exploit.quasarddr wrote: Not getting paid is one thing but not giving any time off is clearly a violation. For MOM to do nothing and to potentially aid in sending this lady home with almost nothing after 8 months of service, is enabling involuntary servitude and only legitimizes such egregious behavior by some families!
Ecu, you can send her PM but she is only unable to reply to you via PM.ecureilx wrote:Do contact this number, 6836 5676
This is their shelter contact number
Unless you have PM, I cannot refer anybody in Home/TWC2 who can personally advice
oops .. forgot that part.the lynx wrote:Ecu, you can send her PM but she is only unable to reply to you via PM.ecureilx wrote:Do contact this number, 6836 5676
This is their shelter contact number
Unless you have PM, I cannot refer anybody in Home/TWC2 who can personally advice
Most likely, she will not be able to come back to Singapore, as unfortunately it is easier for an employer to blacklist a WP holder than the other way around. Hence joining a nicer family maybe out .. Maybe heading to HK or so maybe a better alternate.quasarddr wrote:Thanks all! I appreciate your advice! I called HOME and we sent her over. I also since found out that she has worked for that employer for 18 months, just just 8. S$1,000 in 18 months...
HOME said the employer will probably not release and she may have to be sent home unless they can force release based on violation of the law. I hope HOME will fight for her and force release based on no time off and the S$55.56 in monthly income this lady seems to average so she can get the money that was owed to her and get a chance to join a nicer family.
It's a cruel world if no one cares!
That's very commendable of you to go out of your way for this poor woman!quasarddr wrote:Thanks all! I appreciate your advice! I called HOME and we sent her over. I also since found out that she has worked for that employer for 18 months, just just 8. S$1,000 in 18 months...
HOME said the employer will probably not release and she may have to be sent home unless they can force release based on violation of the law. I hope HOME will fight for her and force release based on no time off and the S$55.56 in monthly income this lady seems to average so she can get the money that was owed to her and get a chance to join a nicer family.
It's a cruel world if no one cares!
How fast does this 'banning' happen ??morenangpinay wrote:it would help if she reports the manpower agency that contracted her. the philippine manpower agent will be banned from doing placements. Unfortunately, the singapore side, we cant do anything as there is no protection against them. business first in singapore you know.
Why the Ph manpower agent will be banned?morenangpinay wrote:it would help if she reports the manpower agency that contracted her. the philippine manpower agent will be banned from doing placements. Unfortunately, the singapore side, we cant do anything as there is no protection against them. business first in singapore you know.
well, the PH agent maybe banned, if he didn't make use of the hundred and one ways allowing them to legally rip off the maid (like legally charge 1 month placement fee, legally charge another month for medical, legally charge 1 month for the orientation .. etc. etc. ... ) though some of the costs that have to be paid by somebody, like compulsory Mandarin trainnig for maids coming to Singapore, even if the maid is going to work for a non-chinese family etc ... are ridiculousx9200 wrote:Why the Ph manpower agent will be banned?morenangpinay wrote:it would help if she reports the manpower agency that contracted her. the philippine manpower agent will be banned from doing placements. Unfortunately, the singapore side, we cant do anything as there is no protection against them. business first in singapore you know.
the ph agent will be banned or be listed as violators in the Philippines even the agents in Singapore I believe will be banned by the philippine government if there is evidence. If the employer did not follow the rules as stated in the original contract (meaning the one submitted for verification by the philippine gov. in the philippines) then they will be charged with illegal recruitment. the penalty for illegal recruitment is 6 years to life. This is why it is hard to directly employ filipino domestic workers, those directly coming from the philippines because its expensive (the original terms are the employer must handle all cost including travel, board and lodging and the agent may only deduct 1 month of salary from the worker).x9200 wrote:Why the Ph manpower agent will be banned?morenangpinay wrote:it would help if she reports the manpower agency that contracted her. the philippine manpower agent will be banned from doing placements. Unfortunately, the singapore side, we cant do anything as there is no protection against them. business first in singapore you know.
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