Keeping Passport & Work Permit

[sonnie]

I had a maid who worked for me until I stopped work then transferred her to another expat family as not necessary when I am now home all day. She is a very nice, honest , respectful person. I have had many maids overseas who where the complete opposite to her, but she is a good worker and very caring with my family. We stay in contact and every now and then talk on the phone just to say hello., birthday wishes etc. The new employer she has been with for about 5 months now and seemed to be going OK. The maid rang me tonight very upset saying the employer had demanded she give her passport & work permit. She gave it to them but after two days confronted them saying it is illegal to keep it. They said to her we pay your insurance we will keep it. The maid said my previous employer and all others had never done this. The maid said if you are unhappy with me or my work then just let me find another job. This maid would not runaway, it is the last thing she would do unless she was abused or felt threatened. She is very confidential person and even in our conversations occasionally just to check how we are going she never talks about the family she works for, except in this incidence she said I just need to talk to someone. She has resigned as she said to me that she feels they don't trust her and it is illegal to do this. Is this common practice in singapore, I think it is wrong, what grounds does she have except find another job?

[sundaymorningstaple]

If that is all she's complaining about then her employer isn't all that bad. (I'm being facetious) Have a search of there threads here to see some of the horror stories how maids are treated here by some here in Singapore.