FAQs ON WEEKLY REST DAYS FOR FOREIGN DOMESTIC ...

may approach their EA for advice, or either party may choose to
terminate their contract with sufficient notice and find a different match
that better suits their needs.
• Employers and FDWs should be mindful that the purpose of a weekly rest
day is to allow FDWs to have a regular mental and emotional break from
their duties. This will enable them to work safely, be more productive,
and help employers reduce downstream management problems.
7. Must the FDW’s rest day fall on a Sunday?
• No. We intend to allow employers and FDWs to mutually agree which
day of the week they want the rest day to fall on. To avoid disputes,
employers and FDWs may wish to agree in writing on a fixed day of the
week as the rest day.
- We intend to allow employers to compensate FDWs with a
replacement rest day within the month if FDWs opt for compensation
in-lieu of a rest day.
8. How will the rate of compensation in-lieu for a weekly rest day be
calculated for FDWs? Will I be allowed to pay my FDW $20
compensation in-lieu per month to forgo all of her rest days?
• FDWs will be entitled to a weekly rest day.
• If the employer and FDW mutually agree to opt for compensation in-lieu,
the compensation rate must at least be the FDW’s daily wage for each rest
day. This is payable on top of her monthly salary.
• The FDW’s daily wage is calculated by dividing her monthly salary by 26
working days.
9. My new FDW has never been out of her country before. Will I be
allowed to refrain from giving her rest days until she has properly
adapted to life in Singapore, or after she finishes paying off her loans?
• Under the proposed amendments to the Employment of Foreign
Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations (EFMR), the employer and FDW
can mutually agree in writing to opt for compensation in-lieu up to a
certain date when the FDW has settled-in or has paid off her loan.