She mentions it over dinner prep: her mother’s turning seventy, and she’d like to be there. Suddenly you’re working out four things at once, whether she’s entitled to the trip, who buys the ticket, whether she’s paid while she’s gone, and what happens to the levy in the meantime. Singapore’s rules cover some of that and leave the rest to you.
A foreign domestic worker is entitled to home leave at least once every two years, and to a weekly rest day with at least one un-compensatable rest day a month. Airfare and pay during home leave are set by your written agreement, so put them in the contract.
The Ministry of Manpower sets the floor. Everything above it’s what you and your helper agree, in writing.
Home leave
Under MOM rules, an employer must grant a foreign domestic worker home leave at least once every two years of continuous employment. There’s no fixed length set by MOM, but the common practice is 14 to 21 days, usually taken between the end of one Work Permit period and the start of the next, or on completion of a contract. It gives the helper time with her family and is part of treating a live-in employee fairly.
Who pays for the flight, and pay while away
This is the part employers most often get wrong by assuming. MOM’s position is that airfare and whether home leave is paid are matters for you and your helper to agree and record in the employment contract, not fixed rules. In practice most employers cover the return airfare to the helper’s home country, and home leave is commonly unpaid, though some employers choose to pay part or all of it. What matters is that it’s agreed in writing before it happens, so there’s no dispute later.
Budget for the flight the way you budgeted for the placement fee and the levy. If you’re still weighing up whether live-in help makes financial sense, our breakdown of the real cost of hiring a helper is worth reading before you sign anything.
Two related points. If your helper doesn’t take home leave and you both agree she’ll continue working, that’s allowed, but she doesn’t lose the entitlement, and it’s good practice to compensate for a foregone trip. And when she does travel, agree the dates and the return in advance so the Work Permit and insurance line up.
Rest days
Separate from home leave, and more frequent, is the weekly rest day. Every foreign domestic worker is entitled to one rest day a week, on a day you both agree. Since 1 January 2023, at least one rest day a month must be taken and can’t be compensated away with pay, so a helper must get at least one actual day off each month. The other weekly rest days can, by mutual written agreement, be swapped for a day’s pay, at a rate of at least a day’s salary.
The levy and other basics
The monthly foreign domestic worker levy is payable while the Work Permit is valid. If your helper goes on overseas home leave for a stretch, you may be eligible for a levy waiver for that period, applied for through MOM, since she isn’t working here during it. Beyond leave, employers are also responsible for the helper’s upkeep: proper accommodation and rest, adequate food, medical care and insurance, safe working conditions, and prompt payment of salary. These are conditions of the Work Permit, not extras.
Doing it well
- Put it in writing. Home leave frequency and length, who pays the airfare, whether it’s paid, and the rest-day arrangement all belong in the contract or a written agreement.
- Plan the trip together. Agree dates early so it doesn’t clash with a family holiday or a Work Permit renewal.
- Apply for the levy waiver if she’ll be away long enough to qualify.
- Keep the monthly rest day genuine. A helper who never gets a day off is both against the rules and a false economy in the end.
- Treat it as you’d want to be treated. A helper who feels fairly treated stays, and continuity is worth a great deal in a household with children.
Those three weeks she’s away still need covering, so think it through early. Some families lean on grandparents, some look at childcare subsidies for working and non-working mothers to bridge a short stretch of centre-based care, and some make use of flexible work requests so one parent is home at pickup time.
Common questions
Is a domestic helper entitled to home leave in Singapore?
Yes. MOM requires employers to grant home leave at least once every two years of continuous employment. The length isn’t fixed, but 14 to 21 days is common.
Who pays for a helper’s home leave airfare?
It’s decided by mutual agreement and should be recorded in the contract. In practice most employers pay the return airfare to the helper’s home country.
Is home leave paid?
That’s also for you and your helper to agree in writing. Home leave is commonly unpaid, though some employers choose to pay some or all of it.
How many rest days does a domestic helper get?
One a week, on a mutually agreed day. Since January 2023, at least one rest day a month must be an actual day off and can’t be compensated with pay.
Can I get a levy waiver when my helper is on home leave?
You may be eligible for a levy waiver for the period she is overseas on home leave, applied for through MOM.
What are an employer’s basic duties to a helper?
Proper accommodation and rest, adequate food, medical care and insurance, safe working conditions, timely salary, the weekly rest day, and home leave. These are Work Permit conditions.
Before she books the ticket
Get the terms down on paper while everyone is calm and nobody is upset: the trip every two years, who buys the flight, whether the weeks away are paid, and which day of the week is hers. Then apply for the levy waiver, mark the return date on the family calendar, and let her go. The woman who helps raise your children has her own mother waiting at an airport somewhere, and remembering that costs you nothing.
More for employers of helpers
Entitlements are from the Ministry of Manpower’s rules for foreign domestic workers, current for 2026. Confirm the latest details and levy waiver eligibility on the MOM website.
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