How Many Hours Is My Maid’s Off-Day?

To ensure that your maid gets enough mental and physical rest, MOM recommends that you should allow her to have one regular rest day per week.

However if your maid expressly agrees to work on her rest days, you as an employer must compensate her with at least one day’s salary.

Many employers ask, how do I calculate one day’s salary for compensation-in-lieu of working on her rest day? Simply divide your helper’s monthly basic salary by 26 days and that is the per day salary that has to be compensated to her.

Should your maid choose to take rest days, what are the issues to be discussed before she goes for her rest day?

Things to mutually agree on for your Maid’s Off Days:

1. Which day of the week is your Maid’s Rest Day?
   
   Her rest day does not necessarily have to fall on a Sunday.
   
   Work out a schedule that works for both you and her plans, and come to an agreement which day of the week will be her regular rest day.
2. What time will my Maid leave the house for her rest day, and what time will she reach home from her rest day?
   
   Although there is no definite rule, MOM recommends that your helper get sufficient time to rest (i.e. 8 hours consecutively). This is to ensure sufficient recuperation from her job and work.
3. How will she spend her rest day?
   
   If your maid has decided to rest at home, she is not allowed to work.
   
   If your maid has decided to go out, she is also free to spend the rest day as she pleases.
   
   However, a word of caution that she is not allowed to moonlight in any way as it is against the regulations in Singapore.

Remember: to avoid disputes between you and your maid, it is also highly recommended to have her off-day agreement in writing.

For the first time that she leaves your house for her first off day, you might want to give her clear directions on how she might get to her destination, and how she might get back to your house.

This is to help her to settle and familiarise herself as she might be new to transport around Singapore or your residence. This will also help her to better plan her rest day and reach home on the agreed time that she mentioned she would be returning from her rest day.