“You Are Here To Work, Not Relax!”

Domestic workers are legally entitled to"adequate rest" under the law—but what does this actually mean? 

Ria,* a migrant domestic worker (MDW), shared her gruelling daily schedule with us. Her work day begins at 5.30am—which means she will likely have to get up earlier—and ends past 11pm. On top of her daily chores, she is also assigned weekly tasks on designated days, further eroding what little rest time she may have. 

Unsurprisingly, Ria described herself as perpetually exhausted as she was required to adhere to the schedule strictly. Even  her rest day, which she was granted only once a month, was hardly restful. She could only leave the house at 10am after completing chores and had to return by 4pm to resume chores. 

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has said that legislating working hours of MDWs is  “not practical”, citing the need for household flexibility. However, this flexibility comes at a significant cost to MDWs’ well-being. Overwork remains one of the most frequent complaints reported by MDWs residing at HOME’s shelter. Requests for shorter working hours are often dismissed with retorts like, “You are here to work, not relax!”. MDWs with caregiving duties face even harsher conditions: they may have to tend to their care recipient’s toileting needs or medication schedule during the night, resulting in interrupted sleep and almost round-the-clock work.  

For MDWs who report overwork, recourse is rare: the absence of a clear definition of “adequate rest” and their exclusion from the Employment Act—which limits working hours for other workers—leave them vulnerable. Employers of overworked MDWs retain the power to repatriate them even when many of them wish to continue working under fairer conditions. 

Adequate rest is crucial for live-in domestic workers, whose roles are physically and emotionally demanding. HOME strongly advocates for MDWs to be included in the Employment Act, ensuring limits on their working hours. Rest days must also be weekly, and defined as 24 continuous hours to protect the health and dignity of these essential workers.

*Name changed to preserve anonymity