Helper pregnant in Singapore: MOM's rules and what to do next

If your helper is pregnant, MOM's Work Permit rules mean she usually can't keep working in Singapore. The exception is a helper already married to a Singapore citizen or PR, with MOM's approval. Your part: tell MOM, keep paying her salary and medical bills, and fly her home at your cost. Her pregnancy won't cost you your security bond if you can show two things. You told her the rules, and you reported the pregnancy when you first knew.

What to do when your helper is pregnant, step by step

1. Talk to her privately and listen first. Ask Jaya, MOM's advice column for employers, says an open, kind conversation helps most here.
2. Book a clinic visit to confirm it, as Ask Jaya suggests. Her medical treatment is your cost under MOM's rules. Ask the doctor for a memo.
3. Check whether she's married to a Singapore citizen or PR with MOM's approval. If she is, the pregnancy rule doesn't apply to her.
4. Tell MOM. If it came up at her six-monthly medical exam, the clinic tells MOM. If not, MOM says you update it and upload the doctor's memo. The link is on its notify MOM page.
5. Follow MOM's instructions. MOM says it contacts the employer within 7 working days of getting the medical results. The Work Pass regulations say you apply to cancel her Work Permit if MOM requires it.
6. Agree her last day of work with her, then plan your baby's care around it. MOM says she can't work once her permit is cancelled, even while she waits to fly.
7. Keep paying her salary within 7 days after each salary period, as the regulations require. Settle everything you owe her before she leaves.
8. Put her travel plan in writing. MOM wants a written agreement on her flights, layovers and transit allowance. Agree it before you buy the ticket.
9. Cancel her Work Permit in MOM's FDW eService within 1 week after her last day of work. MOM's cancellation page has the steps. Print the Special Pass for her. Her flight must leave within 2 weeks of the cancellation.

What MOM's rule says

MOM's rule sits in the Work Pass regulations, published as its conditions of Work Permits. For a migrant domestic worker (MDW), it says she "shall not become pregnant or deliver any child in Singapore". It applies during her permit and after it. The exception covers a helper who's already married to a Singapore citizen or PR with MOM's approval. MOM can also allow it in a particular case.

The same rules say she can't marry a Singapore citizen or PR without MOM's approval first. That matters if the baby's father is a citizen or PR and they plan to marry.

Her six-monthly medical exam, the 6ME, screens for pregnancy and infectious diseases. You pay for it and for any medical costs that come out of it. MOM says employers shouldn't be in the room during the exam. Helpers aged 50 and above skip the 6ME. If she doesn't pass it, MOM says you must cancel her Work Permit and send her home immediately.

Your security bond and her pregnancy

You put up a $5,000 security bond for every helper who isn't Malaysian. MOM can forfeit it if you or your helper break the Work Permit or bond conditions. Under the rules, the pregnancy counts as her breach, not yours.

MOM's bond page spells out your side. You won't be liable for her pregnancy-related breach if you can prove two things. First, that you told her the Work Permit conditions she must follow. Second, that you reported the breach when you first knew about it.

Keep dated proof of both. Note when you went through the conditions with her, and when you told MOM. The bond is at risk if you don't send her home once her permit is cancelled. With everything in order, it's usually discharged one week after she leaves Singapore. Our helper insurance and bond guide covers the rest of the bond rules.

Deadlines at a glance

Her levy is charged until 1 day before the cancellation. Our maid levy calculator works out what you pay each month.

Her last working day is also your last day of help at home. Our guide to infant care vs helper vs grandparents compares the options. You can also compare infant care costs with other care. For chores, MOM points families to part-time household services. Our part-time helper guide explains how they work. For another live-in helper, start with our guide to hiring a helper in Singapore.

Her care and costs until she flies

Your duties carry on until she leaves Singapore. Under the Work Pass regulations, her upkeep is yours. That covers adequate food and medical treatment. The rules repeat it for the days before she's sent home. Ask Jaya adds that her medical insurance doesn't cover pregnancy costs, so those bills are yours.

Take her to a GP or polyclinic for her check-ups, and keep the receipts. Questions about her health go to her doctor.

MOM asks you to check the airline's health rules for boarding before you book. With a pregnancy, ask the airline early, and get any memo it needs from her doctor. The ticket must include check-in luggage. You also pay all connecting transport to the port nearest her hometown. Our guide to sending a helper home or transferring her covers the rest of MOM's steps.

Talking it through with your helper

She may be worried about her job, her family and the trip home. Tell her what happens next in plain words, and give her time and privacy to call home. Her pregnancy is her own matter, so let her share only what she wants to share.

A few lines that help:

• "Thank you for telling me. Let's see a doctor this week, and I'll pay for it."
• "MOM's rules mean you can't keep working here. I'll pay your salary to your last day, and your flight home."
• "Let's pick your last day together. I'll write down the flight and transit plan, and we'll both sign it."

If she tells you someone forced or hurt her, her safety comes first. Call the police, and help her call MOM's MDW Helpline on 1800 339 5505. Our family violence help guide lists who else to call. For everyday conversations with a helper, see our guide to managing a domestic helper.

When to call MOM

• No word from MOM within 7 working days of her medical results? Call MOM's enquiries line on 6438 5122, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm (MOM).
• Can't agree with her on the salary owed, her last day or her flight? Call the Centre for Domestic Employees on 1800 225 5233. MOM lists it as open 24 hours.
• She wants to speak to MOM herself: the MDW Helpline is 1800 339 5505, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm (MOM).
• She says she was forced or hurt, or she's in danger: call the police first. Then call MOM's MDW Helpline.
• She feels unwell or has questions about the pregnancy: take her to a GP or polyclinic. Her medical treatment is your cost under MOM's rules.

Frequently asked questions

Can a pregnant helper keep working in Singapore?

Usually not. Under MOM's Work Permit conditions, she can't be pregnant or give birth in Singapore. That applies during her permit and after it. The exception is a helper already married to a Singapore citizen or PR with MOM's approval. Ask Jaya says that once a test is positive, she would have to return home.

My maid is pregnant: what should I do first?

Talk to her privately first. Then take her to a clinic to confirm it, and ask for a doctor's memo. If her six-monthly exam didn't pick it up, update MOM and upload the memo. MOM will contact you within 7 working days of the results.

What happens to an MDW's work permit if she's pregnant?

You inform MOM. The Work Pass regulations then say you apply to cancel it if MOM requires that. If she failed her six-monthly exam, MOM says you must cancel her Work Permit and send her home immediately. Once it's cancelled, she can't work, even while she waits to fly.

Will I lose my security bond if my helper is pregnant?

Not for the pregnancy itself, if you can prove two things. You told her the Work Permit conditions, and you reported it when you first knew. MOM can still forfeit the $5,000 bond if you don't send her home after the permit is cancelled. With everything in order, it's usually discharged a week after she leaves.

Who pays for my helper's pregnancy medical bills?

You do. MOM's rules make the employer responsible for her medical treatment. Ask Jaya notes her medical insurance doesn't cover pregnancy costs. You also pay for her flight home, with check-in luggage.

What if the father is a Singapore citizen or PR?

If she's already married to him with MOM's approval, the pregnancy rule doesn't apply. If they aren't married, she needs MOM's approval before they marry. Tell MOM about the pregnancy in the meantime, as for any helper.