Some 190,000 maids in Singapore will get better medical and salary protection from January under the news rules announced by the ministry on Friday. -- PHOTO: TNP
THE higher medical insurance coverage for maids, which will be required from Jan 1, will help employers cope with medical bills if their domestic help falls sick or is injured, said the Ministry of Manpower.
For example, a maid, who was trying to retrieve a rag fell out of the window accidentally in July. She suffered spinal injuries and broke her leg.
The medical bill came to $30,000 and the employer had to pay the remaining $25,000 in installments to the hospital as it was not covered by the insurers.
Currently, employers pay about $190 a year in premiums for their maids' medical insurance.
MOM is also introducing a change in January aimed at giving responsible employers some respite if they make the effort to look for their maids who run away.
Some 190,000 maids in Singapore will get better medical and salary protection from January under the news rules announced by the ministry on Friday.
MOM will also come down harder on errant employers who do not pay their maids their salaries. On top of facing a jail and/or fine, they risk losing their $5,000 security deposit.
Worker welfare organisations applauded the new moves, saying it's a good step in the right direction to protect maids' rights and forfeiting the $5,000 security deposit was a heavy deterrent.
Having increased medical coverage for maids was a good move too, they added, noting that some have come across cases of maids not getting the medical attention they need or being repatriated because employers do not want to foot medical bills.
New rules benefit bosses too
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