Rest day agreement with your helper: a simple template for Singapore homes
Rest day misunderstandings usually start small: she thought Sunday started at 7, you thought 9; you asked her to "help a bit" before going out and she didn't feel she could say no. A one-page agreement you both sign and keep a copy of fixes most of it.
The rules come from MOM, not from us. MOM's page says: Your MDW is entitled to one rest day per week. You and your MDW must mutually agree on which day of the week she should take the rest day.
Read the full page, including what applies if she agrees to work on a rest day, at mom.gov.sg, and follow it over anything below.
What to write down
Employer: ________ Helper: ________ Date agreed: ________
1. Her weekly rest day is: ________ (agreed together)
2. Rest day starts at ____ and ends at ____ (the day before and after are normal working days)
3. Before she leaves, no tasks are given. If something is truly urgent, we ask; she may say no.
4. If she chooses to stay home, her rest day is still her rest day.
5. If she agrees to work on a rest day, we record it below and follow MOM's rules for it.
6. How she lets us know she's on her way back: ________ (a message, not a curfew)
7. To change the day, either of us asks at least ____ days ahead and we agree together.
Signed: ________ (employer) ________ (helper)
Keep a monthly record
A simple table on the fridge or in a shared note: date, rest day taken (yes / worked by agreement), and both initials. It protects both of you if anyone remembers differently later.
Agree it, don't announce it
Sit down together, go through each line, and let her fill in the parts that are hers. If her English is still new, give her the agreement in her own language beside the English so she knows exactly what she is signing.
Free and paid help
Our free first-week checklist includes agreeing the rest day. If you'd like your house rules, routine and rest day arrangement written up in English plus Tagalog, Bahasa Indonesia or Burmese, see the sample handbook.
You will have to send a first-time migrant domestic worker (MDW) for the Settling-in Programme within 7 days of her arrival in Singapore excluding Sunday and public holidays.Source: mom.gov.sg, Settling-in Programme. The handbook is a home guide. It does not replace the SIP or give legal advice.