Glossary: Hiring a Domestic Helper in Singapore
The words you meet when hiring a domestic helper in Singapore, explained simply by We Are Caring: from work permits, levies and security bonds to the Philippine and Indonesian documents helpers need. Each term links to the page that explains it in full.
| Term | Meaning | More |
|---|---|---|
| B Corp (Certified B Corporation) | A company certified by B Lab for high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. We Are Caring has been certified since January 2023. | Certifications |
| CDE (Centre for Domestic Employees) | A Singapore organisation supporting domestic workers, with a 24-hour helpline: 1800 2255 233. | Your rights |
| Consent to transfer | An online form in which a helper's current employer agrees to let her look for a new employer through We Are Caring, and gives her release date. Free for both. | Consent to transfer |
| Debt-free (zero-fee) recruitment | Hiring in which the helper pays nothing to get the job: no placement fee, no loan, no salary deduction. | Ethical hiring |
| DMW (Department of Migrant Workers) | The Philippine government department for overseas Filipino workers, formerly the POEA. | Home leave |
| EA licence | The licence to operate an employment agency, issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). We Are Caring's is 15C7788. | Certifications |
| EA personnel registration number | The number of a staff member registered with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to do employment agency work. We show it next to every staff member's name. | Team |
| Employers' Orientation Programme (EOP) | The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) course that first-time employers of a helper must complete. | Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requirements |
| e-Visa (Hong Kong) | The electronic visa issued by Hong Kong's Immigration Department. It is activated when the helper clears immigration on arrival. | Moving to Hong Kong |
| FIN | The Foreign Identification Number on a foreigner's pass in Singapore, including a helper's work permit. | — |
| Find Jobs app | We Are Caring's free app for helpers, to apply for jobs and talk to families. | Find a job |
| Hire Helper app | We Are Caring's app for families, to browse candidates, post a job ad and contact helpers. | How it works |
| In-principle approval (IPA) | The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) letter approving a work permit application before the permit is issued. A helper from abroad travels with it. | — |
| IRIS | The International Recruitment Integrity System of the International Organization for Migration (IOM): an ethical recruitment standard and certification. | Ethical hiring |
| Levy | A monthly fee the employer pays the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for each helper: S$300 for a first helper, S$450 for each additional one. | Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requirements |
| Levy concession | A reduced levy of S$60 a month, for households with an eligible child, elderly person or person with disability. | Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requirements |
| Maid insurance | The insurance every employer must buy for a helper: medical and personal accident cover, usually with the security bond guarantee. | Costs |
| MDW / FDW | Migrant domestic worker, or foreign domestic worker: the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) terms for a helper. | — |
| MWO (Migrant Workers Office) | The Philippine government office, inside the embassy or consulate, that handles Filipino workers' contracts and welfare. | Home leave |
| NRIC | The identity card of Singapore citizens and permanent residents. | — |
| OEC (Overseas Employment Certificate) | The Philippine document a Filipino worker needs to leave the Philippines to work abroad. A worker returning to the same employer can often get an OEC exemption instead. | Home leave |
| OWWA | The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, a Philippine agency. Membership is renewed every two years. | Home leave |
| PDPA | Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act 2012, which governs how personal data is collected and used. | Privacy |
| Placement fee | A fee charged to a helper to get a job. Singapore allows up to two months of her salary; We Are Caring charges none. | Ethical hiring |
| Release date | The date from which a helper's current employer lets her transfer to a new employer. | Transfer helper |
| Replacement guarantee | Our promise to find a family a new helper, with no service fee, if the employment ends within 2 months (extendable to 6). | Costs |
| Rest day | A helper's day off: one a week, with at least one a month that must be taken. | Your rights |
| Safety agreement | An agreement on safe working practices, signed by the employer and the helper before she starts. | Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requirements |
| Salary deduction | Part of a helper's salary withheld to repay agency fees. Helpers placed by We Are Caring have none. | Ethical hiring |
| Security bond | A S$5,000 bond for every non-Malaysian helper, usually covered by an insurer's letter of guarantee rather than paid in cash. | Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requirements |
| Settling-In Programme (SIP) | A Ministry of Manpower (MOM) programme for helpers starting their first job in Singapore. | Overseas helper |
| Starter, Premium and VIP passes | 30-day passes in the Hire Helper app: Starter for helpers abroad, Premium adds helpers in Singapore, VIP adds shortlists by our consultants. | How it works |
| Transfer helper | A helper already working in Singapore who is changing employer. | Transfer helper |
| Work permit | The pass that allows a helper to work in Singapore, for one named employer at one address. | Renewing a work permit |