MC in hand — follow a calm process map
Medical leave and MC: employer soft map (Singapore) is what to do after a migrant domestic worker (MDW) gets a medical certificate (MC) or needs medical leave. Who books the GP and ordinary illness care sits in Medical Treatment Responsibilities When Helper Is Ill. Emergencies sit in Emergency Procedures: Hospital and GP Visits. This page owns the leave / MC process after care is underway.
General guidance only. MOM: mom.gov.sg. SmartMaid.com.sg is a marketplace. Licensed EAs place helpers and support aftercare. Verify live leave / MC rules with MOM and your EA — this page does not invent day counts or fees.
Neighbouring hubs:
- Medical treatment when helper is ill
- Emergency hospital and GP visits
- When to loop the agency into early issues
- Insurance and security bond basics
- 6ME checklist
- Written house rules sheet
- MOM Work Pass steps overview
- This article: medical leave / MC process map
Step 1 — Capture the MC clearly
- Photo / copy of the MC (dates, clinic, rest instruction)
- Note any follow-up visit the doctor wrote
- Tell the co-employer the cover plan for kids / elderly / meals the same day
Do not argue diagnosis over WhatsApp. Clarifying questions go through the clinic / EA path your household uses.
Step 2 — Rest means rest
If the MC says she should rest, treat that as the plan for those dates. Do not “light duties only” unless the MC or clinic guidance clearly allows it. MOM welfare expectations apply — confirm live details on mom.gov.sg and with your EA.
Step 3 — Cover the household without punishing her
- Split must-do duties among co-employers / family for the MC window
- Pause non-urgent deep cleans
- Keep food / medication access simple if she is resting at home
House-rules sheets can note “how we handle sick days” at a high level (Creating a Simple Written House Rules Sheet) without inventing legal quotas.
Step 4 — Return-to-work handoff
On the day after the MC ends:
- Confirm she feels fit to resume (and any clinic follow-up)
- Re-brief only the top duties for that day — do not unload a guilt backlog
- If unfit or symptoms worsen, return to Medical Treatment Responsibilities When Helper Is Ill / Emergency Procedures: Hospital and GP Visits
Step 5 — When to loop the licensed EA
Loop early (When to Loop the Agency Into Early Issues) when:
- MC stretches repeatedly with no clear plan
- You need help reading insurance / claims process (Maid Insurance & Security Bond Singapore | Employer Guide) — no $ amounts here
- Either side wants advice on employment next steps under MOM rules
SmartMaid does not replace your EA.
MOM rules
. No invented MC day quotas. Confirm employment / welfare rules on mom.gov.sg and with your licensed EA. Emergencies: 995 / 999.
Checklist
- MC copied (dates + follow-up)
- Rest respected for MC dates
- Household cover plan set
- Return-to-work re-brief kept short
- EA loop criteria clear
Scripts
To helper: Thank you for the MC. Please rest for the dates written. We have cover for [kids/meals]. Tell us if you need the follow-up visit arranged.
To EA: Helper has MC from [date] to [date]. We are following rest instructions. Please advise if you need copies or if insurance steps apply — we will not invent deductions.
Bottom line
Treat MC dates as a process: document, rest, cover, return, escalate early if needed. Browse on SmartMaid; aftercare through a licensed EA under MOM rules.
