Your helper should understand what she signs. MOM requires the safety agreement to be in her native language, and her in-principle approval letter comes in English and her native language. The employment contract has no fixed MOM language rule, but MOM says its terms must be mutually agreed. So when you sign, use a translated version or an interpreter she trusts, go through salary, rest days, loan and notice terms one by one, and give her a copy.
Documents and their language
- Safety agreement: must be signed by you, her and the agency. Her copy is in English plus her native language: Bahasa Indonesia, Burmese, Khmer, Sinhalese, Tagalog, Tamil or Thai. Source: Contracts and safety agreement.
- IPA letter: in English and her native language. It states her salary, number of rest days and employer name. Source: MOM: Eight steps to hiring a helper.
- Employment contract: encouraged by MOM, with terms agreed by both of you. Your agency can draft it.
How to run the signing
- Get the translated version in advance, or arrange an interpreter. Ask your agency what it offers in her language.
- Go clause by clause. MOM suggests contracts cover salary, placement loan, rest days per month, compensation for rest days worked, notice period, and pay in lieu of notice.
- Check the numbers match the IPA, especially salary and rest days.
- Ask her to explain key terms back in her own words.
- Give her a signed copy and keep yours. MOM says each party keeps a copy of the safety agreement.
Why it matters later
- Cutting her salary later needs her written consent, and she must understand what she is agreeing to.
- MOM encourages a contract to avoid disputes. That only works if she understood the terms when she signed.
Related guides
- Standard employment contract: what each clause means
- Where employers sign and store contract copies
- Communication plans for non-English speaking helpers
This is a practical guide, not MOM. Rules and fees change, so confirm the current position on mom.gov.sg before you act. Last reviewed: 11 October 2026.
