what to do if helper pregnant; advice needed

[oh man]

Posting this on this forum as I know many parents will offer level headed advice I hope!
What is standard protocol (if that is correct term in this situation)?

[Put her on a plane]

Posting this on this forum as I know many parents will offer level headed advice I hope!
What is standard protocol (if that is correct term in this situation)?

Get her on a flight home and terminate her work permit before she has to have her next 6 month medical.

[no choice im afraid]

Next flight home. This isn't opinion, you are legally obliged to repatriate her. Her permit is on condition she doesn't get pregnant.

[buninoven]

I know someone who had a maid who got pregnant and when they told the MOM, she was on a flight home that same day!

But I did read that the laws had changed so I'd go and check the MOM website if I were you and find out or email/ring them if it doesn't say on the site.

[Options]

True - according to the terms of her work permit here she is not permitted to become pregnant.  If she does, your legal obligation is to repatriate her.  

Of course the reality it that many maids do become pregnant and choose to terminate their pregnancies.  Abortion on demand is the norm in Singapore and the cost is relatively low at around $800.  How this solution would work out for you and your maid is of course up to your personal circumstances and conscience.

[Work?]

Can they not work for the first six months or so and then be sent home or does it have to be immediately?

[happened to us]

Our maid got pregnant after living with us for around 4 years.  It was an ectopic pregnancy and she needed surgery and hospital care.  I was given strict instructions by the doctor at the hospital to inform the authorities at once and by not doing so I was breaking the law.  He was unable to do so due to patient/ doctor confidentiality he said.  I also add that she was treated in the hospital like dirt.  I sat with her during her time there, staff were very cold and unfeeling.  Which frankly I thought was a bit rich considering I was paying the bills and wasn't right that they could pick and chose to whom they could be caring and who they didn't like.  They were there to do a job no matter who that person was.

I saw it like this.  Firstly a traumatic thing happens knowing that it's against the rules and repatriation home to a family who is likely to disown her.  Then the seriousness of the ectopic pregnancy and the care needed afterwards, the last thing needed was being escorted without any feeling on to a plane in a cold and callous way.  It wasn't a decision that I could rush into and needed time to re access the situation and not make a knee jerk one.

As a family, we liked her, we all make mistakes and I was prepared to give her another chance, MOM or no MOM.  We let her stay with us and she was with us for another 5 years, no problems, all happy, until at the end of her last contract she decided it was the time to go home and make a life from the money she had saved while working here.  She is still in regular contact and is now married.

I have no quibbles or qualms what we did under those particular circumstances.  Of course, not everybody's situation is the same.

If this is happening in your house, the best of luck, it is stressful but I hope it all works out.

[nice one]

As a family, we liked her, we all make mistakes and I was prepared to give her another chance, MOM or no MOM.  We let her stay with us and she was with us for another 5 years, no problems, all happy, until at the end of her last contract she decided it was the time to go home and make a life from the money she had saved while working here.  She is still in regular contact and is now married.

Well done  - I'm glad it all worked out in the end and you were glad you made the decision you did.  You're right, mistakes happen.

It's amazing the rubbish treatment that maids get here.  Imagine announcing at work that you were expecting a happy event and being rushed out the door before you'd even passed the cakes around 

I think the gov here do this because they're worried about the new arrival becoming a citizen.......at least that is what I always assumed and it's the only reason I can think of that would make them act the way they do.

[Not citizens]

I doubt it's the worry about a maid's child becoming a citizen given I don't think Singapore has any provision for babies born here becoming automatic citizens like some countries do. Every expat I know here who has had a baby here says the birth certificates have 'Not a Singapore Citizen' written all over it.  It's probably more to do with the concern about who is going to pay for the care of the child given your average maid's salary is very low and then couple that with the fact that she lives in a tiny room in someone else's house - the reasons they don't want these women giving birth here start to become a little more obvious.

[vistula]

plus it would bode well with racial and educational harmony they are going after :-)

[Bills]

I agree with Not citizens - babies born here are not automatic citizens. It might be to do with the medical bills. Having a baby here is very expensive if you are not insured and it's not just the actual costs of delivery but also all the prenatal and post natal care.

Can they not work for the first six months or so and then be sent home or does it have to be immediately?

Who would pay the medical bills during those first 6 months?

[NMS1]

I think I read somewhere that she is not allowed to give birth here so technically you do not have to inform MOM immediately. If her medical is not due for a while you can use some time to find a replacement before putting her on a plane home.

If you have a good relationship with her and want to help her out, you might want to get her checked out by a doctor here before she goes to make sure everything is OK.

If she send her home without informing MOM i.e. just cancel her work permit she would be able to come back and work here again in the future if she wants.

[Terminate]

Fire the hussy and get a maid. That's one of the risks with having helpers.

[My kids not citizens...]

Also, babies born here are not automatic citizens might be because otherwise Singapore would have a lot of pregnant women from neighbouring contries delivering here...

[don'tgetinvolved]

On another note, whether or not your maid decides to keep her baby is her business. I would stay away from any conversations she may engage you into about terminating or keeping it. I also would not lend her any money to terminate. If she decided that route I would seriously not have anything to do with it. It's not that I am against terminations, it's just that it is a very personal thing and being involved in the decision to do that would make me feel very uncomfortable. Go about this in a professional way. Let her decide what she wants to do and you, as an employer just act in a professional manner and abide by the law.