Maid Fined ₹9 Lakh for a 'Small Mistake'; Shocking Case Emerges

Singapore (The Uttam Hindu): Maids working in homes often work in other homes to earn extra money, which seems to be a common practice. But this 'small mistake' proved so costly for a maid in Singapore that she lost about 9 lakh rupees overnight. Not only the maid, but the owner who secretly employed her has also been dealt a heavy blow.

According to a report by Channel News Asia, authorities in Singapore have imposed a hefty fine of 13,000 Singaporean dollars (about Rs 8.8 lakh) on a foreign domestic helper for illegally doing part-time cleaning work in addition to her main job. The case came to light after a tip-off was received by the Ministry of Human Resources in December 2024.

According to the report, 53-year-old Pido Erlinda Ocampo is a citizen of the Philippines and had been working legally in Singapore since 1994. Along with her official job, she also secretly worked as a cleaner in other houses to earn extra money. Investigations revealed that she worked part-time at different places for several years between April 2018 and September 2024.

She would spend 2-4 hours two to three times a month during her official working days to clean other people's houses, which would give her an additional income of around SGD 375 (around Rs. 25,000) each month.

When the officials investigated the matter, it was found that a 64-year-old woman named Soh Oi Bak had hired Erlinda despite knowing that she was legally employed elsewhere. Soh was also fined 7,000 Singaporean dollars (about 4.7 lakh rupees) for this crime.

Actually, Singapore's law is very strict in this matter. Here no foreign domestic helper can work for anyone other than his official employer. If someone breaks this law, he can be fined up to 20,000 Singaporean dollars (about Rs 13.5 lakh) and jailed for up to two years. Not only this, the owner who hires illegally is also fined up to 30,000 Singaporean dollars and has a provision of jail sentence of up to one year.