What Fair Treatment Looks Like in 2026

In April 2026, the Straits Times published a piece examining how domestic workers in Singapore access the internet — including cases where helpers are not permitted to use their employer's home Wi-Fi and have to rely on costly mobile data or public Wi-Fi on rest days instead. It's a small-seeming issue that says a lot about how "fair treatment" gets defined in practice.

Why this specific issue struck a nerve

For most Singaporean households, home Wi-Fi is such a basic utility that restricting it doesn't register as a meaningful decision. But for a helper living far from family, internet access is often her main way to stay in touch — video calls home, messaging apps, basic access to the outside world during limited free time. Restricting it can feel, and functionally is, isolating.

MOM's baseline expectations for employer conduct

MOM's guidelines for employers of migrant domestic workers cover more than just salary and rest days — they extend to general wellbeing and reasonable living conditions. While Wi-Fi access specifically isn't spelled out as a mandated benefit, it sits squarely within the broader spirit of what MOM describes as reasonable care for a worker's wellbeing.

The legal minimum and genuinely fair treatment aren't always the same thing — and the gap between them is usually where employer reputations, and helper retention, are actually decided.

Practical, low-cost ways to get this right

• Provide home Wi-Fi access as a default, not a special favour — it costs the household very little and matters significantly to her
• Make sure she has a way to contact family in an emergency, not just during scheduled free time
• Ask, rather than assume, what would genuinely make her feel more comfortable and connected during off-hours

Small decisions, real impact

None of this requires significant cost or effort — which is exactly why it's worth getting right. Helpers who feel genuinely cared for in small, consistent ways tend to be more settled, more communicative, and more likely to stay long-term. See our related guide on what actually makes helpers stay.

The bigger picture

Public reporting like this Straits Times piece plays a real role in shifting norms across Singapore households over time. Getting ahead of it — rather than waiting until a practice becomes reputationally uncomfortable — is simply good practice for any employer.