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Rest Day Rights
Domestic workers and Work Permit holders are covered by different laws. Pick the section that matches your pass, then confirm on MOM's own pages before you act.
I am a domestic worker (maid)
Weekly rest day under MOM's Work Permit conditions, including the 2023 mandatory day.
I hold a Work Permit or S Pass (not a maid)
Weekly rest day under the Employment Act — construction, factory, shipyard, services.
Domestic workers
Migrant domestic workers are not covered by the Employment Act. Rest days are a Work Permit condition under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
- 1You are entitled to one rest day every week. You and your employer must agree which day it is — it does not have to be a Sunday.
- 2Your employer cannot make you work on a rest day unless you agree. Agreement should be mutual, not a threat of repatriation or withheld salary.
- 3Since 1 January 2023, at least one rest day each month must be a real day off. Neither you nor your employer can trade that one day for money.
- 4For the other weekly rest days, if you agree to work, your employer must pay at least one extra day's salary on top of your monthly pay — or give you a replacement rest day in the same month.
- 5Write the arrangement down (which day, which days you work instead, how much extra pay). MOM's rest-day guide includes a sample agreement.
- 6Employers who refuse the mandatory rest day can be warned, barred from hiring domestic workers, and prosecuted under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (fine up to S$10,000, or jail, or both).
How the rest day can be taken
These flexibilities need both of you to agree. They do not cancel the mandatory day.
- 1It can be any day of the week, not only Sunday.
- 2It can be one full day, or two half-days.
- 3You may spend it at home. Staying in the house does not mean you have to work — a rest day is a day off work.
- 4If you cannot take it this month, it can be deferred by up to one calendar month. You must then take it by the end of the next month.
How extra rest-day pay is calculated
MOM's formula: monthly salary divided by 26, no matter how many days are in that month. The extra is paid on top of your usual salary.
1 day's salary = your monthly salary ÷ 26.
MOM's example: monthly salary S$650 ÷ 26 = S$25 per rest day worked. Two rest days worked = S$650 + S$50.
MOM: how to calculate pay in lieu of a rest dayWork Permit and S Pass holders (not domestic workers)
If you are covered by Part 4 of the Employment Act (most workmen earning up to S$4,500 a month, and most other employees earning up to S$2,600), these rest-day rules apply.
- 1Your employer must give you one rest day every week. A rest day is unpaid — it is a day you do not work.
- 2A rest day is one whole day, midnight to midnight. For shift workers it can be a continuous 30 hours.
- 3The longest gap allowed between two rest days is 12 days.
- 4If your rest day is not a Sunday, your employer should give you a monthly roster before the month starts.
- 5Your employer cannot force you to work on a rest day except in exceptional circumstances.
- 6If your employer asks you to work that day: up to half your normal hours = 1 day's pay; more than half = 2 days' pay; beyond normal hours = 2 days' pay plus overtime.
- 7If your employer asked you to work, they cannot give you a day off later instead of this extra pay.
If your rest days are being denied
The call is confidential. MOM will not tell your employer who reported them if you ask to stay anonymous to the other party.
- 1Call the helpline that matches your pass — MOM's domestic-worker line, or MWC / CDE if you are not sure.
- 2Or report the infringement online. You must give MOM your identity so they can follow up, but they can keep it from your employer.
- 3You can also go in person to MOM Services Centre, Hall A, 1500 Bendemeer Road.
- 4If the problem is unpaid rest-day compensation, TADM handles salary claims — raise it while you are still in Singapore.
- 5If you are in danger right now, call 999. Do not wait for a helpline that is closed.
Who to call
Same numbers as on Emergency Contacts. Tap to call.
MOM Helpline for Domestic Workers
Mon–Fri, 8.30am–5.30pm. From overseas: +65 6339 5505. Your call is kept confidential.
Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE)
24 hours.
Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC)
24 hours, in about 10 migrant worker languages.
HOME — Domestic Workers
Call, SMS or WhatsApp the same number.
Official pages — always check before you act
Rules and fees change. MOM's own pages are the final word.
Checked against MOM's rest-day pages, the January 2023 mandatory-rest-day rule, the pay-in-lieu FAQ (updated March 2026), and the Employment Act hours-of-work page, in September 2026. Confirm on MOM's site before you act.
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