Whether your helper has told you she wants to leave, or you've decided the arrangement isn't working, the ending of an employment relationship comes with real administrative steps. Getting them wrong can mean unnecessary cost, levy you didn't need to pay, or even a debarment issue with MOM.
This guide walks through the two main paths — transfer to a new employer, or repatriation home — and the process for each.
First: Transfer or Repatriation?
There are two ways an employment can end in Singapore:
- Transfer: Your helper moves directly to a new employer without going home. Common when she's a good worker but your circumstances changed (you're relocating, your childcare needs ended), or when she wants to stay in Singapore with a different family.
- Repatriation: Your helper returns to her home country (or, by mutual agreement, another destination). This is the path when she wants to stop working in Singapore, or when a transfer isn't arranged.
Which one applies shapes everything that follows.
Path A: Transferring to a New Employer
A transfer keeps your helper in Singapore and saves the new employer agency and orientation costs. The key requirements:
- Both employers must agree. The transfer must be pre-agreed by you (the current employer) and the new employer, with MOM's approval.
- Your authorisation is needed to cancel the Work Permit, and the new employer's authorisation to apply for a new one. If an employment agency handles it, they coordinate both sides.
- You keep paying the levy until the transfer is finalised. Your levy obligation doesn't stop the moment you agree — it ends when the transfer completes.
- A medical check-up is typically required before she moves to the new household.
- When an agency handles the transfer, the helper is usually issued a 14-day Special Pass to bridge the gap.
Transfers are often the kindest outcome for a helper you value but can no longer employ — she keeps her income and avoids the cost and disruption of going home. If you're parting because your situation changed rather than because of her performance, offer to help her find a transfer.
Path B: Repatriation (Sending Her Home)
If your helper is leaving Singapore, the core steps are:
1. Arrange and pay for the repatriation flight
As the employer, you are responsible for the cost of repatriating your helper. Secure the flight before cancelling the Work Permit. By mutual agreement, you can repatriate her to a destination other than her home country — but you must notify MOM of this when you cancel the permit.
2. Settle everything owed
Before cancellation, pay all outstanding amounts:
- Unpaid salary up to her last working day
- Any rest day compensation owed
- Pay in lieu of notice, if applicable (see below)
- Any agreed bonuses
3. Cancel the Work Permit
Cancel through MOM's WP Online portal (or have your agency do it). You'll need to have settled outstanding levy, salary, and benefits first. Once the Work Permit is cancelled, your levy obligation stops.
4. Repatriate within the required timeframe
After cancellation, you must send her home within MOM's stipulated window. Check MOM's current rules, as timeframes can change.
What's a "Runner"?
If you've seen employers mention hiring a "runner," it's an informal term for a person or small service that helps with the practical logistics of sending a helper off — airport transfers, handling paperwork, and sometimes temporary accommodation between jobs. Runners aren't an official MOM role, but many first-time employers use one to avoid the stress of managing the send-off and documentation themselves. Ask in employer communities for current recommendations.
Notice Period and Pay in Lieu
This is where many employers get confused. The general principle:
- If your helper resigns, she should give notice as stated in your contract (commonly one month) — or salary in lieu of that notice. If she chooses to leave without serving notice, you generally are not the one paying for it.
- If you terminate and send her off immediately without notice, you typically owe her salary in lieu of the notice period.
Your employment contract governs the exact notice period, so read it. The fair, low-risk approach is to follow whatever the contract states.
A note on documentation: If your helper says she wants to resign, it's reasonable to get that in writing (e.g., a WhatsApp message). It protects both sides and clarifies who initiated the end of employment. It does not, by itself, change your obligations — an employer can send a helper home regardless — but it keeps the record clear.
Don't Make Salary Threats
In the heat of a difficult ending, some employers are tempted to threaten salary deductions — for a lost key, a broken item, or "the cost of finding a replacement." Don't. Deducting an FDW's salary for damage, loss, or performance is generally not permitted under MOM rules and can turn a clean exit into a complaint against you. (We cover this in detail in our guide on breakage, loss and salary deductions.)
Should You Actually Let Her Go?
Sometimes the trigger for sending a helper home is a single bad week — one argument, one mistake. Before you buy the ticket, it's worth separating a genuine pattern from a one-off. Our guides on when to change your helper and managing a long-term helper can help you decide whether this is fixable or final. If you've already decided, that's valid too — many employers say their main regret was waiting too long.
How HelperMate Helps
HelperMate keeps the records you'll need at the end of an employment clean and accessible:
- Salary records so final settlement is accurate and documented
- MOM compliance tracking for Work Permit status and key dates
- Expense history so there are no disputes about what was paid
A well-documented employment is a smoother ending — for both sides.
Download HelperMate on Google Play → | App Store →
Based on MOM regulations as of 2026. Processes and timeframes can change — always confirm current requirements on the MOM website or with a licensed employment agency. This article is for informational purposes and not legal advice.