Maid earned extra $825 monthly by moonlighting as part-time cleaner, fined $13k which is 'quite kind'
Ethel Tseng
TNP
Aug 27, 2025
A 53-year-old domestic helper, who had worked in Singapore for 30 years, has been fined $13,000 for working illegally as a part-time cleaner while being employed by someone else.
Pido Erlinda Ocampo and Soh Oi Bek, a 64-year-old Singaporean who had given the helper a part-time job, were both fined in court on Aug 25.
Erlinda faced four charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and pleaded guilty to two, while Soh faced two charges and admitted to one.
After taking the remaining charges into consideration, the judge fined Erlinda $13,000 and Soh $7,000.
Helper works part-time while being employed
According to reports by Shin Min Daily News and CNA, Erlinda had been a domestic helper in Singapore since 1994, serving four different employers over the past three decades.
In 2018, she was introduced to Soh by a friend of her official employer. She proceeded to work part-time at Soh's home for almost two years, from April 2018 to Feb 2020.
Her duties included sweeping, mopping, cleaning fans, and ironing clothes. She worked three to four hours per session, up to three times a month, earning $375 in cash each month.
Erlinda stopped working for Soh in Feb 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed work from March 1, 2022 to Sept 2024 when restrictions were eased.
At all times, Erlinda did not hold a valid work pass to work part-time for Soh.
Despite knowing that Erlinda was employed by someone else, Soh hired her as she was busy and needed someone trustworthy to help with household chores.
Soh recommends helper to her boss
Soh later recommended Erlinda's services to Pulak Prasad, who was looking for a part-time helper. Soh was working as an administrative staff member for Prasad at an unidentified workplace.
Erlinda took up the job, working for Prasad from Sept 1, 2019, to Feb 2020.
Her duties included vacuuming and mopping floors, changing bedsheets and cleaning cabinets.
She did this one to two times a month, for three to four hours per session, earning a monthly salary of $450.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) launched an investigation in December 2024 after receiving a tip-off about a possible breach of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
The prosecution stated that Soh knowingly hired Erlinda without a valid work pass and initiated the contact, recommending a fine between $7,000 and $8,000.
For Erlinda, the prosecutor noted that she earned an additional $825 per month from her illegal work and recommended a fine between $13,000 and $14,000.
According to a 2022 study by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), involving 610 employers and 1,210 domestic workers across Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, the average pay for helpers is $645 per month.
Domestic helpers in Singapore reported the highest number of working hours across the three countries, at an average of 12.8 hours per day and 81 hours per week.
Helper seeks minimum fine
Erlinda's lawyer requested the court impose the minimum possible fine, but the judge disagreed, stating that the prosecution "has been quite kind".
For her offenses, the helper could have been jailed for up to two years, fined up to $20,000, or both.
The judge noted that when calculating the period of Erlinda's offense, the prosecution only considered the months she actually worked, not the entire duration of the case.
For Soh, the prosecution mentioned that the minimum fine for her offense is $5,000.
However, such fines typically apply to cases with a short period of illegal employment, where the defendant has no prior convictions or charges to be considered.
The judge pointed out that it was reasonable to increase the fine by up to $3,000 above the minimum amount, taking into consideration the extended duration of Soh's offense, and the other charge she faced.
