Around 270,000 Singapore households employ a migrant domestic worker — and almost none of them issue payslips. Legally, they don’t have to: domestic workers aren’t covered by the Employment Act, so the itemised payslip rules don’t apply. But “not required” and “not worth doing” are very different things.
Why a salary record protects you
Salary disputes are among the most common employer-helper conflicts, and MOM does prosecute non-payment of salary. When a dispute arises, the employer without records is the employer in trouble. A simple monthly payslip — signed or acknowledged by both sides — is the cheapest insurance you can have: it documents what was paid, when, and what any deductions were for. MOM’s own employer guidance encourages keeping written salary records and paying within seven days of the end of each month.
Why it helps your helper too
Helpers frequently need proof of income: for remittance services, bank accounts, embassy or renewal paperwork, and loan applications back home. A proper payslip with the employer’s name, the month, and the net amount paid is exactly the document they’re asked for — and being the employer who provides it builds real goodwill.
What should a helper’s payslip include?
Keep it simple: employer name, helper’s name, the salary month, the payment date, basic salary, any additional amounts (e.g. compensation in lieu of rest days, if mutually agreed), any agreed deductions, and the net amount paid. Two things to note: there is no CPF for domestic workers (the FDW levy you pay to MOM is separate and does not come out of her salary), and arbitrary deductions are not allowed — safety and fairness rules govern what can be deducted.
A yearly stack of twelve payslips also makes bonus and salary-increase conversations easier — the history is right there.
The two-minute version
Our Payslip Generator has a dedicated domestic helper mode: it drops CPF automatically, notes the levy correctly, and produces a clean monthly salary voucher you can print or keep as PDF. Fill it once, and next month takes thirty seconds — your details are saved in your own browser, and nothing is uploaded anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I legally required to give my helper a payslip?
No — domestic workers aren’t covered by the Employment Act’s payslip rules. But you are required to pay salary on time, and a written record is your best protection in any dispute.
Does my helper pay CPF?
No. CPF doesn’t apply to migrant domestic workers. Employers pay a monthly levy to MOM, which is separate from — and must not be deducted from — the helper’s salary.
What if I pay partly in cash?
Record it the same way. What matters is that the payslip reflects the actual amount and date paid, and that your helper acknowledges receipt — a signature line on the printed slip does the job.