Filipino maid, Singaporean employer fined for illegal part-time work arrangement

A Filipino domestic worker and her Singaporean client were fined by a Singapore court after it was found that the maid had been working part-time without a proper work pass.  

Pido Erlinda Ocampo, 53, who has worked in Singapore since the 1990s, was fined 13,000 SGD (P580,000) on Monday. Her client, Soh Oi Bek, 64, was slapped with a 7,000 SGD (P310,000) fine for employing her illegally. Both paid their fines in full.

The case came to light in December 2024 when the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) received information about potential breaches of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.  

Court documents revealed that Soh had hired Ocampo on a part-time basis for household chores for about four years. Ocampo’s work pass only allowed her to work for her official employer.

Ocampo had worked with four different official employers in 30 years with a proper work pass. 

Work Arrangement 

Soh first met Ocampo in 2018, after they were introduced to her through a friend of the Filipino's employer. Between April 2018 and February 2020, Ocampo visited Soh’s home two to three times a month, working three to four hours each session and earning about 375 SGD (P17,000) monthly. 

Ocampo’s work stopped temporarily during COVID-19 restrictions in early 2020 but resumed from March 2022 until September 2024. Throughout, she was never authorized to work for Soh. 

Despite knowing Ocampo was employed elsewhere, Soh hired her anyway, telling the court she needed “someone trustworthy” to assist with cleaning. 

Soh also recommended Ocampo to her superior, Pulak Prasad, who was seeking part-time domestic help. 

From September 2019 to February 2020, Ocampo cleaned Prasad’s residence once or twice a month, performing tasks such as vacuuming, mopping, and changing bed sheets. She earned around 450 SGD (P20,000) monthly during this period. 

Prosecutors argued that Soh’s case warranted a higher fine than the minimum 5,000 SGD (P220,000) penalty, citing the lengthy period of the offense and an additional charge taken into account. The judge disagreed, noting that the court had been “kind” to Soh by considering only the months Ocampo had actively worked, instead of the entire four-year span.  

For Ocampo, the prosecution sought about 13,000 SGD in total fines across two charges. Her written mitigation plea was submitted to the court but not read aloud. 

Under Singaporean law, employing a foreign worker without a valid work pass carries a penalty of up to 12 months in jail and a fine between 5,000 SGD and 30,000 SGD (P1.3 million). For foreign workers, taking on unauthorized employment can result in up to two years’ jail, a fine of up to 20,000 SGD (P89,000), or both.