Foreign domestic helper contracts due to expire by the end of the year can be extended to February 28, the Government announced today.
The arrangement is in response to the Philippine government's temporary suspension of issuing the Overseas Employment Certificate to its workers going abroad.
The extension will allow families, especially those who need help in taking care of the elderly and children, to retain their current helpers until the Philippine government resumes issuing certificates.
According to the Standard Employment Contract, consent from the Commissioner for Labour is required to extend a helpers' employment period beyond a month.
To assist families needing to extend their helpers' contracts, the Commissioner for Labour has given in-principle consent for the extension, provided there is mutual agreement between helpers and their employers.
Employers must apply to the Immigration Department for the extension by the end of the year.
