Employment agents, agent fees
20
06, 2026
After emergency surgery for appendicitis, worker got the sack
A restaurant worker fell ill with appendicitis and had surgery. On discharge from hospital, he was told he had been fired.
29
05, 2026
Overcharged for recruitment – cook has proof
With conversations on WhatsApp and bank transfer confirmations, a cook could prove that he was charged more than what the agent declared to MOM
28
05, 2026
Very much needed: a centralised jobs portal
Eradicating the cancer of recruitment fees requires systemic change, not just tougher laws. What should that systemic change look like?
17
04, 2026
Agent said basic salary would be $1,550; on IPA it was $800
One day before his flight to Singapore, a first-time worker was handed an In-principle Approval showing his salary to be half of what he had agreed with the agent.
21
03, 2026
Young woman meets toothless tiger
A young woman's year in Singapore is spent exploring the toothlessness of Singapore regulators.
27
02, 2026
How to make a million dollars and get away with it
Over a hundred men working for three inter-connected companies filed salary complaints. All were owed thousands of dollars; but all had also paid around $10,000 to get their jobs. Do the math: 100 men x $10,000 each.
16
02, 2026
Shipyard worker made to pay $8,500 for his job, then made to lie about it
Like many shipyard workers who come to TWC2 for help, Salak tells us about his recruitment fee and the agent's efforts to cover it up. His experience is no exception.
31
01, 2026
Made in Dhaka: principles, false documents and videos
Here is another shipyard worker, with a recruitment fee story like many others, except that the details show how involved the employer was in the fee negotiations.
15
01, 2026
Despite kickbacks and salary non-payment, worker fears that getting justice is too costly
It first began with the employer cutting out the agent (to the worker's advantage), but it actually was a sign that the employer couldn't be trusted to honour the contract.
27
12, 2025
The job was bad, the head chef made it impossible
A migrant employee at a midprice restaurant recounts the many things that made the job unbearable: salary violations, long hours, and the cook.