Employment agents, agent fees
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.
2
12, 2025
Parliamentary questions, September 2025, part 1
Many questions from MPs: about primary healthcare, kickbacks, working without work passes and the Household Services Scheme.
27
11, 2025
Leaving to save ourselves
We conducted an online survey of non-domestic workers from Myanmar in July and August 2025 to understand their recruitment experiences.
16
11, 2025
Our comments on MOM’s migrant worker survey 2024, part 2 (recruitment and retention)
A large number of employers in MOM's 2024 survey reported using recruitment channels strongly associated with excessive fees and kickbacks. Time to stop denying how dirty our recruitment landscape is.
31
10, 2025
Seven joyless workers, part 2
Seven workers recruited by the extended family of a husband-and-wife couple based in Singapore paid $9,000 each to get jobs jere. Big salaries promised, then stopped altogether.