When a work permit is cancelled, the clock starts immediately. Here is what that means in practice.
When a migrant domestic worker's employment ends in Singapore — whether through resignation, termination, or mutual agreement — her work permit is typically cancelled within days. From that point, she has a short window, usually around two weeks, to either secure a new employer or leave the country.
Two weeks sounds reasonable on paper. In practice, it is remarkably tight.
What workers are navigating in that window
A worker in this period is doing several things at once. She is finding a place to stay, often at her own expense. She is attending interviews, sometimes through agents who take a cut of her future salary. She is gathering documents, waiting on reference letters, and trying to understand whether a new employer's terms are fair — all while managing the anxiety of an uncertain status in a country she may have lived in for years.
Many workers feel pressure to accept the first offer that comes along, even if the job is a poor fit. That pressure is not imaginary. It is structural.
What employers often do not see
Employers entering the hiring process during this window are usually focused on their own timeline — a family that needs help soon, a parent who needs care. That is understandable. But a worker who accepts a job under duress is more likely to be unhappy, and unhappy placements fail faster.
There is a real alignment of interest here that often gets missed. Employers benefit when workers have enough time and information to make a genuine choice. A worker who chooses a role — rather than takes whatever is available — is more likely to stay and to thrive.
The role agencies play, for better or worse
Traditional placement agencies have significant power in this window. They control access to candidates, they set interview terms, and in some cases they charge fees that come directly out of a worker's early wages. Workers who are unfamiliar with their rights, or who feel dependent on the agency for their next placement, are especially vulnerable to pressure.
This is not a fringe issue. It is a routine feature of how the market works today.
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower has strengthened rules around agency conduct over the years, but enforcement depends on workers knowing their rights and feeling safe to report problems — neither of which is guaranteed under time pressure.
A more honest starting point
The hiring process should give workers enough time and information to make a real decision. It should give employers a clear picture of who they are hiring and why that person is available. Opacity serves neither side.
Anisya was built around that idea — a direct marketplace where workers and employers connect without a traditional agency in the middle. No pressure tactics, no salary deductions. Just a clearer starting point for both sides.