Mobile phone usage agreement for Domestic helpers

May 24
3 min read

This template is designed to help our customers navigate the delicate balance between maintaining a supportive relationship and establishing safe, respectful boundaries for their helper. Please feel free to amend this agreement to best suit your household’s unique situation.

Mobile phone usage agreement

This Mobile phone usage agreement is designed to ensure a safe, focused environment for our household while respecting your need to stay connected with your family and loved ones.

1. General Principles

A Lifeline, Not a Distraction: We fully understand that your phone is your connection to your home and family. You are free to keep your phone on your person, provided it does not interfere with your daily responsibilities.
Mutual Respect: Just as we respect your private time, we ask that you respect our household’s working hours by keeping personal screen time to designated breaks.

2. When the Phone Must Be Put Away (Zero-Screen Zones)

For safety and operational reasons, the phone must be put away (set to silent/vibrate or placed on the counter) during the following activities:

Caregiving Duties: While actively supervising, feeding, bathing, or accompanying children or elderly family members. (Safety is our number one priority).
Active High-Risk Chore Windows: While cooking at the stove, ironing clothes, or handling boiling water/chemicals.
Mealtimes: During family meals or when you are seated for your own meals (to ensure proper rest breaks).

3. Permitted Phone Usage Times

You are welcome to use your phone freely for texting, video calls, or browsing during these windows:

Scheduled Daily Breaks: During your afternoon rest break (e.g., [Insert Time, e.g., 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM]).
After Knock-Off Time: Once all evening chores are completed and your working day is officially over (e.g., [Insert Time, e.g., 9:00 PM onwards]).
Emergency Contact: If your family has an urgent matter or if the employers need to reach you while you are out running errands, your phone should remain contactable.

4. Rest & Late-Night Usage

Prioritizing Sleep: To ensure you get adequate rest to perform your duties safely the next day, we request that all long voice/video calls end by [Insert Time, e.g., 10:30 PM].
Silent Mode: Please switch your phone to silent or use earphones after this time so it does not disturb the rest of the household.

5. Privacy & Social Media Boundaries (Critical)

To protect our family’s privacy and safety, the following rules apply to social media platforms (TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.):

No Filming Indoors: Filming videos, taking photos, or hosting livestreams inside the employer’s home is strictly prohibited without explicit permission.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Photos or videos of our children, elderly family members, or our personal belongings must never be posted online.
No Public Complaints: If you are unhappy, stressed, or facing an issue in the household, please speak to us directly so we can resolve it together. Posting about employer disputes or household matters on social media is a breach of trust.

6. Emergency Contacts

Your Family: Please provide us with the contact details of at least one immediate family member back home whom we can reach in case of an emergency.
Our Contact: Our contact numbers are saved on your phone and posted on the refrigerator for your immediate access.

Agreement Acknowledgment:

We agree to open communication. If you ever feel this policy is too restrictive or if you have an family emergency requiring more phone time, please talk to us directly so we can adjust it temporarily.

Employer Signature: _______________ Date: ___________

Helper Signature: _________________ Date: ___________

Copyright Notice

No part of this document or template may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For permission requests, please contact: iHome Singapore

Legal Disclaimer

Disclaimer: This template is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. While it is designed to align with standard household management practices, labor guidelines and regulations can change. Employers are encouraged to verify specific legal obligations with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or a qualified legal professional to ensure full compliance.