Employer administration

Can a Maid Work at a Second Household?

Whether a domestic helper can be sent to work at a second address — a relative’s home, a rental unit, anywhere beyond the one household on her permit.

The short answer

No. The JTKSM/ILO employer guide answers this directly: an employer is prohibited from directing a foreign domestic worker to perform any task at a relative’s residence, and the standard service contract limits her duties to the one household named in her placement. The model contract also lists working for another employer as grounds for termination without notice — a second household isn’t a grey area the guide leaves open.

At a glance

Official answer
NoThe JTKSM/ILO employer guide’s own Q&A states directly that directing a foreign domestic worker to perform tasks at a relative’s residence is prohibited.
Contract basis
Duties limited to the one householdThe standard service contract restricts her work to household duties and caregiving responsibilities tied to the one placement, not a second address.
Practical risk
PERKESO coverage can be deniedAn accident while working outside her contracted scope risks the claim being rejected, per PERKESO’s own domestic-worker FAQ.
Separate red flag
Grounds for termination without noticeThe model contract’s misconduct clause lists working for another employer as a termination trigger — a related but distinct issue from a second household.

Single-household scope check

A helper work pass is tied to approved employment, and Immigration states that a foreign domestic helper must not change employment or employer without permission. Before assigning regular work at another home, identify who lives there, who gives instructions, how often work occurs and obtain the applicable Immigration guidance.

  • Write both addresses and the people who control the work.
  • Do not treat a related family member as automatic permission.
  • Keep the helper duties within the approved employment arrangement.

The direct answer, from the source

The JTKSM/ILO/MOHR employer guide includes an explicit Q&A on exactly this question, and the answer given is a flat no: an employer is prohibited from directing a foreign domestic worker to help at a relative’s residence, framed alongside a second prohibition on directing her into a family business or commercial activity.

It is stated as a direct restriction in an official employer guide co-published with the labour department — a binding rule, not informal custom or a suggestion open to interpretation.

Why the contract already settles this

The standard service contract used for this placement restricts her duties to household tasks and caregiving responsibilities connected to the one home named in the arrangement — it doesn’t leave room for a second address, even a relative’s, as part of the agreed scope of work.

Because this limit is written into the contract itself rather than left as a general expectation, it’s the same document worth checking directly if a specific arrangement — occasional help, a family member’s request — is being considered.

What happens if it happens anyway

PERKESO’s own domestic-worker FAQ addresses the consequence directly: if an accident occurs while she’s been instructed to do work outside her contracted scope, she isn’t eligible for benefits, because the employer isn’t permitted to direct her outside the residential-house duties named in the contract in the first place.

That’s a specific, sourced risk — not a general caution — and it applies whether the second household is a relative’s home or anywhere else outside the one address on her placement.

The rules and figures here follow official Malaysian sources as at the review date, and your own situation can differ. Check what applies to your own case with the Immigration Department of Malaysia for permits and passes, or the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia for agency licensing and employment terms, before you act on it.

Questions this page answers

Can she help out at my parents’ house occasionally?

The employer guide’s Q&A states directly that directing her to perform tasks at a relative’s residence is prohibited — it doesn’t carve out an exception for occasional or informal help.

What if I pay her separately for the extra work?

Payment doesn’t change the restriction — the prohibition is about which address she’s directed to work at, not whether she’s compensated for it.

Does the contract say this, or is it just a guideline?

Both — the JTKSM/ILO guide states it as an explicit rule, and the standard service contract itself limits her duties to the one household named in the placement.

What happens if she’s hurt while helping at a second address?

PERKESO’s own FAQ states she isn’t eligible for benefits for an accident occurring outside her contracted scope of work.

Is this the same issue as her working for a different employer?

Related but distinct — the model contract separately lists working for another employer as grounds for termination without notice, on top of the second-household restriction.

Can a Maid Work at a Second Household?

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  • What happened
  • Date and time
  • Immediate action taken
  • Relevant document or routine
  • Outcome needed next

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DomesticHelper editorial teamReviewed 14 August 2026Sourced from Malaysian government registriesIndependent of the hiring agenciesEditorial standards
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