Singapore's migrant domestic workers face food rationing, long hours and sexual abuse

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Secondly, they are required to live with their employers, a stipulation unique to foreign domestic workers.

The Ministry of Manpower told the ABC that Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia also have such requirements.

"Living-in blurs the distinction between work and leisure," Dr Nicholas Harrigan, assistant professor in sociology at the Singapore Management University, said.

"This is a problem because if someone isn't really allowed to leave their workplace except for a few hours on a Sunday, then they really are technically working almost 24/7."

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Singapore's reliance on migrant domestic workers will not diminish any time soon, but the challenge to eliminate exploitation remains.

"The biggest change that could be made to improve domestic workers' conditions in Singapore is to bring them under the jurisdiction of the Employment Act," Dr Harrigan said.

"This would set clear standards around working time and rest, at the very least."

He said another change would be to allow domestic workers to live away from their workplace, in group housing, to reduce exploitation of working hours.