Singapore – A domestic helper allegedly quit her job after five days due to exhaustion from caring for a family with triplets.
There are moments when parents need extra help caring for their family, especially after welcoming newborns. A Singaporean couple hired a domestic helper to help with housework after adding triplets to the household.
However, after just five days, the domestic helper allegedly quit due to exhaustion, reported Chinese newspaper Lianhe Wanbao on Saturday (Mar 13).
The sudden departure of the helper has left the couple in a predicament while coping with household responsibilities.
The couple also claims they could not get their full deposit back from the maid agency, reported Wanbao.
After finding out they were expecting triplets, the first-time parents began searching for a helper. Many were reportedly unwilling to take the job, thinking it was overwhelming work to care for triplets.
When the triplets were born, the wife quit her job to care for the newborns while the husband continued working. The couple also relied on family and friends to help with household responsibilities.
In January this year, when the babies were 18 months old, the couple found a helper willing to take the role.
The couple paid S$3,800 to the maid agency, an amount that included the maid’s salary for three months and insurance.
The 39-year-old domestic helper from Myanmar arrived at their home on Jan 22, giving the parents much relief.
However, when the mother would assign the helper with household chores, the latter would allegedly refuse the task due to poor health.
The helper also showed them surgery scars, noting she couldn’t overexert herself, said the couple. The couple claims the helper would often say she was “very tired” and use that as an excuse to avoid housework.
Wanbao reported that the parents were not informed beforehand of the helper’s operation.
After five days, the helper requested to be sent home as the work was too exhausting.
Despite being reassured by the maid agency that they would be fully refunded in February, the couple received only S$1,500 on Mar 9, which was less than half of their initial deposit.
The father eventually filed a claim with the Small Claims Tribunal, noting that the lost deposit was a significant expense for them. They currently relied on a single monthly household income of S$3,000.
The parents clarified that they did not overwork the helper and only assigned her to housework and cooking while the mother handled the triplets.
The report did not include any clarification from the domestic helper’s side of the story./TISG
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