Maid says she’s depressed because her employer complains about everything she cooks; wants transfer but afraid of another 2 months’ salary cut

A foreign domestic helper took to social media, asking others for advice on what to do when her employer kept finding fault with all her work in the kitchen.

In an anonymous post on Friday (Sept 16) to Facebook page FDW in Singapore, the helper wrote that she was new to Singapore and to her employer as well. She added that she was very depressed because even though she tried her best to reach her employers’ standards, it was still not enough.

“my employer keep complaining to everything I did especially in the kitchen.they were very perfectionist when it comes to food and I’m trying soo hard to give my best but still not enough for them”, the helper wrote.

She added that the conditions affected her to the point that she wanted to request for a transfer but was afraid of having her salary deducted for another two months with her new employer.

“I can’t afford to have another 2 months deduction if ever things will not go nicely between me and my employer”, the helper wrote.

“I work so hard but still not enough what should I do?” she asked other netizens.

Her post garnered more than 150 reactions and almost 100 comments.

Many urged her to communicate with her employers and to ask questions so that she could learn. Others also urged her not to be too sensitive.

Here’s what they said:

Last month, a foreign domestic helper who was charged a transfer fee worth two months of her salary by her agency asked other helpers about it. She also had questions as to why her employers were allowed to keep her passport.

In a Facebook post to group FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), the helper, who wished to remain anonymous, asked if the transfer fee of $1260 was a large sum of her “hard earned” money. She asked why they had to be charged that sum for being transferred.

The helper also shared a document allowing her employer to hold on to her passport for safekeeping. She asked if the template was approved by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

Maid asks why her agency was allowed to charge her 2-month transfer fee of $1260 which was “a huge hard earned amount of money”