SINGAPORE: An employer of a foreign domestic helper took to social media asking what some might consider to be the obvious.
She wrote on a Facebook page about the working conditions of domestic helpers, asking, “how much rest time do we need to give helper besides the 8 hours of sleep every night?”
Both helpers and employers commented on the post, and the answers ranged from no fixed timing to those who did not have rest until mealtimes.
Here’s what they said:
According to the Manpower Ministry (MOM), “As an employer, you are responsible for the health and well-being of your migrant domestic worker (MDW). You must provide for rest days, proper accommodation, adequate medical care and safe work conditions.
Rest days
Your MDW is entitled to one rest day per week. You and your MDW must mutually agree on which day of the week she should take the rest day.
From 1 January 2023, all employers must ensure their MDWs have at least one rest day each month that cannot be compensated away.
If your MDW agrees to work on the remaining rest days in the month, you must compensate her with one of the following:
- At least 1 day’s salary.
Note: This is an additional payment and is not counted into the MDW’s basic salary. - A replacement rest day taken within the same month”.
Last month, another foreign domestic helper took to social media saying that she could only sleep around 2 am on most nights but had to wake up at 6.30 am to start work.
In a post to a Facebook group for domestic helpers, one asked others how long their break usually was during the day and when they were allowed to go to bed at night. In responding to her post, other helpers commented about their schedules. It seems that most helpers were only allowed to go to bed late at night but had to wake up early, with only a few getting to nap or rest during the day.