‘DO NOT HIRE A MAID IF…’: Singaporean calls out unrealistic expectations of employers

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean recently took to social media to share a rather unique list she made about who shouldn’t hire maids in Singapore. Her post, titled ‘DO NOT HIRE A MAID,’ listed eight reasons why some people might be unfit to employ domestic helpers.

The post got people talking, with many sharing their own thoughts and experiences.

The writer first singled out frequent travellers who can’t provide their maids with proper meals “…Or (if you) become extremely stingy about what they eat or order,” she wrote.

Next, she called out people who still expect their maids to do household tasks like washing dishes or doing laundry even when they are ill. The third was related, with the writer adding, “If you make a big deal when you or your family members are sick but accuse them of being lazy when they are unwell.”

The fourth dealt with maids and their employer’s pets, “If you expect them to clean up after your pets or blame them whenever there’s a mess caused by the animals,” she shared.

“If you are comfortable while they are confined to bomb shelters while you sleep peacefully,” she wrote for the fifth condition. The sixth point highlighted unpaid extra work, criticising those who assign maids additional cleaning duties outside the home without compensation. “If you expect them to clean your office or your parents’ home without offering extra pay,” she said.

Seventh, she called out employers who send their maids back just to prevent them from finding better-paying jobs, writing, “If you send them back to their home country because you can’t stand them finding another employer who offers better pay and treatment,” the post read.

Finally, the eighth point targeted employers who overwork their maids under poor conditions. She wrote, “If you’re squeezing multiple families into a single house and making unreasonable demands on them.” She also remarked that while many middle-class families treat their helpers like family, it’s often the “pretend-to-be-rich” employers who overwork and berate them.

The post ended with a plea for employers to “do better”, not just for themselves but for their family members who enable such behaviour. “I read a comment from a foreigner who understands why Singapore families need helpers but believes the way they are treated is wrong. I wholeheartedly agree. Apologies for the rant.”

In an edit she made sometime after publishing the post, she responded to people who took offence to her social critique. “If you claim it’s one-sided because you have a bad experience with your helper, sorry not sorry? You are generalising all helpers in Singapore. I’m basing my post on the reflection of our society these days. Also, why are we going on about how people assume migrant people are angels? This is totally out of context. I’m not glorifying maids here. Are you saying, ‘Oh we should assume the worst of them and hence overwork them with their low pay and put them in (a bad) room’?”

There was a mixed response to the post—some agreed with her stance, while others argued that she overlooked the challenges employers face with difficult helpers.

See also: ‘I have a helper coming in soon. What meals should I get her?’: SG employer asks what meals to get for domestic worker

Featured image by Depositphotos/yacobchuk1 (for illustration purposes only)