Employer ends maid’s contract after dealing with her horrible temper for a year

SINGAPORE: An employer took to social media to share that she has finally decided to terminate her domestic helper’s employment after about a year of dealing with her horrible and volatile temper.

In a post on the r/askSingapore forum, she detailed instances of the helper’s unruly behaviour, noting that she frequently left the house on her rest days without informing the family and, when questioned, reportedly dismissed their concerns by stating that “there’s no need to report it every time”.

On another occasion, she said that when the family found a rotten fruit in the kitchen, the maid allegedly “mocked them” even though “she was responsible for keeping the area clean”.

The employer said she and her family tried to stay patient for nearly a year, using different ways to communicate and even giving the helper an extra “$50 allowance” each month, thinking that financial stress might be the reason behind her temper.

However, despite trying to appease the helper, nothing seemed to change. 

Unsure of how to handle the termination process, she asked the Reddit community for advice.

The employer wrote, “I need advice on terminating her. She is a direct hire (so no agency). Either party is allowed a 31-day notice period, but she hasn’t found a new employer yet. How do I make sure she doesn’t run away (is it just trust, hope, and prayers)?” 

“Can I only start the process of cancelling her work permit on Day 31? And I buy tickets for her so she departs within 2 weeks after that? Also, do you suggest me to record conversations with her, to keep just in case? Or should I purely communicate over WhatsApp?”

“Just pay her for the one month and send her back immediately.”

In the comments section of her post, one Singaporean Redditor responded: “Hire a runner to send her to airport. You can terminate her immediately if she is causing you much stress.

“Just compensate her based on whatever the termination agreement was. Work permit can be cancelled, and she has 7 days to leave the country. Print the Special pass; she’ll need it at immigration. This is the most ruthless way.”

Another agreed with this take, stating, “Just pay her for the one month and send her back immediately? There’s no reason to risk it if you think she’s going to do a runner.”

A third added, “Do note, you need to terminate her pass before you can apply for another FDW. Now, you are only doing your obligation to repatriate her back to her origin country. As you already know the timing. Good luck to you.”

Sending your helper home

According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), there are several key steps that employers should follow when sending a helper home.

First, if you are ending the contract early, check the employment agreement and decide with your helper whether she will serve the full notice period or be paid in lieu of notice.

Second, arrange and purchase her air tickets, including any necessary connecting transport to the international port of entry nearest her hometown, and ensure that her departure date is within two weeks of her work permit being cancelled.

And finally, cancel her work permit within one week of her last day of work. MOM states that once the work permit is cancelled, it is illegal for the helper to continue working, and failure to leave Singapore on time may result in fines for overstaying.

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