SINGAPORE: An employer who asked other helpers for their opinions on being made to sleep in the living room was harshly told off by some. Many helpers said they would never agree to such sleeping conditions, with some even saying that their own houses are far bigger.
In an anonymous post to a support group for domestic helpers and employers alike, one woman asked: “Hi all, we are hoping a hire a helper to assist us. However, we do not have an extra room. Is it okay to get the helper to sleep in the living room?”
She added that she was looking at getting a privacy screen and wanted to know if this was acceptable.
Here’s what others in the group commented:
The employer then said, “The replies the post received are really interesting. It is never our intention to mistreat our future helper in any way. This is the reason why we are asking if it is acceptable. For the ones that said you have a bigger house back in your own country. Congratulations, please enjoy your big house, no need to stay in my tiny home”.
In May, a tired maid with a lack of sleep took to social media to request her employers hire a nanny for their child. In an anonymous post to a support group for helpers and employers alike, the maid wanted advice on conveying her situation to her hirer. She wrote that she only got to sleep around midnight but had to wake up around 6 am to start her chores. She got no rest during the day because she had to take care of her employer’s baby.
To add insult to injury, the maid wrote that she would sometimes have to sleep with the baby at night if the baby fell sick. /TISG