‘I feel quite stressed’: Singapore woman worried helper may have to sleep in cramped utility room

SINGAPORE: A woman has gone online to share how upset she feels over the possibility that her family’s domestic helper could end up living in a tiny utility room when they relocate to a new house.

Sharing her concerns online, she explained that the helper currently has a pretty decent setup. Since the woman’s sister already moved out, the helper has been staying alone in a proper room with her own attached toilet.

But that arrangement may soon disappear.

“My parents are relocating to a new house that only has 3 bedrooms—for my parents, me, and my brother—and I believe they’re going to put her into the bomb shelter,” she wrote on Reddit’s r/asksg forum on Wednesday (May 27).

In an edit to her post, the woman clarified that the space is actually a small utility room, not a bomb shelter, which can only fit a “small bed, but no wardrobe, etc.”

“I feel quite stressed about this. How is she going to keep her stuff? My mom and [the helper] don’t have a good relationship, but I feel like she’s nice, and I wouldn’t say I’m very close to her as she just came recently (end of last year), but she’s still very nice.”

She added that the thought of the arrangement made her feel “really bad” for the helper, especially since it would be a major downgrade from her current living conditions.

“I will talk to my parents about this shortly, but is there anything they can even do now that they have signed the papers to buy the new house?” she wrote, hoping to hear some advice.

“Perhaps you can offer to share your room with her?”

In the comments section, many Singaporean Redditors sympathised with the woman’s concerns and offered practical suggestions on how the family could make the small utility room more comfortable and livable for the helper.

One Redditor said, “It’s a tough conversation to have, for sure. As a student, you may not be able to make a decision for your parents, but you can help them find an innovative solution for your helper.”

“Sometimes with clever carpentry, there can be a way for the helper to have her bed and storage in the utility room, but really without windows or air conditioning, it can be very stifling, so ventilation is important. There should be a built-in fan at least.”

Another offered a simple solution, saying, “Perhaps you can offer to share your room with her? This is a solution that is within your control.”

Meanwhile, a third user advised the woman to speak directly with the helper first rather than assume what she may or may not be comfortable with.

“Speak to her about what she needs? ” they wrote. “If she needs privacy, then the utility room may be the only available choice. Give her a space outside to store things, and get her a wall fan and a portable air conditioner to keep herself comfy. Maybe you can install a curtain and keep doors open, so it is not suffocating.”

A fourth added, “Allow her to put a wardrobe/cupboard in your room for her belongings so the utility room is only for the bed. Put in a wall fan for better ventilation and make sure she has power outlets for charging her electronics.”

According to the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) guidelines, employers are strongly encouraged to provide domestic helpers with a separate room. 

If this is not feasible due to space constraints or housing arrangements, employers must still ensure that the helper’s accommodation provides sufficient space, privacy, proper ventilation, and protection from environmental elements such as heat, rain, and strong winds. 

Read also: ‘I don’t want to partake in the system’ — Singaporean woman conflicted about hiring helper to raise future kids