‘It’s so hard to find the right one nowadays’: Employer claims newly hired Thai helper slacks off whenever she’s away

SINGAPORE: A local employer has stirred discussion online after venting her frustrations about a newly hired Thai domestic helper who, she claims, stops doing most of her work the moment she steps out of the house.

Posting in the ‘Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic helper’ Facebook group on Saturday (Dec 6), the employer explained that the helper had only been with her for about a month and a half, yet issues were already piling up.

“When I’m not at home, she’s slacking and not doing work all. When I reminded her to place her phone where the CCTV can see it, she responded by saying she needed ‘5 minutes.’ Her attitude has changed quite quickly, and she has only worked for 1½ months,” she wrote.  “I try to give my helpers flexibility, but I’m starting to feel that they take things lightly when I am too nice.”

The employer also mentioned that her helper has been raising complaints about her days off. Before being hired, the helper reportedly agreed that her rest day would not fall on Sundays. But after arriving in Singapore, she requested Sundays off instead. She also told the employer that people from “Myanmar can now travel to Malaysia without a visa and claimed that her cousins were inviting her to go there on Sundays.”

Unsure of how to proceed, the employer turned to other members of the group for advice. “How should I handle this? It’s so hard to find the right one nowadays. Dear employers, how do you deal with this?” she asked.

“Remind her that she is here to work and help.”

In the comments, netizens were divided over how the employer should handle the situation.”

Some suggested that she should let the helper go immediately. One said, “Replace her right away. Just send her back. Don’t give her a chance to look for a new employer. If you send her back to the agency, she will start from the beginning again and she will just be the same to the new employer. Same cycle.”

Another wrote, “No need to tell her, buy her ticket, tell her 4hrs before departure time, and watching her pack, sending straight away to airport, call 999 to witness if necessary, we consulted police officers before, we can always call 999 and request the police to witness when the helper turns aggressive and be funny. Sending back is always employers’ decisions.”

Others, however, disagreed and felt the employer was being too strict, especially regarding phone use. 

One netizen commented, “Big X to the employer like this… taking the phone, putting it on the table where the CCTV is… just like our neighbour here; even phone sounds from outside we hear her scolding her helper for the phone ringing… I don’t know how they would feel if their bosses at work also told them to put it where the CCTV is.”

Another advised, “Have a sit down talk with her, reiterating the houserules. Remind her that she is here to work and help you and that her attitide right now is not being helpful. She is under a workpass and as an employer you are ultimately responsible for her here so you can restrict her Malaysia trip if you think that may cause any problem for you.”

In other news, a fresh law graduate took to Reddit to ask if it was normal to still have no employment contract, despite receiving an offer nearly three months ago.

Sharing her concerns on the r/askSingapore forum on Thursday (Nov 20), the graduate said she had completed two interview rounds in August and was verbally offered a role shortly after. The firm also followed up with an email confirming the offer, with a planned start date in January 2026.

However, as the months passed, she noticed that nothing concrete was moving forward.

Read more: Fresh law graduate says she was offered a job 3 months ago but still has no contract, asks locals if this delay is normal in SG