Maid asks if she can book a hotel room to “rest and sleep on Sunday”

SINGAPORE: A domestic helper took to social media asking if maids could book hotel rooms.

In an anonymous post to Facebook page ‘Complaint Singapore’, the helper wrote: “Can a maid book a hotel room alone? and which hotel is cheaper? I really want to rest and sleep on sunday, so that no one can disturb me”. In the comments section, the helper added that she had to share a room with a child and an elderly woman who liked to talk in her sleep.

Another helper who commented wrote: “I go botanic garden and sleep there, so I can save money,,maybe u can try find comfortable places than (sic) must spend money for hotel feel sayang lehh,,,save money for beautiful future”. A netizen added: “Changi airport departure or arrival hall got couches and air con and free. I saw travellers laying on the ground with a cover over their heads and no one stops them”.

Without giving much detail or context to her post, another foreign domestic worker took to social media asking for advice on what to do when she was made to sleep in the kitchen. In a Facebook post, the helper posed her question to the FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum) group. She asked: “What to do if your employer took your room and made you sleep in the kitchen?”. Despite not giving any other information as to how long these sleeping arrangements were for, or if her employer had given her a reason as to why she was evicted, the helper’s post garnered over 180 reactions and 47 comments.

Most of the responses were from other maids who had experienced similar situations. Many also urged the helper to contact the Manpower Ministry (MOM) for help. There were also others who asked her to try communicating with her employer because going to MOM might lead to her employers sending her back to her home country.

Read related: Maid asks: What to do if your employer took your room and made you sleep in the kitchen?