SINGAPORE: An employer took to social media complaining after her maid ran away even though she only worked for two weeks. In an anonymous post to popular confessions page SGWhispers, the woman wrote that she employed a helper from an employment agency in Bukit Timah Shopping Centre. She and her friend went down for a face-to-face interview with the maid.
“We even told MDW what is her scope of work (eg: daily washing of toilets, move the dinning chairs when sweeping and mopping the dinning area, wash 2 cars etc…). MDW agreed immediately without hesitation”, she wrote. However, the woman added that after two weeks, her maid ran away to the Manpower Ministry (MOM). The helper did not inform her agent or employer about her intentions to stop working and even told her employer that she was happy working.
“According to MOM IO, the reason to escape is wanting to repatriate to Myanmar (She still has 5 months loan to repay) – MDW made the smartest move!!! She worked in Singapore for 8 months and changed 4 Employers, which was unknown to us during video interview. My BFF is the 5th Employer. If it was made known, we would not consider her”, the woman said.
The Manpower Ministry officers asked the agent to return their helper to the agency. However, the very next day the helper ran away again. “MDW told MOM IO that she wants to return neither to Employer’s or EA’s. MDW was sheltered in CDE Shelter for 3 weeks. EA did not give progressive updates to Employer, refused to give MOM IO contact, did not allow to cancel work permit and insisted that EA is persuading MDW to stay and find new Employer. Work permit was finally cancelled, after MDW collected the last bag from EA office after 2 weeks from the date MDW collected her luggage from Employer’s house”, the woman wrote.
Though the employment agency refunded the woman half of the agency fee, other charges were not returned. Her maid’s insurance fee was S$488.60, which she said was “100% refundable if WP cancelled within 30 days or 50% refundable if WP cancelled within 31 to 90 days b) Placement fee $2,750.00 5 months loan; Non-refundable and Non-transferrable since MDW return Myanmar”.
In her post, the woman explained that employers should ensure that the agents match helpers correctly to their needs and explain the helper’s history clearly. The agent should also explain the contract fully.