Maid says, ‘I get only 2 slices of bread for breakfast, but I’m forced to clean 3-storey house with 6 bedrooms, and 7 toilets from 4:15am’

SINGAPORE: In Singapore, owning a three-storey landed property with six bedrooms and seven toilets might be the ultimate luxury flex, but if you’re the helper cleaning it all on just two slices of bread each morning, that’s not luxury—that’s labour without dignity.

A foreign domestic worker shared her ordeal on the MDW in Singapore (working conditions forum) Facebook group, triggering an outpouring of support—and outrage—from fellow helpers and the public alike.

“Two months here at my employer, but every day I experience anxiety due to panic attacks…,” she began. “I’m working [forced to clean up] a three-storey house with six bedrooms, and seven toilets… and wake up at 4:15 a.m… I get only two slices of bread for breakfast… and dinner depends on my employer’s leftovers,” she explained further.

That’s a mansion-sized home, 17-hour workdays, and rations that would make a boarding school canteen look generous. And that’s not all…

“No free personal hygiene…,” she added, and “Every week we are also doing inventory for the madam who wants to make sure we don’t cook their food… The madam always complains every day and accuses us of not doing our job.”

The helper, clearly in distress, asked for advice from the community—torn between enduring the mistreatment, requesting a transfer, or giving up and going home.

The post hit a nerve, with over 100 comments flooding in from fellow helpers, former domestic workers, and concerned citizens.

One group member didn’t hold back: “Sis, that’s pure exploitation. Making you eat scraps, do food inventory, no WiFi, no hygiene, plus accusing you daily—what kind of employer is that? You’re not a slave.”

Another added: “If they can afford a helper in a 3-storey house, they should afford proper food [for you] too.”

Others were more measured, suggesting she first speak to her employer. “A heart-to-heart talk can solve your problem. No one can help if you don’t speak up,” one advised, echoing the belief that silence only prolongs suffering.

However, many cautioned that given the employer’s controlling behaviour, direct confrontation might backfire. Hence, several commenters pointed her toward Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM — 1800-339-505) and the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE — 1800-225-5233), and advised her to contact her agency—“via SMS, so you have proof,” as one group member noted.

In the sea of suggestions, a veteran helper also offered this golden nugget: “There are both good and bad employers. I’ve worked for three before finding the right one. You need to speak up, but if they don’t change, don’t sacrifice your health for their house.”

Reality check

Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requires employers to provide domestic helpers with adequate rest, three meals a day, and basic necessities like toiletries, and while WiFi isn’t mandatory, human decency is.

So here’s the deal: Helpers are not house elves. They’re not domestic drones. They are humans who deserve nourishment, rest, and respect. If an employer can’t offer that, maybe it’s not a helper they need — but a conscience.

Let’s not normalise cruelty dressed up as household management. Speak up, report, and remind employers: It’s not just a house—they’re building a reputation too.

In other news, as if the breakfast of two bread slices wasn’t heartbreaking enough, another helper shared her own survival while suffering moment: ‘My employer left me with just a little rice and 2 eggs while she went on a 10-day holiday trip’ — Maid says her employer also ‘scolds her for no reason’