Maid says she can’t sleep after forced to share room with employer’s daughter, who keeps the lights on, plays music and chats on phone till 3am

SINGAPORE: A foreign domestic worker turned to social media seeking help after her employers denied her proper rest and privacy.

In a post shared in a Facebook group for domestic helpers, she revealed that she had been enduring the situation for four months before finally reaching out for advice.

The worker explained that she was required to share a room with her employer’s daughter, who frequently returned home late and disrupted her sleep by turning on the lights.

The daughter would also stay up until 3 am, either talking on the phone or listening to music, making it difficult for the worker to get enough rest.

The domestic helper expressed concern about reporting the issue to her agency, fearing that her employers might send her back to her home country if she complained.

In response, many netizens encouraged her to have a polite conversation with her employer, suggesting she explain the importance of sleep for her well-being and ability to perform her duties.

Some advised her to ask her agency to intervene on her behalf if necessary.

One netizen opined that the employer’s daughter might want her own room but dares not ask her mum, “so she behaves that way to annoy you,” they wrote.

Forced to sleep in the kitchen

In other news, another domestic helper found herself in a similar situation. She recounted her difficult situation in a post shared with a support group for foreign domestic workers.

The helper, who only wants to be identified as Ms S, mentioned that she had been enduring long working hours daily, typically starting at 8 am and continuing until 12:30 am, with most tasks finishing late at night.

She revealed that her sleeping arrangement was in a corner of the kitchen, which offered little comfort.

Ms S explained that even after finishing her work for the day, she often struggled to sleep because family members would come into the kitchen, disturbing her rest.

Read more: Maid says her employer forces her to sleep in the kitchen while his family keep disturbing her sleep even past 1230am