SINGAPORE: A foreign domestic helper took to social media asking others for advice with regard to her poor work conditions.
In an anonymous post to a Facebook support group for domestic helpers and employers alike, the maid said that her main role was to look after an elderly woman. She said that the woman would not sleep and would make her massage her feet the entire night. She would not get any sleep and have to then work in the morning.
“I’ve tried my best these 3 months,but more and more I can’t stand it and more and more days and every day is not getting better, and the longer I am also stressed.even though I used to work for almost 7 years taking care elderly but somehow this time I gave up and don’t want to stay, because I’m afraid if I stay here”, the helper wrote, adding that she found the job very difficult. She wrote that she was afraid of falling sick.
Because her work conditions were out of her control, the maid wanted to know if she should ask for a transfer or if she had to return to Indonesia.
In the comments section, the helper said that she spoke to her employer about the situation, but they told her to be patient. She even asked them to buy vitamins for her, but they declined.
Here’s what netizens who commented on the post said:
Earlier this year, another foreign domestic worker took to social media asking other helpers for advice on whether she should let the Manpower Ministry know about the lack of sleep she has had because her employer asks for daily massages until midnight.
In an anonymous post to the Facebook group FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), the maid wrote that her employer would ask for a foot massage around 11 pm or 11.30 pm daily. Sometimes, she would even ask for a massage to start at midnight.
“i need to wake up [at] 5:30 to prepare children for school. There are times that after i massage her feet she will ask me to wash my hand and massage her head or shoulder. Making my hands wet after doing the massage caused my thumb fingers pain and numb”, the maid wrote, explaining that she went to bed rather late and had to wake up very early for her duties.
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