Maid says she needs a weekly day off, but her employer asks her what she’s going to do on her day off

SINGAPORE: An employer caught flak on social media for seemingly refusing to give her helper a day off each week.

She posted in the ‘MDW in Singapore’ Facebook group on Tuesday (Sept 10), explaining that her helper, who’s been with them for about 4-5 months, asked for some weekly time off to address some problems she’s experiencing with her husband.

“When I asked what she was going to do when she was off, she said to talk to her husband; when she said yesterday she wanted to call her husband, but he didn’t pick up. Her reasons for taking off every week don’t tally with what she says,” the employer wrote.

The employer also asked if her helper wanted to go home instead, but the helper became defensive and insisted that she needed to stay because she relied on the income to support her family.

On top of this, the employer mentioned her dissatisfaction with the helper’s overall performance and cleaning habits. “She doesn’t vacuum her room, and yesterday, I found out there’s dust under her bed and around her room,” the employer added.

“You don’t like her working style, so she has no days off?”

In the comments section, many netizens criticized the employer for refusing to give her helper a regular day off and prying into her personal life.

One netizen said, “Why must you ask your helper what she’s going to do during her day off? That’s her rest day. The employer must not ask about that.”

Another commented, “You don’t like her working style, so she has no days off? She demands a day off, so you suggest sending her back? Just transfer her… take another helper.”

Regarding the state of her room, some netizens speculated that she might not have had time to clean it because she’d been busy taking care of the entire house. Others suggested that she could still be adjusting to her new surroundings if she’s relatively new to Singapore.

They also advised the employer to discuss her concerns directly with the helper rather than airing them online.

One netizen told her, “Maybe you can try to talk to her like a friend; don’t talk to her as a maid. Once she feels treated as family, she will naturally open up over time.

A lot of employers complain about their helpers, but they never even put themselves in the shoes of the helpers and see things through their lenses.”

Read related: Maid says she needs afternoon naps to rest, but her employer tells her that even employers don’t get afternoon naps in the office

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