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

SINGAPORE: An employer took to social media on Saturday (Sept 7) to ask why so many domestic helpers these days need an “afternoon nap”—a luxury that even Singaporean workers, herself included, can’t afford.

In a post on the “Singapore Direct & Agency Hire Domestic Helpers / Maids” Facebook group, she emphasized that this has become ‘a real problem’ as some helpers now refuse to work without their midday rest.

“They will complain this and that and act like a victim because they cannot work without an afternoon nap, are fussy about food, don’t want to work, hard to learn to be up to standard, etc,” she said.

However, she pointed out that if helpers come to Singapore to earn a higher wage, they should also be willing to adapt to the local work culture—including not being able to have that break in the afternoon.

“You know, in SG office, we don’t get afternoon nap too,” she snapped, adding that her own schedule is brutally demanding.

She explained that she typically has only about ‘20 minutes for lunch’ due to her heavy workload and back-to-back meetings. Moreover, since her young child doesn’t take afternoon naps, she finds it unreasonable for the helper to expect a daytime break.

She asked, “My boy doesn’t nap, so how to let helper nap?”

To illustrate her point further, she shared a snapshot of a conversation between a helper and an employer she knows. In the exchange, the employer said to the helper, “But u know I go work also not allowed afternoon nap.”

The helper responded, “Oh I’m so sorry, mam, if like that, I can’t—need rest sometimes.”

The employer then replied, “See… all of u come to Sg cos sg can earn money… but u not willing to fit in the culture and work standard of Singapore. That is the real problem.”

The post author then said, “BTW this is not my helper. My helper is young and a bit childish, but at least she is not unrealistic and unreasonable and respects her job.”

“I can’t let my helper work daily and not rest/nap.”

In the comments section of her post, many domestic helpers strongly disagreed with her perspective, arguing that comparing her working hours to theirs is unfair and dismissive of their challenging working conditions.

They pointed out that most of them often work from early morning until late at night with “barely any breaks,” making their workday far more gruelling than hers.

One helper said, “We are helpers working from morning to night with no breaks, only break 5 minutes for eating, and you still compare our job with your job …

You have more salary and more rest, but a helper’s salary is so little, and then sometimes not enough food also and then you still ask not to take afternoon nap?”

Another helper commented, “Your off is Saturday to Sunday. Your office hour is 8 hour minimum. What about helpers? Our working hours are different…”

An employer also chimed into the conversation and agreed with the helpers’ stance, saying that they deserve to have that break in the afternoon since their work is much more demanding.

She said, “To me, looking after the house, cooking, washing the toilets, changing bedsheets weekly, and so on IS SO VERY tiring. When I return from work, I can just chill with no obligations, but my helper can’t. I can’t let my helper work daily and not rest/nap.”

Read also: Employer seeks advice online after helper requests to return home just one month into job

Featured image by Depositphotos