SINGAPORE — A foreign domestic worker took to social media asking if she could terminate her employment contract citing ill health as the reason. She added that she had been overworked and unable to rest even at night.
In a post to Facebook group FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), the helper wrote that she had been made to work from 6.45 am to 10.30 pm or 11 pm daily without a break in between. She added that the week before, her friend had to take her to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) because she was not feeling well, was nauseous and vomited. When tests were done at the hospital, it was found that her Potassium levels were high and she had low blood sugar, which made her feel weak.
The maid wrote: “My question is..Is it possible i can terminate my contract bcoz of my condition? I cannot work properly also coz i feel weak and if i stay maybe i become worst since i cannot rest early at nyt,from 6:45 i woke up until 10:30 or 11 pm,straight working and non stop”.
In the comments section, the maid added that she worked in a 4-storey landed property and was not allowed to use the lift. She said that walking up and down the stairs made her feel weak, and her employers did not know she was unwell.
She also wrote that her “employer is not good actually,everything here is she depending on me,even her personal hygine like cleanning her toothbrush,cosmetics etc..and worst everytime she go out you need to be alert,send her on a car,bring shoes,juice and all that,her house is 4 story landed,and lift is not allowed to use,work is stressful anyway and not enuf rest and sleep thats why this is what happen to me”.
Here’s what netizens said:
Last year, another foreign domestic worker whose employers decided to shift house thrice over three years said these processes have been very taxing on her as they have many things for her to pack in each move.
In an anonymous post to Facebook page FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), the helper wrote that she had been working for her employers for three years. When she was first hired, the house they lived in was “not so big”, she said. The family consisted of a couple, a child, and a dog. She added that the next house they shifted to was double the size of the first one.
In her post, she also wrote that the couple had a new baby as well. The helper said that she did not complain as she was able to manage caring for the family and cleaning the home.
“last week before we move to this new house and ive never seen it so far,icomplained because [I] feel very tired, pressured, sleepless, and told them about food matters as [they] didn[‘]t buy anymore due to moving”, the maid wrote. She said that she also asked the family for an increment in her pay as she needed the money to buy vitamins and food. The helper also wrote that she had to pack all of the family’s things, which came up to more than 80 boxes, “which is heavy for me.. and during this time..i got alot of bruises and body pain”.
The maid wrote that the family unnecessarily added pressure on her as well. For example, some of the clothes were stained while packing, she said that this could have been easily rectified but the family complained, leading to her being very stressed out, to the point of her wanting to move out.
“what is the best thing to do now as i dontwanna go home yet and im scared that i maybe sent back home?” she asked other netizens.