Photo: Depositphotos/ Boytaro1428 (for illustration purposes only)
‘Maid works nonstop, you ask why so slow; maid rests after work, you ask why so fast finish’ — Netizen urges employers to ‘say something nice’ instead
SINGAPORE: A few kind words can go a long way in making helpers feel appreciated and valued, but some employers don’t seem to think this way and instead dish out constant criticism.
One netizen recently raised this issue in the ‘MDW in Singapore’ Facebook group on Saturday (Apr 5). In her post, she shared how some helpers are criticised by their employers no matter what they do.
For example, if a helper works non-stop, she might be told, “Wow, you still haven’t finished? So slow ah you,” but if she takes a short break after finishing a task, the comment might be, “So fast you finish? Did you clean properly or not? So free ah you.”
Frustrated by the unfair treatment, she asked the employers, “Can you just say something nice?”
“Don’t take it too hard. It’s a Singaporean thing.”
In the comments section, many people shared their own experiences and thoughts on the matter. One person pointed out that remarks like those often come from “older folks, like grannies, who constantly watch over the helper and are never quite satisfied” with how things are done.
They added that those who haven’t dealt with such behaviour are “lucky” and should be “thankful” for having less stress in their homes.
Another commenter imagined the type of employer being described and joked that they might as well “install CCTV” if they’re going to monitor every little thing.
Domestic helpers also joined the conversation, saying they’ve experienced this kind of treatment firsthand. One shared that some employers seem to think “helpers are robots” and joked that even if they rented a robot, they’d still find a reason to scold and “smack” it.
Others described similar situations where, if they took a short rest, their employer would inspect every corner of the house, looking for something to criticise. One of them said, “She (my employer) will start looking for things to complain about, and if she can’t find something, she’ll look unhappy.”
Meanwhile, a few helpers simply chimed in with short responses like “same here” or “so true,” echoing the sentiments of being unfairly treated.
Moreover, some users encouraged helpers not to renew their contracts if they were constantly being treated this way. Others offered emotional support, advising not to take such comments too personally.
“It’s ok. Don’t take it too hard. It’s a Singaporean thing. They do that at the office too among their work friends,” one said.
In other news, a 24-year-old fresh grad who majored in communications and marketing turned to social media to open up about how utterly exhausted he was after job hunting for 90 days straight.
In a post on the r/askSingapore forum, he vented his frustrations, writing, “(I’ve had) rejections after rejections. Even scoring interviews feels like striking a pot of gold and going through rounds and rounds only to be rejected or ghosted at the end; although I had a few interviews with some up to the third round, I have received no offers so far.”
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
