Despite being happy with the new mandate that states maids must be given a day off each month, maids also expect that they are not made to do housework before and after they go out on their off day.
By the end of the year, foreign domestic workers in Singapore will be given a mandatory rest day and a 24/7 helpline, among other measures to help their wellbeing, said Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang on Sunday (May 22).
Responding to the new mandate, foreign domestic helpers said that even though they were given ‘days off’, they were still expected to clean and do chores in the morning, and after they returned home in the evening.
In comments to Facebook group FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), many foreign domestic helpers wrote that the new law should be clearly defined, with penalties given to employers who deny their helpers the day off. Others in the comments also wrote that on Sundays, they had to clean the house before going out and that they had to cook dinner once they were back home.
In July last year, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced that employers would be mandated by the end of 2022 to give their FDWs one day off each month, which could not be compensated away with cash.
On May 22, Ms Gan said that the day off would enable helpers to form a support network outside the household they’re working in and allow them to rest and recharge.
With a situation not uncommon for maids, yet another foreign domestic worker took to social media asking if it was the norm for her to have to work despite it being her day off.
In a post to Facebook group FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), a netizen who went by the name of Mary Joy Agustin asked other domestic helpers if it was normal for them to have to work on their days off.
Elaborating on her own situation in her post on Tuesday (May 17), Ms Agustin said that in the morning before she left the house, she had to clean until about 9 am. She also added that after the day’s activities outside, she had to continue cleaning once she got back home at 7 pm.
Responding to her query, many other helpers wrote that they too would clean on their days off. They advised Ms Agustin not to be too calculative and to just do a little bit more than what was required.