Maid’s employer says, ‘My helper refuses to stop using her phone while walking the dogs, and she also keeps forgetting to feed their medication’

SINGAPORE: In Singapore’s ever-growing list of household dilemmas, a first-time employer who hired a new helper to take care of her dogs has found herself entangled in a paw-sitively sticky situation: Her new helper just won’t paw-se the scrolling.

Taking to the Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid/Domestic Helper Facebook group, the frustrated employer asked for advice after discovering that her helper was glued to her phone even during dog-walking duties—despite being explicitly told not to use it.

“I’ve given her the benefit of using her phone despite her agency stating she can only use it at night, but I now feel giving her the benefit is spoiling her,” she wrote. “I specifically told her that when walking the dog, she cannot use her phone, but I still caught her using it while I was walking my other dog.”

The situation worsens when you consider that the helper had also missed giving the dogs their medication on several occasions.

“We mitigate this by asking her to take a photo of every meal so that she can check for herself if she has fed the dogs their medication,” the employer explained. But even with structured reminders and designated phone usage time, the issue persisted.

“Other than that, she’s quite loving to them (dogs), even when we’re not around. But the medication and excessive phone usage during working hours aren’t something we are comfortable with,” the employer added.

The Facebook comments section, as expected, turned into a mix of management tips and digital-age ethics.

One fellow employer wrote, “I limit my helper’s phone usage to break times and nighttime. I don’t think it makes sense to be on the phone all the time.”

Another declared, “Then get rid of the phone to her… nobody can do their job well if they’re always busy on the phone.”

On the flip side, domestic helpers who also take care of their employers’ dogs shared their perspectives.

“My employer allows me to use my phone, as long as I don’t neglect my work,” one said, while another added, “I also have a dog to take care of… and if I walk with the dog, I don’t use my phone.”

One pragmatic group member suggested, “Just give her a warning first. If she doesn’t listen, that’s a sign you need to replace her.”

At the core, this digital tug-of-war reflects a wider question many Singapore households now face: How to balance trust, compassion, productivity—and screen time—within the modern employer-helper dynamic.

Until then, this helper’s scrolling paws might just need a firm tap on the leash.

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