SINGAPORE: A Reddit user was curious about how much a woman (wife or mother) would be paid for their duties around the house if these chores were to be compensated.
The discussion was about whether women would be paid more than foreign domestic workers (FDW) or maids since they would essentially be doing the same thing.
“If women (wife/mother) got compensated for household chores in Singapore how much would they earn?” wrote u/b0atymcboatface on r/Singapore on Sunday (Mar 5).
The post author added that he had thought about this due to the Japanese TV mini-series “We Married as a Job,” and added, “Likewise for househusbands or if the gender roles were reversed.”
In the series, a woman ends up “working for a romantically inexperienced white-collar worker as his wife.”
One commenter wrote that the “traditional women’s role includes caring, nursing and raising the young on top of being the primary home maker” and is likely to involve more than household chores.
Another argued that today, “those responsibilities are now outsourced to maids — so the answer to the question $650 a month (with 2 Sundays off) or $700 for whole month without any break.”
One Reddit user admitted that this was a hard question to answer.
Another retorted that the economics involving a FDW is different, answering that, “The only reason FDW are paid so low because they come from lower COL countries where the amount seems a lot hence they accept the job. If you put singaporean in their place there is no way they would accept such salary.”
Yet another pointed out that maids are given room and board by their employers.
“It’s also because employers are providing room and board, medical expenses, basic toiletries. Other than their phone expenses and off-day food and travel, basically almost their entire salary can be saved or remitted.”
To determine a woman’s compensation for household chores, another said, “Find out the national average wage and it’s at least that wage or above.”
And one pointed out that a woman’s job around the home is not easy.
“it’s like a 24/7 job, thankless job, physically and mentally straining. lol, the pay must be sky high. that’s why some ppl rather work and hire maid than stay home.”
/TISG