‘Not considered residents’: Some condos still ban domestic helpers from using facilities, says HOME

SINGAPORE: In a social media post from earlier this week, the migrant workers’ rights group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) highlighted a situation in some condominiums where domestic helpers may not be allowed to use recreational facilities such as gyms, even though they live there.

The post told the story of “Angie,” a migrant domestic worker who was told to leave her condominium gym in April by a cleaner, who called a member of the management, who confirmed this. Later, when Angie’s employer checked the by-laws of the condominium, they found out that “servants” are excluded from the definition of residents and that a household’s employees are barred from using recreational facilities.

“Angie lives at this estate full-time. She is excluded from facilities that guests, people with no connection to the building,  are permitted to use.

The way in which the rule was enforced compounded the indignity. Two members of staff standing over a lone woman while she was required to gather her belongings and leave is intimidating conduct,” HOME quoted the employer as saying.

The employer brought the matter to HOME’s attention as they believe it’s part of a broader pattern that affects helpers in Singapore’s private estates.

HOME noted, however, that policies in condominiums are different, and while in some, domestic helpers may use the same facilities as residents, others may do so only under certain conditions, as when they’re supervising children. In other condominiums, helpers are prohibited from using recreational facilities altogether. These differences are not required by Singapore law but arise from by-laws adopted by individual condominium management corporations. These differences are not determined by national laws but by specific by-laws, which are determined by condominium owners.

HOME also mentioned a recent article from The Independent Singapore titled “‘They’re humans too!’: Employers assert domestic helpers should be allowed to use condo swimming pools.”  Moreover, the group explained that condominium by-laws can be amended, and encouraged residents to review their condominium’s by-laws, raise concerns with management committees, and propose amendments at annual general meetings.

On Facebook, one woman recounted having an experience similar to Angie’s when other residents in the condominium where she lives complained to the management when she, a helper, used the swimming pool and gym.

“They couldn’t get me out. As I told them, there are no rules in the condo that a helper cannot use (the facilities). And my employers allowed me. I told them to speak to my boss,” she wrote in the comments to HOME’s post.

Another woman wrote that her new employer had suggested that she use the gym, but was shocked when she said “most” condominiums don’t allow helpers to use their facilities.

“My employers couldn’t believe that Singapore still has this kind of discrimination. And questions came out like ‘So that means you are not allowed to go into the pool with our son to swim with him?’ And they said, ‘That’s not right,’” she added./TISG

Read related: ’They’re humans too!’: Employers assert domestic helpers should be allowed to use condo swimming pools