‘They always want to drink coffee and eat fruits’: Maid claims employers keep disturbing her only hour of rest

SINGAPORE: A domestic helper took to social media to complain that her employers repeatedly interrupt her during what is supposed to be her only break of the day.

In a post shared in the ‘Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid/Domestic Helper’ Facebook group, the helper said that while her employers do give her a one-hour break on paper, the rules around it make it hard to actually relax. According to her, she is not allowed to sleep and can only sit down and use her phone.

She also alleged that her employers often choose this exact window to make requests, despite being largely inactive during other parts of the day.

“They are very busy in front of me during breaks. They keep walking in front of me many times, want to drink coffee, and want to eat fruits.”

“Some people think I’m very lucky to have an hour break, while others might think I don’t appreciate it and I’m just complaining, but HELLO! I have to wake up at 5:30 a.m., and I finish work at 10:30 pm. Do you guys think they will let me have my lunch without disturbing?” she wrote.

She went on to explain that she has tried to be proactive to protect her rest time by asking her employers in advance if they would like “coffee or fruit” before she sits down. 

However, she claimed this rarely helps. About 15 minutes into her break, she is often called again to prepare drinks or food, and later summoned once more to wash the cups.

“Isn’t this like interrupting my rest?” she asked, clearly fed up. 

The helper also mentioned that her phone use is tightly controlled. She said she is not allowed to use her phone outside of her break or late at night, and even then, it has to be placed somewhere visible.

“You chose this job, so deal with it.”

In the comments, some netizens slammed the helper for complaining about her schedule.

One wrote, “You’re a maid, not an office worker with scheduled breaks in between. You chose this job, so deal with it. If you’re not happy, buy your own ticket and go back to where you actually don’t want to live because you know it’s much worse there! Just go back to your country. Nobody will disturb you. You can rest the whole day and use your phone.”

Another commented, “Well, you are being paid for that hour as well. You are lucky to have a stipulated 1 hr break. There are many who do not have breaks or phones. Be thankful and appreciate what you have, and they are employers, they can do whatever they want at home and with their phones.”

Others, however, defended her, pointing out that anyone would be frustrated if their only rest time kept getting interrupted. 

One said, “I know what you’re saying… they are trying to be pretend to be a good employer, but deep down they hate to see you resting. I don’t know how to explain, but I feel you, girl. Wait a little longer, their true colours will come out.”

Another shared, “I feel you, sis. I was working in a landed two-storey house three months ago, and the children were all grown up, all in their 20s, but they were just like more than kids with special needs, constantly asking you to do this or that, even when you were busy with household chores. Even the water had to be poured in front of them, and even the shoes and socks almost had to be put on their feet for them.”

In other news, a woman who had been mentally preparing herself to resign from her job has since had a sobering change of heart after realising that the so-called “failsafe jobs” she thought she could fall back on are no longer as readily available as before.

In a candid post on Reddit’s askSingapore forum on Sunday (Dec 21), the woman shared that her current work situation has been steadily wearing her down.

Read more: ‘Is the SG job market so bad?’: SG worker’s plan to resign falters after learning ‘failsafe jobs’ like retail are no longer readily available