Where would we be without our domestic helpers?
For many families in Singapore, domestic helpers keep our homes clean, cook our meals, and take care of our children.
Yet, employers don’t always treat them well.
There have been many cases of verbal and physical abuse in the past, but now, with Singaporeans staying in their homes during the circuit breaker, some workers are complaining of increased workloads or conflicts with their employer.
Advised To Stay Home During Off-Days
Typically, domestic workers would be able to go out and meet their friends on their day off to unwind, after a week of hard work.
But due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) urged helpers to stay at home during their day off, unless they were running essential errands, according to South China Morning Post.
The authorities also asked employers to allow domestic workers to rest on their days off.
But this hasn’t been the case in many homes.
Heavier Workloads
According to SCMP, domestic helpers have been making twice as many calls to The Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) – a centre set up by the National Trades Union Congress to help distressed workers – since the partial lockdown began.
The number of helpers who have run away from their employers has also doubled in the past two months.
Why?
Heavier workloads and conflicts with employees.
See, since many employees are now working from home, helpers have to clean the house more and cook more frequently.
“Some [workers] are also looking after the elderly or young in the family throughout the day while the parents focus on work,” said CDE chairman Yeo Guat Kwang.
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One domestic worker, 33-year-old Lisa, said that one of her friends even considered leaving her job to return home due to the increased stress and work.
“She has to stay awake until almost midnight to cook food [for her employer’s son] and when she wakes up, the kitchen would be very messy,” she said. “She felt like she wanted to go home because of the workload.
Many helpers are also scared to express their frustrations to their employers for fear of a backlash.
And it’s not just helpers in Singapore that are experiencing this problem.
According to SCMP, similar complaints have been made in Malaysia and Hong Kong, with many helpers either facing increased workloads or being forced to work on their days off.
Around one in five households in Singapore employs a domestic helper, so this is certainly not a minor issue.
So, what is the solution?
Social Interaction And Live-out Options
Since helpers are staying indoors and facing longer working hours, they have less contact with their friends and family.
Jaya Anil Kumar, a case manager at the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) NGO, advised helpers to interact with their loved ones online, to stave off the effects of isolation.
Jaya added that there should be a live-out option for helpers, to prevent them from being exploited.
“A live-out option will make domestic workers less vulnerable to exploitation, and will be a way to regulate their working hours and reduce isolation faced by many domestic workers. There are ways to explore covering costs involved, including utilising levies paid by employers,” she said.
The Philippine Embassy in Singapore has received three complaints of domestic helper abuse and two reports of runaway workers since the start of the circuit breaker.
They urged distressed Filipino workers to come forward if they are being exploited or abused in any way.
Treat Helpers With Respect and Dignity
People who mistreat domestic workers often do so because they believe that they are ‘inferior’ to them and don’t deserve the same rights.
But everyone should be treated equally, irrespective of nationality or economic status. If we expect to relax on our days off, how can we make our helpers work on theirs?
Yes, many parents are struggling to work from home and take care of their kids due to the circuit breaker restrictions, but your helpers are struggling too.
This period is tough for everyone. Don’t exploit your helper just because it makes your life a little easier.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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