A Singapore woman has drawn criticism online after sharing how she and her husband arranged a sleeping area for their helper inside a room that doubles as a home office in their 4-room BTO flat.
Photos from the now-deleted Instagram post showed a single bed beside a work desk, with a freestanding divider separating the sleeping area from the rest of the room.
However, the homeowner later clarified that the photos did not show how the room is actually used at night. She said her helper gets the entire room to herself after the household finishes work for the day.
Photos Show Bed Separated From Work Desk
According to Mothership, the woman originally shared the setup on Instagram while discussing the difficulty of finding a private sleeping space for a helper in a 4-room flat.
Screenshots published by Mothership showed a single bed placed in a room containing a desk and office setup.
A divider had been positioned beside the bed to create a visual barrier. The couple had apparently considered using a curtain before deciding that the divider was more practical for them.
The woman also shared a small night light she had bought for her helper, choosing one that would not require additional floor space.
The post subsequently attracted negative reactions on platforms including Reddit and X. The woman deleted the original post before publishing a clarification.
Homeowner Says Helper Gets Whole Room At Night
In her clarification, the woman acknowledged that her first post had lacked important context and apologised for giving the impression that her helper was restricted to the area immediately behind the divider.
She explained that the desk is used only during the day.
Once the working day ends, the family no longer uses the room and it becomes the helper’s personal space for the night. The woman said family members knock before entering, while anyone who needs to continue working after hours uses another desk outside the room.
She also explained that the divider was intended to give the helper some privacy while the room was being shared during the day, particularly so that her personal belongings would not always be exposed.
Another option had been for the helper to share a room with the family’s baby. However, the woman said the baby still sometimes wakes during the night, so the couple felt the shared office arrangement would allow their helper to rest better.
She added that moving to a larger home was not currently possible because of their circumstances and housing restrictions.
The woman apologised to those offended by the original post and said her intention had been to share one way a family with limited space could accommodate a helper, rather than present the setup as something luxurious.
What MOM Says About Helpers’ Accommodation
The Ministry of Manpower says employers must provide migrant domestic workers with accommodation that gives them adequate space and privacy.
Its employer guidelines state that a separate room should be provided where possible. Where that cannot be done, the sleeping arrangement must still offer adequate space and privacy, alongside requirements covering ventilation, safety, basic amenities and modesty.
MOM also reiterated in a parliamentary reply on 6 May 2026 that employers are required to provide adequate space and privacy for their helpers at home.
Mothership’s report did not state that MOM had assessed this particular household’s arrangement.
