Employer worries that giving maid paid days off while the family goes on holiday may ‘set an expectation for future or lead to helper causing trouble’

SINGAPORE: An employer of a domestic helper took to social media wondering if she should give her maid an extra paid rest day while the family went on holiday.

In her anonymous post to a Facebook group for domestic helpers, the employer wrote: “Hi, my family is planning to go on a holiday overseas. I’m thinking if it’s a good idea to give my helper an extra rest day (paid) during this period since there won’t be much to do when we are away”.

She added that the maid had only been in Singapore for around six months but had already made many friends. While the employer wrote that she wanted her maid to have a holiday like the family, she was not “sure if this extra rest day will set an expectation for future or if she will cause trouble since we’ll be away. People tell me that us traveling (sic) is already like a holiday for her, no need be extra and invite problem”.

Here’s what other helpers and employers commented in response:

Earlier in the year, a foreign domestic helper who refused to stay at home alone while her employers went overseas got to go on her own holiday as well.

In an anonymous post to Facebook page FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), the maid’s employer wrote that she and her family had planned to go overseas on a short family trip. However, she added that her helper did not want to stay in their house alone, so “we will treat her to a holiday at a place of her interest somewhere else”.

She also wrote that she would be giving her maid paid leave and covering the cost of her flight tickets as well. “Any idea if we should also cover her accommodation? This is on top of her fully paid home leave which we have already approved. What is your arrangement for helper when employer goes overseas for holiday?” the woman asked netizens in her post.

Other helpers who commented on the post said that they would either stay home and do some light cleaning or go on leave to their hometowns. Some also said that they would be sent to their agencies temporarily.

Maid does not want to stay home alone while employers go overseas so they send her on holiday as well