Maid frustrated because her calculative employer initially paid her salary on the date she started work, but after her home leave, pay date changed to the date she returned

SINGAPORE: A foreign domestic helper took to social media to say that she has a very calculative employer who refused to give or take a few days when paying her salary.

The post was shared to a Facebook help group by the maid’s friend, who wrote that the maid had worked for nearly six years with this specific employer. Because the maid had started working for her employer on Dec 17, the employer took that date as the date she paid the helper’s salary.

After her two-year contract, the maid went on leave and returned to work on Dec 22. The employer then took this new date as her helper’s salary date. In the post, the maid added that the date should not be changed based on her leave and that her employer was very calculative.

Other helpers who commented on the post agreed that the employer was being calculative. The maid herself also said that going to MOM may prove to cause more friction between her and her employer.

Here’s what others wrote:

Earlier in the week, an employer of a foreign domestic helper took to social media asking if she was obliged to give her helper an advance on her salary.

In an anonymous post to a Facebook group for domestic helpers, the woman wrote that her maid had been working for her for eight months. “Few days back she wanted to advance her 2.5k. When asked for the reason, the money will be used for the downpayment for her house”, she wrote. She explained that the maid asked for $500 to be deducted from her salary for the next five months to make up for the advance payment.

“Should we as employers be obliged to advance her pay? Also, we are afraid if we don’t she would do something funny with our young kids. Appreciate all of your feedback on this matter”, the woman wrote, asking others in the group for advice.

On the Manpower Ministry (MOM) website, under allowable salary deductions was the following: “For recovering advances, loans, overpaid salary or unearned employment benefits.

Maid wants $2.5K advance salary; employer wants to know if they’re obliged to give as they’re worried helper might “do something funny with our young kids”