SINGAPORE: Imagine going through the entire hiring process, paying agency fees, and making arrangements to bring in a domestic helper, only to realise that she cannot even handle one of the most basic kitchen tasks like frying an egg.
One employer recently said she found herself in exactly this situation. In an anonymous post shared in the ‘Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic Helper’ Facebook group on Tuesday (Mar 24), she explained that the helper was a “first-timer” but had presented herself during the interview as someone experienced in handling a range of household duties.
But just one week into the job, things took a turn. The helper admitted that “she does not know how to fry an egg.” On top of that, she has also asked to be “transferred to another employer within Singapore.”
Feeling stuck and unsure how to move forward, the employer turned to others for advice.
“If you were the employer, how would you handle this situation? Please give me your inputs.”
“If she is willing to stay and learn, be patient with her.”
The post drew mixed reactions from other users. Some suggested giving the helper a chance by teaching her or letting her learn through online videos, while others felt the employer should terminate the contract.
One said, “Repatriate her. If enough employers send back untrained maids or maids who lie about their experience, perhaps their home country agencies will one day actually train them and provide accurate biodatas.”
Another wrote, “I will not hesitate for even a second to send this dishonest maid back to where she came from. She got the cheek to ask for a transfer! Really thick-skinned after using you to get into SG.”
A third added, “If she is willing to stay and learn, be patient with her. But if she insists on transferring, send her back because it means she is just using you and will do the same to another employer if the job does not suit her.”
On the flip side, some people said they found the whole situation a bit hard to believe, mainly because frying an egg is such a basic skill. They pointed out that even someone with very little cooking experience would usually know how to do it.
One said, “Seriously, even frying an egg? I don’t believe in this… Maybe other food, but eggs? Even a kindergartner knows how to do it… First things first, we don’t know the real story, but the egg reason is really unbelievable.”
A few, however, noted that there are cases where helpers genuinely do not know how to fry an egg.
One user shared, “My ex-helper really cannot even fry a sunny-side up. During the interview, she listed down the dishes she could cook. I found out that her mum did everything when she was at home.”
In other news, a Singaporean employee took to social media on Monday (Feb 23) to vent his anger after his manager allegedly insulted him for taking medical leave (MC) during his notice period.
In a post on a local forum, the employee said that when he returned to work after being on MC, his manager immediately started tearing into him. He claimed the manager called him “useless,” sarcastically asked if he was “satisfied now,” and accused him of taking MC on purpose, even saying he had “calculated it perfectly.”
