SINGAPORE: A frustrated local employer recently took to social media, wondering if it’s finally time to give her helper the boot after noticing she’s been acting… let’s just say, less than thrilled at home.
The woman explained in her post in the MDW in Singapore Facebook group that her helper has been with the family for about a year and that things were smooth at first. But lately, she says, the helper has been less cooperative and seems to be giving her “attitude” when asked to do tasks.
“[She’s] getting a bit unhappy, and I’m worried she’ll get even angrier and do something to our household,” the employer wrote on Thursday (Nov 6).
Unsure how to handle the situation, she asked the online community for advice, saying, “Should I just get our agent to turn up at our house and get her to pack her stuff?”
“Ask if there is anything going on.”
Instead of offering advice on how to let her helper go, many commenters criticised the employer and urged her to ‘reflect’ on her own behaviour.
One individual said, “Did you ask yourself if you treated her nicely? Maybe she has a reason to have a black face? It’s up to you if you will terminate her instead of asking her nicely… sometimes communication is very important between both parties.”
Another echoed this sentiment, writing, “Vice versa… how do you treat her? Why is she showing a bit of attitude? As an employer, I think you and she should sit down and talk about it, instead of posting. Social media doesn’t help.”
A domestic helper also joined the discussion, explaining that she and others usually only “show attitude” when their employers don’t open up or show empathy.
“As helpers, we can’t demand or say our opinions most of the time, so we have to keep it to ourselves. If our employer knows how to sit with us and talk, we can work things out,” she said.
“Tell her how you feel about her attitude and ask if there is anything going on—maybe you both can work it out, too. We don’t want to change our employer right away when things are hard, but it’s even harder to communicate with our boss if they don’t open up first, so we end up having an attitude, and no one’s happy,” she added.
In other news, a National University of Singapore (NUS) student, who is set to graduate in May 2026, recently opened up online about feeling “depressed” after struggling to secure a job.
In a post on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Thursday (Nov 6), the student shared that, unlike some of his peers who can count on their parents for financial help during their job search, he has no such safety net.
“I need a job urgently,” he wrote. “I need to pay rent when I graduate, and my savings are quickly drying up. Yes, the government has come up with schemes like GRIT, but the pay is so low (S$1,800), which is barely enough to cover rent and living expenses.”
