SINGAPORE: In the latest tale from the trenches of domestic work in Singapore, a helper has sparked an outcry online after revealing that her employer controls not just what she eats — but how she heats it up.
“She doesn’t allow me to buy and cook my own food even with my own money because she said I waste her gas,” the helper posted in the Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic Helper Facebook group. Accompanied by a weary emoji, the post paints a bleak picture of how far some employers go in penny-pinching.
To clarify: The helper buys her own groceries, but is banned by her employer from using the kitchen stove for fear of increasing the gas bill. The only exception is that “She (employer) doesn’t say anything when I buy canned food.” Apparently, items in tins don’t trigger the gas meter.
But it doesn’t stop there. “Even for toilet paper, I have to also buy it with my own money,” the helper added.
The post was written in response to another post by a different domestic helper, who said:
“I don’t want to eat anymore because my boss is so calculative. Even for a tomato or what, she wants to know how many pieces I use or eat every day. But she knows how many pieces I buy, and she knows how many pieces I use/eat every day.”
This sparked a chorus of “Same here!” from helpers in similar situations, all echoing stories of gas-hoarding, fruit-counting, and spreadsheet-style food audits. A couple of them even shared how her employer questions why food items “finish so fast,” as if a daily banana needed a report.
Welcome to the dystopian world of hyper-calculative employers, where the flame of a stove is a luxury, and toilet paper is apparently an optional benefit.
Human rights advocates argue that such treatment crosses into unethical territory, regardless of contractual clauses. Yet for now, the kitchen remains closed to some — unless it’s a can of baked beans that can be eaten cold.
Final note: If your helper is buying her own food, and you still control the flame… maybe it’s time to reflect, not just save.
